Head of Design System (x/f/m)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Head of Design System (x/f/m)

Company: Doctolib

Location: Berlin, Germany / Paris, France

Job Type: Full-time, Permanent

Category: Design Operations / Product Design Leadership

Date Posted: July 22, 2026

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the multi-year vision and strategic roadmap for Doctolib's design system, "Oxygen," ensuring its evolution and integration with AI-first development environments.

• Drive cross-functional governance and establish robust contribution models and change management processes across Design, Product, Engineering, and Brand teams.

• Uphold and elevate design output quality across all Doctolib product surfaces, guaranteeing consistency, brand alignment, and adherence to accessibility standards, especially for AI-generated interfaces.

• Champion and measure the adoption and impact of the design system, connecting system health metrics to product team velocity and overall business outcomes.

• Manage, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of design system designers and engineers, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a leadership role within the Design Operations and Product Design space, focusing on the strategic management and scaling of a critical design system. The emphasis on "AI-first development environments" and "AI-generated interfaces" indicates a forward-thinking approach to design and development, requiring a candidate who can bridge design, engineering, and emerging technologies.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and communicate the long-term vision and strategic roadmap for the Oxygen design system, aligning it with Doctolib's AI-first development strategy and broader business objectives.

• Establish and maintain cross-functional governance frameworks, including contribution guidelines, review processes, and standards for design and engineering teams to ensure system integrity and adoption.

• Oversee the quality and consistency of design output across all Doctolib products and platforms, ensuring adherence to brand guidelines, accessibility standards (WCAG), and localization requirements (i18n, RTL).

• Develop and implement strategies to drive widespread adoption of the design system, focusing on key metrics such as adoption rate, component coverage, contribution velocity, and their impact on product team efficiency and quality.

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of dedicated design system designers and engineers, setting performance expectations, fostering professional growth, and ensuring the team possesses the necessary skills for current and future system needs.

• Translate system health and adoption metrics into tangible business impacts, presenting data-informed insights to senior leadership to justify investment and strategic direction for the design system.

• Collaborate closely with Product, Engineering, and Brand leadership to champion the design system's value proposition and ensure seamless integration into product development lifecycles.

• Manage the evolution of the design system to incorporate new technologies and methodologies, particularly in the context of AI-generated interfaces and evolving user experience paradigms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strategic leadership role that requires not only deep expertise in design systems but also a strong understanding of product development lifecycles, cross-functional team dynamics, and business impact measurement. The emphasis on AI-first environments suggests a need for a candidate comfortable with cutting-edge technology and its integration into design processes.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong understanding of design principles, user experience, and software engineering best practices is essential. A degree in Design, Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is beneficial.

Experience: 10+ years of progressive experience in product design, UX/UI design, or specifically in establishing and scaling mature design systems within complex organizations. Proven track record of successfully managing and growing a design system across multiple product teams or business lines.

Required Skills:

• Design Systems Expertise: Deep understanding and practical experience in building, evolving, and scaling complex design systems (e.g., Oxygen) across a large organization.

• Engineering Fluency: Strong comprehension of technical architecture for design systems, platform team operations, and modern software engineering practices, including those relevant to AI-first development.

• Senior Stakeholder Management: Proven ability to effectively negotiate priorities, influence decisions, and drive change with leadership at Director level and above in large, distributed organizations.

• Data-Informed Decision Making: Proficiency in defining, tracking, and analyzing key design system metrics (adoption rate, handoff defect rate, contribution velocity) and connecting them to product quality and business outcomes.

• Governance & Process Design: Experience in establishing cross-functional governance models, contribution workflows, and change management processes for design systems.

• Accessibility & Localization: In-depth knowledge of accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and localization best practices (i18n, RTL) in the context of enterprise-level design systems.

• Team Leadership & Management: Demonstrated ability to manage, mentor, and grow design and engineering teams, setting high standards for craft and performance.

• Strategic Planning & Roadmapping: Capability to define and execute a multi-year vision and roadmap for a complex system, linking it to business impact and investment strategies.

• English Fluency: Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience leading large-scale change management initiatives across cross-functional teams.

