Experience Designer - Design Systems (Midweight)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Experience Designer - Design Systems (Midweight)

Company: Sainsbury's

Location: London, Greater London, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full time

Category: Design Operations / GTM Operations (Design Systems focus)

Date Posted: March 30, 2026

Experience Level: Midweight (2-5 years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Design, document, and maintain reusable UI components, patterns, and guidance for multi-brand platforms (Web, iOS, Android) within a mature design system.

• Collaborate closely with Product Designers, Product Managers, and Engineers to gather feedback and ensure the design system meets evolving product needs.

• Educate and advocate for design system adoption, facilitating workshops and presenting updates to stakeholders to drive consistency and efficiency.

• Contribute to the ongoing evolution of the design system architecture, ensuring accessibility, performance, and adherence to brand standards across the Sainsbury's Group portfolio.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within a Design Systems team, which is a critical component of GTM Operations and Design Operations. The focus is on creating scalable, reusable design assets and guidelines that enable faster, more consistent product development across multiple brands (Sainsbury's, Argos, Nectar, Habitat, Tu, Smart Charge). This requires a blend of strong UX/UI design skills, systems thinking, and effective cross-functional communication, akin to how Sales Operations or RevOps standardizes processes and tools for sales teams.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design System Component Development: Design, document, and maintain reusable UI components, patterns, and design guidelines for Web, iOS, and Android platforms.

• Quality Assurance & Auditing: Lead UI audits and pattern consolidation to identify and resolve inconsistencies, ensuring adherence to brand standards and accessibility guidelines.

• Engineering Collaboration: Partner closely with design system engineers to ensure accurate implementation and integration of design system components across development frameworks.

• Feedback & Iteration: Collect feedback from product teams and stakeholders on the design system (Fable) to identify areas for improvement and drive iterative enhancements.

• Documentation & Token Management: Maintain comprehensive documentation for design assets and actively manage the design token infrastructure, ensuring clarity and usability.

• Advocacy & Education: Educate and advocate for the adoption and best practices of the design system through workshops, training sessions, and presentations to design and development communities.

• System Architecture Contribution: Contribute to the ongoing evolution and refinement of the design system architecture and methodology.

• Trend Monitoring: Stay abreast of industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies in design systems and digital product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a proactive approach to design system management, emphasizing not just creation but also maintenance, advocacy, and continuous improvement. This mirrors the operational focus on process ownership, stakeholder management, and driving adoption of standardized solutions within a business context. The mention of "multi-brand" and "across platforms" indicates a need for scalable solutions and strategic thinking, crucial in operations roles.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating relevant skills and experience is paramount. A background in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is often beneficial.

Experience: Industry experience as a UX/UI Designer is essential. Specific experience working with and contributing to a design system is a core requirement.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated experience working on or with a design system.

• Deep understanding of digital accessibility principles and inclusive design practices.

• Strong systems thinking capabilities to envision holistic and scalable design solutions.

• Proficiency in interaction design principles and application.

• Proven ability in influencing and negotiating with stakeholders to drive consensus.

• Adaptability to changing priorities, complexities, and ambiguity in a dynamic environment.

• Confidence to challenge the status quo and drive positive change.

• Expert proficiency in Figma, including advanced features like components, libraries, variables, and design tokens.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience crafting native app experiences for iOS and Android platforms.

• Technical understanding of modern design systems and programming frameworks such as React, Tailwind, Jetpack Compose, or SwiftUI.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "systems thinking," "influence and negotiation," "adaptability," and "problem-solving" aligns directly with core competencies required for operations professionals. The explicit mention of Figma and specific features like components, libraries, variables, and tokens points to a need for deep technical proficiency in a primary design operations tool. The preference for native app experience and technical framework knowledge suggests the role bridges design and development, a common intersection in sophisticated operations functions.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Design System Case Studies: Showcase specific projects where you designed, evolved, or maintained components and patterns within a design system. Detail the problem, your process, the solutions implemented, and the impact.

• Systemic Thinking Examples: Provide examples of how you've approached designing for scale, consistency, and reusability across multiple platforms or brands.

• Accessibility Integration: Demonstrate how you've incorporated accessibility best practices into your design process and documented them for others.

