Design Systems Engineer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Design Systems Engineer

Company: OnePay

Location: United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Design Operations / Engineering Operations

Date Posted: 2026-05-06

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote (US-based candidates only)

🚀 Role Summary

• Architect and build an AI-native design platform, focusing on infrastructure rather than just a component library, to drive widespread adoption and extensibility across the organization.

• Integrate the design system with AI layers, enabling AI tools to understand system constraints, facilitating AI-generated code that adheres to design standards, and significantly reducing the design-to-production gap.

• Develop and maintain MCPs (Model Component Patterns), token pipelines, and LLM-aware components to ensure seamless integration and maintainability of design elements within an AI-driven workflow.

• Collaborate closely with Design Engineers to enhance the design-to-code pipeline and partner across product, engineering, marketing, and creative teams to ensure the design platform is a valuable, end-to-end asset.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a foundational architect for OnePay's design infrastructure, emphasizing AI-native principles and cross-functional impact beyond traditional design system maintenance. The focus is on building scalable, adaptable systems that empower various teams.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and implement the architecture for OnePay's AI-native design system, ensuring it is scalable, maintainable, and extensible for future growth.

• Develop and manage design token pipelines and LLM-aware component libraries that facilitate AI-driven design and development workflows.

• Define and enforce standards for design-to-code translation, ensuring high fidelity and consistency between design artifacts and production code.

• Build and maintain Figma plugins and scripts to automate design workflows and enhance the integration between design tools and development environments.

• Drive adoption and provide ongoing support for the design system across multiple teams, including Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Creative, by acting as a subject matter expert.

• Define key metrics for design system success, such as adoption rates, efficiency gains, consistency improvements, and design-to-production fidelity, and track progress against these metrics.

• Collaborate with engineering teams to ensure the design system's code implementation is robust, performant, and aligned with architectural best practices.

• Champion the evolution of design systems in a post-AI world, exploring and integrating new methodologies and technologies to keep the platform at the cutting edge.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strategic, infrastructure-building approach to design systems, with a strong emphasis on AI integration, cross-functional enablement, and measurable impact.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a strong technical background is implied, potentially in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 5-10 years of progressive experience in design systems, product design, or frontend engineering, with a significant portion dedicated to building and scaling design systems.

Required Skills:

• Deep expertise in design system architecture, including experience with both design tools (e.g., Figma) and code-based implementations.

• Proven hands-on experience integrating AI into design and engineering workflows, specifically with concepts like MCPs (Model Component Patterns), LLM integrations, and automation.

• Fluency in design tokens, component architecture, and understanding the mapping between design system elements and production code frameworks.

• Proficiency in scripting or plugin development for design tools, such as Figma plugins, API integrations, or similar automation capabilities.

• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain systems that are adopted and utilized by diverse audiences beyond just designers and engineers.

• Experience in defining and tracking success metrics for design system adoption, speed, consistency, and fidelity.

• Strong problem-solving skills with a systems-thinking approach to developing scalable and adaptable solutions.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with multiple design tools and an understanding of their underlying systems, demonstrating tool-agnosticism.

• Familiarity with various frontend development frameworks and their implications for design system implementation.

• Experience in the fintech industry, understanding its unique design and regulatory challenges.

• Knowledge of AI/ML principles and how they can be leveraged to enhance design system capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a forward-thinking approach to design systems, prioritizing AI integration, platform thinking, and broad organizational utility over deep specialization in a single tool. The experience level suggests a need for someone who can operate independently and strategically.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 2-3 substantial projects demonstrating the architecture and implementation of a design system, highlighting its extensibility and scalability.

• Include case studies detailing the integration of AI or automation within design workflows, such as LLM-powered component generation or AI-assisted design tooling.

• Present examples of design token systems and their implementation across different platforms or codebases, illustrating consistency and maintainability.

• Detail contributions to design-to-code pipelines, including examples of how design specifications were translated into production-ready code.

Process Documentation:

• Provide documentation of the processes used to define, build, and maintain design system components and tokens.

• Illustrate workflows for design system adoption, including onboarding processes for new teams and contribution guidelines.

• Showcase methods for measuring design system performance, adoption, and impact on product development velocity and quality.