• Familiarity with AI-generated interfaces and their implications for design systems.

• Proficiency in additional European languages such as French, German, or Italian.

• Experience in regulated or healthcare-adjacent industries.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement emphasizes a senior-level candidate with extensive, hands-on experience in design systems. Engineering fluency is a critical component, suggesting the need for a candidate who can communicate effectively with engineers and understand technical constraints and opportunities. The data-informed approach highlights the importance of measurable impact.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Design System Case Studies: Detailed examples showcasing the evolution, scaling, and impact of a design system you've led or significantly contributed to. These should demonstrate your ability to manage contributions, implement governance, and drive adoption.

• Strategic Vision & Roadmap Examples: Documentation or presentation materials outlining past design system strategies, multi-year roadmaps, and how they were aligned with business goals.

• Governance & Process Documentation: Examples of established governance models, contribution workflows, and change management processes for design systems.

• Metrics & Impact Demonstrations: Evidence of how you've measured design system health and connected metrics (e.g., adoption rates, defect reduction, team velocity) to tangible product quality improvements and business outcomes.

• Cross-functional Collaboration Examples: Demonstrations of how you've successfully collaborated with Product, Engineering, and Brand teams to integrate and evolve a design system.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Showcase your ability to design and optimize workflows for design system contributions, reviews, and updates, ensuring efficiency and scalability.

• System Implementation & Automation: Provide examples of how you've implemented design system components and processes, including any automation strategies used to enhance efficiency and consistency.

• Measurement & Performance Analysis: Detail your approach to measuring the performance of a design system, including defining key performance indicators (KPIs), data collection methods, and analysis techniques for reporting on system health and impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Head of Design System role, the portfolio is crucial. It should not only showcase design artifacts but also strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, process management, and a data-driven approach to demonstrating impact. Candidates should be prepared to articulate the "why" and "how" behind their design system initiatives.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on regional market data for Head of Design System roles in Berlin and Paris with 10+ years of experience, the estimated annual salary range is €120,000 - €170,000. This estimate considers the seniority of the role, the company's industry (tech/healthcare), and the cost of living in major European cities.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Basic package provided for employees and their children.

• Generous Paid Time Off: 25 days of paid vacation annually, plus up to 14 days of RTT (Reduction of Working Time).

• Mental Health & Coaching Support: Access to free mental health and coaching services through partner Moka.care.

• Work from Abroad Flexibility: Up to 10 days per year to work remotely from another country.

• Lunch Vouchers: Swile card with €8.50 per working day, with Doctolib contributing €4.50.

• Recreation Subsidy: Partial refund for sports club or creative class memberships via the works council.

• Public Transport Reimbursement: 50% coverage of public transport subscriptions.

• ParentCare Program: Full (100%) salary coverage for the first month of parental leave (birth), and 75% for the second month.

• Caregiver & Disability Support: Adapted remote policy, extra days off for medical reasons, and psychological support.

• Relocation Assistance: Support provided for international mobility.

• AI Tools & Training: Access to advanced AI tools for coding and development, along with dedicated training.

Working Hours: Full-time with a standard 40-hour work week. The hybrid setup allows for flexibility, with up to 2 remote days per week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on industry benchmarks for senior design leadership roles in comparable European tech hubs. The benefits package is comprehensive, reflecting Doctolib's commitment to employee well-being, work-life balance, and professional development, particularly for those in senior positions.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Doctolib operates within the rapidly evolving Healthcare Technology sector, focusing on improving access and efficiency in healthcare for patients and medical professionals. This industry context demands a high degree of reliability, security, and user-centricity.

Company Size: Doctolib is a large and rapidly growing tech company. This scale implies a complex organizational structure, a significant user base, and the need for robust, scalable systems like design systems to maintain consistency and quality across diverse product lines and markets.

Founded: Doctolib was founded in 2013, giving it a mature yet dynamic presence in the European tech landscape. Its growth trajectory suggests a culture that values innovation, rapid iteration, and a strong focus on user needs within the healthcare domain.