• Figma Proficiency Showcase: Include examples that highlight your expert use of Figma's component system, libraries, variables, and token management.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Illustrate your process for documenting UI components, patterns, and usage guidelines, ensuring clarity and ease of adoption for product teams.

• Implementation & Automation: Show how you've collaborated with engineering to ensure accurate implementation of design system assets and managed design token infrastructure.

• Measurement & Analysis: Provide examples of how you've gathered feedback, conducted audits, and measured the impact or adoption of design system elements.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Design Systems role, the portfolio is the primary demonstration of capability. It needs to clearly articulate systemic thinking, proficiency with core tools (Figma), and the ability to create scalable, documented assets that drive efficiency and consistency. This is analogous to a Sales Operations professional needing to showcase process documentation, CRM configuration examples, or dashboards that demonstrate efficiency gains.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a Midweight Experience Designer with Design System expertise in London, the estimated salary range is £55,000 - £75,000 per annum. This range accounts for the required experience level, specialized skills, and the cost of living in London.

Benefits:

• Colleague Discount across Sainsbury's Group brands.

• Comprehensive Pensions Scheme.

• Life Cover.

• Performance-related Bonus opportunities.

• Generous Annual Holiday Allowance.

• Option to Buy Additional Holiday.

• Season Ticket Loans for commuters.

• Cycle To Work Scheme.

• Health Cash Plans for medical expenses.

• Pay Advance options for immediate needs.

• Discounts from Hundreds Of Other Retailers.

• Employee Assistance Programme for well-being support.

• Supportive Maternity, Adoption, and Paternity Leave Pay.

• Flexible Working arrangements where feasible.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, typically around 40 hours per week, with potential for flexible working arrangements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on market data for UX/UI Designers in London with specialized design system experience. The benefits package is extensive, reflecting a large, established retail organization, with many offering perks relevant to employees' financial well-being and work-life balance, which are also attractive to operations professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Retail, e-commerce, and financial services (through Nectar loyalty program), with a strong digital transformation focus. Sainsbury's Group operates a diverse portfolio of brands, aiming to provide integrated customer experiences.

Company Size: Large enterprise (likely 100,000+ employees globally, based on typical UK retail giants). This scale implies structured processes, established systems, and significant opportunities for impact.

Founded: 1869, indicating a long history and a deep understanding of customer needs, now evolving rapidly in the digital age.

Team Structure:

• The Design Systems team is likely part of a larger Design or Digital Product organization, working in close proximity to other Product Designers, UX Researchers, UX Copywriters, and Product Managers.

• Reporting structure will involve a Design Lead or Head of Design Systems, with designers working within agile squads or product teams.

Methodology:

• Agile methodologies are prevalent, with teams operating in sprints and focusing on iterative development and continuous feedback.

• Data-driven decision-making is encouraged, leveraging customer insights, analytics, and user research to inform design choices and system improvements.

• Emphasis on collaborative design processes, including workshops, design critiques, and pair design/programming sessions.

Company Website: https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's scale and multi-brand structure mean that the Design Systems team plays a crucial role in operationalizing brand consistency and development efficiency. This is directly analogous to how Revenue Operations or Sales Operations standardizes processes, tools, and data models to ensure efficiency and consistency across large sales organizations. The emphasis on customer-centricity and digital transformation suggests a dynamic and forward-thinking environment.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is classified as Midweight, signifying an individual contributor position with a solid foundation of experience (typically 2-5 years). The focus is on executing design system tasks, contributing to its evolution, and collaborating effectively.

Reporting Structure: You will likely report to a Design Systems Lead or Manager, who oversees the strategy and roadmap for the design system. You will also work closely with Product Designers, Product Managers, and Engineers within various product teams.

Operations Impact: As a member of the Design Systems team, your work directly impacts the efficiency and consistency of product development across the entire Sainsbury's Group. By providing robust, well-documented components and patterns, you enable faster iteration, reduce redundant design/development effort, and ensure a cohesive brand experience for millions of customers. This operational efficiency is critical for driving revenue and customer loyalty.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in design systems, accessibility, or specific platform design (iOS, Android, Web).

• Leadership: Progress to a Senior or Lead Design System Designer role, taking ownership of strategic initiatives and mentoring junior team members.

• Cross-functional Mobility: Transition into Product Design, UX Research, or even roles within product management or engineering if technical understanding is further developed.