• Document the integration points and workflows between the design system and AI tools or platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio should serve as tangible proof of the candidate's ability to architect and implement robust, AI-native design systems that drive efficiency and consistency across an organization. Emphasis should be placed on strategic thinking and measurable outcomes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $160,000 - $210,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Competitive base salary.

• Stock options, providing an opportunity to share in the company's growth.

• Comprehensive health benefits, available from Day 1.

• 401(k) plan with a company match to support retirement savings.

• Flexible Time Off (FTO) policy, allowing for a healthy work-life balance.

• Opportunities for professional growth and career advancement within a fast-paced environment.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered due to the remote nature of the role. The company culture emphasizes urgency and high performance, suggesting that while flexible, commitment to meeting deadlines is key.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a specialized Design Systems Engineer role in the US, especially considering the remote flexibility and the emphasis on AI integration. The benefits package is standard for a growing tech company, with a focus on comprehensive health and long-term incentives.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Fintech/Consumer Finance. OnePay aims to disrupt the traditional financial system by offering an all-in-one platform for banking, savings, credit, investing, and crypto, often targeting underserved frontline workers and employees.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, the mention of "millions of Americans" as customers and backing from Walmart suggests a company with significant scale and high growth potential. The "small, senior team" in Experience Design indicates a lean, high-impact operational structure.

Founded: The description implies a relatively new or rapidly evolving company, given its mission to "fix" a broken financial system and its fast-moving culture. The backing from major investors like Walmart and Ribbit Capital indicates substantial resources and ambition.

Team Structure:

• The Experience Design team is described as "small, senior" with members from prestigious companies, indicating a high-craft, low-ego environment focused on impactful design.

• The Design Systems Engineer will work closely with a "Design Engineer" and partner across Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Creative departments, highlighting a highly collaborative, cross-functional structure.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Implied by the focus on metrics, ROI, and understanding customer needs in the financial sector.

• Agile & Iterative Development: The "moves fast" and "operating in motion" culture suggests an agile approach to product development and system iteration.

• AI-Native Integration: AI is a baseline, not an afterthought, indicating a strategic approach to leveraging AI across design, development, and customer experience.

• Systems Thinking: A core requirement for the role, suggesting a focus on building interconnected, scalable platforms rather than isolated components.

Company Website: https://www.onepay.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is clearly defined by speed, innovation, and a mission-driven approach, particularly in the fintech space. The Experience Design team is positioned as a high-caliber group, and the Design Systems Engineer will be instrumental in establishing the foundational infrastructure that supports this rapid, quality-focused development.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a Mid-Senior to Senior level, acting as an individual contributor with significant architectural and strategic influence. It's not a management role but one that builds critical infrastructure for the entire organization's design and development efforts.

Reporting Structure: The role reports into the Experience Design team and will work closely with a Design Engineer. The broader collaboration across Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Creative indicates the influence and reach of this position.

Operations Impact: The Design Systems Engineer will have a profound impact on OnePay's ability to scale its product offerings efficiently and consistently. By building a robust, AI-native design system, this role directly contributes to:

• Accelerated Development Cycles: Enabling faster design-to-production workflows.

• Enhanced Product Consistency: Ensuring a unified brand experience across all OnePay products.

• Improved Collaboration: Providing a shared language and set of tools for designers and engineers.

• Scalability: Creating a foundation that can support rapid growth and new product initiatives.

• Innovation: Facilitating the adoption of new technologies like AI within design and development.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Leadership: Opportunity to become a leading expert in AI-native design systems and shape the future of design infrastructure at OnePay.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Deepen understanding and collaboration with Product, Engineering, and Marketing teams, broadening skill sets beyond core design systems.

• Impactful Projects: Contribute to building a category-defining fintech product, with the potential for significant personal and professional recognition.

• Skill Development: Continuous learning and application of cutting-edge AI technologies within design and engineering contexts.

• Potential for Specialization: As the company grows, opportunities may arise to lead specific areas of the design system or related infrastructure.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth potential for an individual contributor who thrives on building foundational systems and leveraging emerging technologies like AI. The impact is direct and measurable, aligning with the company's fast-paced, high-growth ethos.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote, with the requirement that candidates must be based in the United States. This suggests a distributed team environment that relies heavily on digital collaboration tools.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, the company is US-based, and the timezone mentioned (America/Chicago) might indicate a preference for candidates within or near that timezone for better meeting synchronization.