Team Structure:

• Design System Team: This team is likely comprised of dedicated designers and engineers focused on building, maintaining, and evolving the Oxygen design system. It will report into a broader Brand and Design leadership structure.

• Reporting Structure: The Head of Design System will report to a senior leader within Brand and Design (e.g., VP of Design, Chief Design Officer). They will manage a team of designers and engineers.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: The role necessitates deep collaboration with Product Management, Engineering (frontend, backend, AI/ML), Brand Marketing, and potentially Legal/Compliance teams to ensure the design system meets diverse needs and regulatory requirements.

Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: A strong emphasis on using data to measure design system adoption, impact, and health. This involves tracking metrics and translating them into actionable insights for product teams and leadership.

• Workflow Planning & Optimization: Designing and refining processes for design system contributions, reviews, and updates to ensure efficiency, scalability, and maintainability.

• Automation & Efficiency: Leveraging technology and automation to streamline design system processes, improve developer experience, and enhance the quality of AI-generated interfaces.

Company Website: https://www.doctolib.fr/

📝 Enhancement Note: Doctolib's position as a major European tech player in healthcare suggests a professional, data-driven, and performance-oriented culture. The emphasis on an AI-first environment indicates a forward-looking approach, where innovation and technological advancement are key drivers.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior leadership role, equivalent to a Director or VP level within the Design Operations and Product Design spectrum. It requires strategic thinking, extensive experience in scaling complex systems, and the ability to influence at the highest levels of the organization. The scope includes defining long-term strategy, managing a team, and directly impacting product quality and development velocity across Doctolib.

Reporting Structure: The Head of Design System will report to a senior executive within the Brand and Design organization. They will directly manage a team of specialized designers and engineers. This structure offers visibility to executive leadership and the opportunity to shape departmental strategy.

Operations Impact: The role has a substantial impact on Doctolib's operational efficiency and product quality. By ensuring a consistent, high-quality design foundation, the design system accelerates product development, reduces redundant work, improves user experience across millions of users, and reinforces brand identity. The integration with AI-generated interfaces further amplifies this impact by ensuring scalability and coherence in novel design contexts.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Opportunity to deepen expertise in scaling design systems, AI-driven design, and managing cross-functional operations in a hyper-growth tech environment.

• Leadership Development: Potential to grow into broader design leadership roles, overseeing larger teams or expanding responsibilities to encompass more aspects of product design strategy and execution.

• Industry Influence: As a leader of a significant design system in a leading European healthtech company, there's potential to contribute to industry best practices and thought leadership in design systems and AI-assisted design.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a significant step up for design system professionals, offering leadership experience in a high-impact area within a prominent tech company. The growth path is clearly defined towards broader design and product leadership.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Doctolib offers a hybrid work setup, balancing the benefits of in-office collaboration with the flexibility of remote work. The office environments in Berlin and Paris are designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and a strong sense of community among employees.

Office Location(s): The role is available in both Berlin, Germany, and Paris, France, offering candidates the choice of a vibrant European capital. These locations are typically well-connected and equipped with modern amenities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Offices are likely designed with open spaces, meeting rooms, and breakout areas to encourage spontaneous interactions and team-based problem-solving, crucial for design system development.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to state-of-the-art design and development tools, including advanced AI coding assistants, as mentioned in the benefits. This environment supports efficient workflows and cutting-edge development practices.

• Team Interaction: Regular opportunities for direct interaction with design system team members, product designers, engineers, and other stakeholders, facilitating knowledge sharing and alignment.

Work Schedule: The hybrid model allows for up to 2 remote days per week, providing flexibility. Standard working hours are expected, but the hybrid setup aims to support work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model and choice of major European cities suggest a modern, employee-centric work environment. The emphasis on collaboration and access to advanced tools indicates a workplace geared towards high-performance and innovation.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Recruiter Interview: Initial screening to assess cultural fit, motivation, and alignment with the foundational requirements of the role.

• Portfolio Review: A critical step where candidates present their design system experience, showcasing past projects, strategic contributions, and demonstrated impact. Be prepared to discuss challenges, solutions, and outcomes in detail.