• Continuous Learning: Access to internal training, workshops, and potential for external conferences or certifications related to design systems, UX, and accessibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth path for a Design Systems role within a large organization often involves deepening technical and strategic expertise in design operations. This mirrors the career progression in Sales or Revenue Operations, where individuals can move from execution to strategy, team leadership, and broader operational management. The impact on efficiency and consistency is a key selling point for operations-minded candidates.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based in London, indicating a modern office environment designed to foster collaboration and innovation. While specific details aren't provided, large retail organizations typically offer well-equipped office spaces.

Office Location(s): The provided address is 33 Charterhouse Street, London, EC1M 6HA, placing it in a central London business district, likely with good transport links.

Workspace Context:

• Expect a collaborative workspace that encourages interaction with peers from design, product, and engineering teams.

• Access to industry-standard design tools, particularly Figma, and potentially other collaboration software.

• Opportunities for informal and formal knowledge sharing, design critiques, and team meetings to discuss ongoing projects and challenges.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, with an expectation of on-site presence to facilitate the collaborative aspects of design system work. While flexible working may be available, the emphasis on collaboration suggests regular in-office days will be important for team synergy and effective communication.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement for this role underscores the importance of direct collaboration, communication, and team synergy, which are crucial for effective operations teams. The London location suggests a vibrant professional environment with ample networking opportunities.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application and resume, focusing on relevant design system experience and Figma proficiency.

• Portfolio Review: You will be asked to present your portfolio, focusing on specific case studies that demonstrate your design system experience, systems thinking, and problem-solving abilities. Be prepared to walk through your Figma files.

• Technical/Design Interview: A more in-depth discussion with members of the Design Systems team or design leadership. This may involve design challenges, scenario-based questions, and discussions about your approach to accessibility and component design.

• Stakeholder/Cross-functional Interview: Interaction with Product Managers or Engineers to assess your collaboration and communication skills, and your ability to advocate for the design system.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader in Design or Digital Product.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Design System Work: Dedicate significant sections of your portfolio to design system projects. Detail your role, the challenges faced, your process (discovery, design, documentation, implementation), and the outcomes (e.g., improved consistency, faster development, increased adoption).

• Showcase Figma Mastery: Include screenshots or interactive demos of your Figma component libraries, auto layout usage, variables, and token structures. Explain your organizational strategy.

• Demonstrate Systems Thinking: Provide examples of how you've ensured consistency and scalability across different platforms (web, iOS, Android) or brands.

• Emphasize Accessibility: Clearly articulate how you've integrated accessibility into your designs and documentation.

• Tell a Story: For each project, explain the problem, your approach, the solutions, and the impact. Quantify results where possible (e.g., "reduced design time by X%," "increased component adoption by Y%").

Challenge Preparation:

• Be ready to discuss how you would approach auditing an existing design system for consistency and accessibility.

• Prepare to articulate your strategy for influencing adoption of the design system within product teams.

• Practice explaining complex design system concepts (e.g., design tokens, component states, theming) in a clear and concise manner for both technical and non-technical audiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for this role emphasizes practical demonstration of skills through a portfolio and potential design exercises. Candidates should focus on showcasing their ability to create scalable, documented, and accessible design assets, much like operations professionals would demonstrate their ability to build efficient processes, create insightful reports, or configure systems. The emphasis on collaboration and stakeholder management is also key.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for all aspects of design system creation, documentation, and collaboration. Expert proficiency is required, including advanced features like components, libraries, variables, and tokens.

• Prototyping Tools: Potentially other tools within Figma or separate applications for creating interactive prototypes.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary focus for this role, understanding how design system usage and impact can be tracked via analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) is beneficial.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to this design role, but awareness of how design systems integrate with development workflows and potentially product management tools is valuable.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is the linchpin tool for this role, akin to how a CRM like Salesforce or HubSpot is central to Sales Operations. The proficiency required extends beyond basic usage to advanced features that enable scalability and efficiency, reflecting the sophisticated use of operations technology.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving customer needs through consistent and delightful experiences.

• Collaboration: A belief in working together across disciplines to achieve shared goals, fostering an environment of open feedback and mutual support.

• Efficiency & Scalability: A drive to create solutions that are not only effective but also reusable and scalable, optimizing resources and development time.