Workspace Context:

• Digital Collaboration: The remote setup necessitates proficiency with digital collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, project management software) for seamless communication and teamwork.

• AI & Design Tools: Access to and proficiency with industry-standard design tools like Figma, as well as AI-powered design and development platforms, will be crucial.

• Cross-functional Interaction: The role involves working with diverse teams, requiring an adaptable communication style and the ability to foster collaboration in a virtual setting.

• Fast-Paced Culture: The work environment is dynamic and demanding, requiring individuals who are self-motivated, proactive, and comfortable operating with a sense of urgency.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, with an expectation of approximately 40 hours per week. While remote work offers flexibility, the company's culture emphasizes speed and drive, meaning proactive time management and a commitment to delivering results are essential. Occasional overlap with team members across different US time zones may be necessary for collaborative sessions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote-first, US-based nature of the role requires strong self-discipline and excellent digital communication skills. The emphasis on speed and AI integration suggests a modern, technologically advanced, and highly collaborative virtual workspace.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Interview with Talent Partner: An introductory call to assess overall fit, motivation, and basic qualifications. Be prepared to articulate your understanding of design systems and AI's role in them.

• Technical or Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper dive into your technical skills, experience with design system architecture, AI integration, and specific tools. Expect questions about your approach to building platforms vs. libraries.

• Team Interview: Interaction with members of the Experience Design team and potentially other cross-functional stakeholders. Focus on collaboration style, problem-solving approaches, and how you contribute to a high-craft, low-ego team.

• Executive Interview: A final conversation, likely with a senior leader, to assess strategic thinking, cultural alignment, and long-term vision for the design system.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight AI-Native Focus: Clearly showcase projects where you've integrated AI, LLMs, or automation into design system workflows. Explain the "why" and the impact.

• Platform, Not Library: Emphasize projects where you built scalable infrastructure supporting multiple teams, rather than just curated component libraries. Use case studies to demonstrate adoption and extensibility.

• Design-to-Code Fidelity: Provide concrete examples of how your work bridged the gap between design and production code, showcasing token implementation, component mapping, and collaboration with engineers.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your design systems – e.g., reduction in design/dev time, increase in consistency, adoption rates.

• Tool Agnosticism: While showing Figma proficiency is important, frame your experience in terms of systems thinking and principles rather than tool-specific mastery. Mention your adaptability.

Challenge Preparation:

• System Architecture Design: Be prepared to discuss how you would architect a new AI-native design system from scratch or evolve an existing one for a company like OnePay.

• AI Integration Strategy: Outline how you would integrate LLMs or other AI tools to enhance design system capabilities (e.g., AI-generated variants, intelligent component suggestions).

• Cross-functional Collaboration Scenarios: Anticipate questions about how you would collaborate with product managers, engineers, and marketers to ensure the design system meets their needs and drives adoption.

• Metrics & Adoption: Prepare to discuss how you would measure the success of a design system and drive its adoption across a distributed organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured to assess technical depth, strategic thinking, and cultural fit. A strong portfolio that clearly articulates AI integration and platform-building philosophy will be crucial for success.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design: Figma (primary tool for design and prototyping, with a need for plugin/scripting experience).

• Design System Management: Tools for managing design tokens, component libraries, and documentation (specific tools may vary but include aspects of version control and contribution workflows).

• AI/ML Integration: Experience with LLM APIs, MCP frameworks, and potentially AI-assisted design tools.

• Automation Tools: Scripting languages (e.g., JavaScript for Figma plugins, Python) for automating workflows.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Tools for tracking design system adoption, usage, and impact (e.g., custom dashboards, analytics platforms).

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly CRM-focused, understanding how the design system integrates with product development pipelines and potentially marketing/creative workflows is key.

• Version control systems (e.g., Git) for managing code-based components and scripts.

• CI/CD pipelines for design system code implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma and scripting/plugin development is essential. A strong understanding of how to leverage AI and automation within design and development workflows is a key differentiator. Familiarity with tokenization standards and code implementation is also critical.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Speed & Urgency: A core tenet of OnePay's culture; operations must enable rapid iteration and deployment.

• High Craft & Low Ego: The Experience Design team values exceptional skill combined with humility and collaborative spirit.

• AI-Native by Default: Embracing AI as foundational infrastructure for design and engineering, not an add-on.