• Design System Live Case: A practical exercise designed to evaluate problem-solving skills, strategic thinking, and approach to a complex design system challenge relevant to Doctolib's context. This may involve scenario-based problem-solving or a brief design exercise.

• Behavioral Interview: Focuses on assessing leadership style, stakeholder management abilities, conflict resolution, and how candidates handle complex organizational dynamics. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses.

• Reference Check: Verification of past performance and professional conduct with provided references.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Impact: Select 2-3 key design system projects that best demonstrate your leadership, strategic vision, and ability to scale systems.

• Storytelling: Frame your portfolio entries as narratives. Clearly articulate the problem, your role, the strategic approach, the challenges encountered, the solutions implemented, and the measurable outcomes.

• Quantify Everything: Wherever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the impact of your work (e.g., increased adoption, reduced development time, improved consistency scores).

• Highlight Governance & Collaboration: Showcase your experience in establishing governance models, driving cross-functional adoption, and managing contributions from diverse teams.

• Address AI Context: Be prepared to discuss how you envision a design system interacting with AI-generated interfaces and how you'd maintain quality and consistency in such an environment.

Challenge Preparation:

• Research Doctolib: Understand their products, user base, and current design challenges. Familiarize yourself with their existing design system (Oxygen) if possible, or common challenges in healthcare tech.

• Practice Problem-Solving: Anticipate scenarios related to design system adoption, governance, team management, or scaling. Practice articulating your thought process and solutions clearly and concisely.

• Strategic Articulation: Be ready to discuss your philosophy on design systems, their role in product development, and how you would align a design system strategy with business goals and emerging technologies like AI.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured to assess a candidate's strategic, technical, and leadership capabilities. The portfolio review and live case are particularly important for a role of this nature, requiring candidates to demonstrate practical experience and a strategic mindset.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design Tools: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (as relevant for design system assets and documentation).

• Prototyping Tools: InVision, Axure, or built-in Figma/Sketch capabilities for interactive component demonstrations.

• Design System Platforms: Tools specifically designed for design system management and documentation (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook) will be central to the role.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Tools: Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel, or similar platforms for tracking design system adoption and user behavior.

• Dashboarding Tools: Tools like Tableau, Power BI, or custom solutions for visualizing design system metrics and reporting to stakeholders.

• Performance Tracking: Systems for monitoring component usage, contribution velocity, and handoff defect rates.

CRM & Automation:

• Project Management: Tools like Jira, Asana, Trello for managing design system development sprints, backlogs, and team tasks.

• Collaboration Platforms: Slack, Microsoft Teams for daily communication and cross-functional team interaction.

• Version Control: Git and platforms like GitHub/GitLab for managing design system code repositories.

📝 Enhancement Note: A Head of Design System must be proficient with a wide array of design, development, and analytics tools. The specific mention of "AI-first development environments" suggests a need for familiarity with tools that support AI integration and potentially AI-assisted design processes.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A core value in healthcare, ensuring that all design system decisions ultimately serve the needs of patients and healthcare professionals, enhancing their experience and efficiency.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Fostering an environment where design, engineering, and product teams work together openly, sharing knowledge and feedback to build a robust and evolving system.

• Data-Driven Impact: Emphasizing the use of metrics and data to inform decisions, measure success, and demonstrate the value of the design system to the organization.

• Excellence & Craftsmanship: Maintaining a high standard for design quality, code implementation, and documentation, ensuring the design system is a reliable and high-quality foundation.

• Innovation & Adaptability: Embracing new technologies and methodologies, particularly in AI, to keep the design system at the forefront of product development and user experience.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Actively working to integrate the design system into the fabric of product development, establishing strong partnerships with all relevant teams.

• Process Review & Feedback: Encouraging a culture of continuous improvement through regular reviews of design system processes, component effectiveness, and team workflows, with open feedback mechanisms.

• Knowledge Sharing: Promoting the sharing of best practices, learnings, and new developments within the design system team and across the broader organization through documentation, workshops, and internal presentations.