• Innovation: A continuous pursuit of improvement, staying ahead of industry trends and seeking new ways to enhance user experiences and design processes.

• Inclusivity: A dedication to designing for everyone, ensuring accessibility and equitable experiences for all users.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Active engagement with product designers, engineers, product managers, and brand teams to ensure the design system aligns with diverse needs and perspectives.

• Feedback-Driven Culture: Openness to receiving and giving constructive feedback through design critiques, workshops, and regular check-ins.

• Knowledge Sharing: Proactive sharing of best practices, updates, and learnings related to the design system through documentation, presentations, and informal discussions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values emphasize a blend of user focus, efficiency, and collaborative execution. These are directly transferable to operations roles, where driving efficiency, ensuring cross-functional alignment, and delivering customer value are paramount. The emphasis on continuous improvement and adaptability is also a hallmark of successful operations teams.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Maintaining Consistency Across Brands: Ensuring the design system serves multiple distinct brands (Sainsbury's, Argos, etc.) while maintaining their unique identities.

• Driving Adoption: Overcoming resistance or inertia from product teams to adopt and consistently use the design system.

• Balancing Scalability and Flexibility: Creating components that are generic enough to be reusable but flexible enough to accommodate specific product needs.

• Keeping Pace with Technology: Staying current with evolving web, iOS, and Android design patterns and development frameworks.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen Design System Expertise: Become a recognized expert in design system strategy, governance, and tooling.

• Expand Technical Understanding: Gain further insight into front-end development frameworks (React, Jetpack Compose etc.) and their relationship with design systems.

• Accessibility Specialization: Develop advanced skills in digital accessibility auditing and remediation.

• Mentorship: Opportunities to mentor junior designers and contribute to the growth of the broader design community within Sainsbury's Group.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges listed are inherent to managing complex, multi-faceted systems within large organizations, mirroring common challenges in operations such as process standardization across departments or technology adoption. The growth opportunities focus on specialization and leadership, which are typical career trajectories for experienced operations professionals.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing a new component for our design system that needs to be implemented across web, iOS, and Android?" - Preparation: Focus on your process for research, component definition, states, accessibility, documentation, and collaboration with engineering.

• "Describe a time you had to influence a team to adopt a new design pattern or component from the design system." - Preparation: Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to showcase your negotiation, communication, and advocacy skills.

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working with a design system for a multi-brand organization like Sainsbury's Group?" - Preparation: Research the Sainsbury's Group brands and articulate how your skills can contribute to their integrated customer experience. Show enthusiasm for the scale and impact.

• "How do you manage feedback and differing opinions from product teams and stakeholders regarding the design system?" - Preparation: Emphasize your collaborative approach, active listening skills, and ability to find common ground or make data-informed decisions.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Begin with a high-level overview of your experience. Then, delve into 2-3 key design system projects. For each, clearly articulate the problem, your specific contribution, the design process, the final solution (showcasing Figma work), and the measurable impact.

• Narrate Your Process: Don't just show screens; explain your thinking. Walk through your Figma files to demonstrate your mastery of components, libraries, variables, and tokens. Highlight how you addressed accessibility and cross-platform considerations.

• Focus on Collaboration: Explain how you worked with engineers, product managers, and other designers. This is crucial for demonstrating your ability to operate effectively within a team.

• Quantify Results: Wherever possible, use data to demonstrate the value of your work (e.g., efficiency gains, consistency improvements).

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparing for this interview involves showcasing not just design skills but also operational acumen – strategic thinking, process management, stakeholder influence, and impact measurement. The portfolio presentation is critical, serving as the primary evidence of your capabilities, much like a business case or process documentation would for an operations role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Experience Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Oracle Cloud recruitment portal.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your experience with design systems, Figma proficiency (mentioning components, libraries, variables, tokens), systems thinking, accessibility, and cross-functional collaboration. Use keywords from the job description.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio prominently features design system case studies. Focus on demonstrating your process, problem-solving skills, Figma expertise, and the impact of your work. Include examples that showcase your understanding of web, iOS, and Android patterns.

• Prepare Your Pitch: Be ready to articulate your experience and passion for design systems concisely. Practice presenting your portfolio and answering common interview questions related to design systems, accessibility, and collaboration.

• Research Sainsbury's Group: Understand the company's brands, customer focus, and digital initiatives to tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

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