• Systems Thinking & Platform Building: Focus on creating scalable, extensible infrastructure that serves broad organizational needs.

• Impact-Driven: Prioritizing work that demonstrably moves the needle for customers and the business.

• Customer Focus: Designing and building systems that ultimately serve millions of users, especially those underserved by traditional finance.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The role requires tight collaboration with Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Creative teams, fostering a unified approach to product development.

• Open Communication & Feedback: The "low ego" culture suggests an environment where constructive feedback is welcomed and exchanged freely to improve systems and processes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices and learnings around design systems, AI, and efficient workflows across teams.

• Empowerment: The design system is intended to empower other teams, fostering a collaborative partnership rather than a gatekeeping relationship.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should align with a culture that values speed, technical excellence, and collaborative innovation, with a strong emphasis on leveraging AI and building foundational systems.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Architecting for the AI Era: Designing a design system that is inherently AI-native and future-proof in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

• Driving Adoption Across Diverse Teams: Ensuring the design system is not only technically sound but also practically useful and adopted by non-designers (engineers, product, marketing).

• Balancing Innovation with Stability: Integrating cutting-edge AI technologies while maintaining a stable, reliable, and consistent design platform.

• Defining and Measuring Success: Establishing clear metrics for design system impact and demonstrating ROI in a fast-paced environment.

• Tool Agnosticism in Practice: Navigating the evolving landscape of design and development tools while optimizing for system thinking.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leading AI Integration in Design Systems: Becoming a pioneer in applying AI/LLMs to design system infrastructure, gaining highly sought-after expertise.

• Deepening Cross-functional Collaboration: Expanding understanding of product development lifecycles, engineering best practices, and marketing/creative needs within a fintech context.

• Strategic Platform Development: Gaining experience in architecting and scaling critical infrastructure for a high-growth company.

• Industry Exposure: Working with a senior team from top tech companies, offering mentorship and exposure to leading design and engineering practices.

• Contribution to a Mission-Driven Company: Playing a key role in a company focused on improving financial access and outcomes for millions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents significant challenges related to cutting-edge technology integration and organizational change management, but these challenges are directly tied to substantial growth and learning opportunities in a high-impact environment.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your philosophy on building design systems as platforms, not just libraries. How do you ensure extensibility and adoption?"

• "How would you approach integrating AI/LLMs into a design system to streamline the design-to-production workflow? What specific components or processes would you target first?"

• "Walk us through your process for defining and tracking the success metrics of a design system. What KPIs would you prioritize for OnePay?"

• "Imagine a scenario where the engineering team is resistant to adopting a new design system component. How would you address this?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you most about OnePay's mission to change the financial system?"

• "How do you see your role contributing to a 'high-craft, low-ego' team environment?"

• "Given our fast-paced culture, how do you manage urgency and prioritize your work?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio around key projects, clearly stating the problem, your role, the system/platform you built, the technologies/AI integrated, and the quantifiable impact.

• AI Integration Emphasis: Dedicate specific sections or clear call-outs to your AI/automation work. Explain the technical approach and the business value.

• Platform Thinking: Use diagrams or examples to illustrate how your design system served multiple teams and use cases, demonstrating broad utility.

• Design-to-Code Walkthrough: Be ready to show how design elements translate to code, perhaps via a live demo or detailed examples of your tokenization and component mapping.

• Storytelling: Frame your projects as narratives of problem-solving and impact, highlighting your strategic contributions and collaborative approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating a forward-thinking, AI-centric approach to design systems, emphasizing platform thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and a results-oriented mindset.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Design Systems Engineer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Tailor your resume: Highlight experience with design system architecture, AI integration (MCPs, LLMs), scripting/plugin development, and cross-functional collaboration. Quantify achievements whenever possible (e.g., improved efficiency by X%, adoption rate of Y%).

• Prepare your portfolio: Curate projects that showcase your ability to build scalable design systems as platforms, with a strong emphasis on AI integration and design-to-code workflows. Ensure it clearly demonstrates your impact and systems-thinking approach.

• Craft a compelling cover letter (if applicable): Briefly articulate your understanding of OnePay's mission, your passion for AI-native design systems, and why you are uniquely suited for this infrastructure-building role.

• Research OnePay: Understand their products, mission, and the fintech landscape to better tailor your application and prepare for interview questions about company culture and strategic alignment.

⚠️ 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.