📝 Enhancement Note: Doctolib's values likely emphasize innovation, user impact, and collaborative execution, which are critical for a role managing a foundational system like a design system. The integration of AI suggests a culture that embraces forward-thinking technology.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling a Mature System: Evolving a complex, mature design system like Oxygen to meet the demands of a rapidly growing company and new technological frontiers (e.g., AI-generated interfaces).

• Cross-Organizational Alignment: Ensuring consistent adoption and contribution from numerous diverse teams across different product lines and geographies, each with unique needs and priorities.

• Balancing Innovation and Stability: Introducing new technologies and methodologies (like AI integration) while maintaining the stability, accessibility, and backward compatibility of the core design system.

• Measuring ROI: Continuously demonstrating the tangible business value and return on investment of the design system to senior leadership and product teams.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Gaining deep expertise in scaling design systems in large, complex organizations and understanding the nuances of AI integration in design and development.

• Industry Conferences & Certifications: Opportunities to attend leading design and technology conferences to stay abreast of industry trends and potentially pursue relevant certifications.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Developing leadership skills through managing a high-performing team, mentoring junior talent, and potentially taking on broader strategic responsibilities within Doctolib's design organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior design system leaders but are amplified by Doctolib's scale, industry, and focus on AI. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a clear path for career advancement and skill development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your philosophy on scaling a design system in an AI-first development environment. How would you ensure consistency and quality with AI-generated interfaces?" (Focus on strategic vision, AI integration, and quality control)

• "How have you managed conflicting priorities from different product teams when developing or evolving a design system? Provide an example of a difficult negotiation with senior stakeholders." (Focus on stakeholder management, negotiation, and prioritization)

• "Walk us through a time you had to drive significant change management for a design system. What were the key challenges, and how did you overcome them to achieve adoption?" (Focus on change management, process implementation, and overcoming resistance) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Doctolib's mission in healthcare technology, and how do you see a design system contributing to that mission?" (Focus on company alignment, mission understanding, and operational contribution)

• "How would you foster a collaborative culture within your design system team and with external stakeholders (Product, Engineering)?" (Focus on team dynamics, collaboration style, and cross-functional integration)

• "How do you measure the success and impact of a design system? What metrics do you prioritize, and how do you communicate them to leadership?" (Focus on data-driven approach, ROI articulation, and communication skills) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Begin with an executive summary of your design system philosophy and key achievements. Then, dive into 2-3 detailed case studies, each following a problem-solution-impact narrative.

• Metrics Focus: For each case study, clearly present the initial problem, the specific actions taken, and the quantifiable results achieved (e.g., "reduced UI development time by X%", "increased component adoption by Y%", "decreased handoff defect rate by Z%").

• Visuals: Use clear, concise visuals to illustrate your points – screenshots of components, system architecture diagrams, adoption dashboards, and examples of consistent vs. inconsistent UI.

• AI Integration Discussion: Be prepared to discuss your thoughts on how a design system can best support and govern AI-generated interfaces, demonstrating forward-thinking.

• Interactive Q&A: Allocate ample time for questions, showing genuine engagement and a willingness to discuss specific aspects of your experience in detail.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic leadership, deep design system expertise, strong stakeholder management, and a data-driven approach. Candidates must be ready to articulate their vision and impact, especially in the context of AI and healthcare.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Doctolib careers page.

• Customize your Resume: Highlight your 10+ years of experience in product design and design systems, emphasizing achievements in scaling complex systems, stakeholder management, and data-driven decision-making. Integrate keywords like "Design Systems," "Oxygen," "AI-first," "Governance," "WCAG," and "Team Leadership."

• Prepare your Portfolio: Curate 2-3 robust case studies that showcase your design system leadership, strategic vision, and quantifiable impact. Focus on demonstrating your ability to drive adoption, manage contributions, and connect system health to business outcomes. Be ready to present this virtually.

• Practice Interview Responses: Rehearse answers to common behavioral and strategic questions, particularly those related to design system scaling, AI integration, stakeholder management, and change management. Use the STAR method for behavioral questions.

• Research Doctolib's Mission and Products: Understand their healthcare focus, user base, and any publicly available information about their current design efforts. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.