Motion Design Systems Expert (Contract)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Motion Design Systems Expert (Contract) Company: Upwork Location: Remote (Global) Job Type: Contract Category: Design Operations / Product Design Date Posted: 2025-10-20 Experience Level: 5-10 Years Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Establish and scale motion design systems for a global digital marketplace, focusing on reusable motion tokens, scalable guidelines, and cross-platform implementation.
• Drive intentional, authentic, inclusive, and grounded motion principles aligned with engineering feasibility across web and mobile platforms.
• Translate system-level motion principles into practical patterns for UI components and interactions, including overlays, toasts, navigation, and micro-feedback.
• Enable internal design and engineering teams through workshops and documentation to ensure the continued application of motion standards post-contract.
• Bridge the gap between design and engineering by articulating motion concepts in both languages and producing tangible assets like Figma prototypes and animation examples.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a contract position through Upwork's Hybrid Workforce Solutions (HWS) program, indicating a focus on specialized, project-based expertise rather than long-term employment. The emphasis on "design systems" and "motion" within this role points towards a specialized area within Product Design or Creative Operations, requiring a blend of strategic thinking and hands-on execution. The "remote OK" and "Global" location suggests a need for strong asynchronous communication skills and cultural awareness.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and implement a comprehensive set of motion tokens, including duration, easing curves, delays, and reusable presets (e.g., transition-short, easing-emphasized).
• Develop system-level motion principles that guide the intentional, authentic, inclusive, and grounded use of animation across the platform.
• Document clear guidelines on when and how to effectively use motion, and conversely, when to omit it to maintain clarity and performance.
• Establish and enforce accessibility standards for motion, including considerations for reduced motion preferences and alternative feedback mechanisms.
• Translate defined motion principles into practical, reusable patterns for various UI components and interaction states.
• Create and maintain Figma prototypes and animation examples to illustrate motion concepts and patterns for designers.
• Collaborate closely with engineering teams to ensure the technical feasibility and implementability of motion tokens and guidelines across web and mobile.
• Conduct workshops and review sessions to empower and enable the internal design team to independently apply motion design system standards.
• Provide strategic direction for the evolution of motion within the design system, ensuring scalability and maintainability.
• Act as a subject matter expert, bridging communication between design and engineering stakeholders on motion-related topics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary responsibilities highlight a need for a candidate who can not only define foundational elements (tokens, principles) but also translate them into actionable patterns and ensure their adoption through enablement. This implies a strong product design background with a systems-thinking approach and excellent communication/teaching skills.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is required, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent practical experience in motion design systems is essential. Experience: 5-10 years of experience in motion design, with a significant focus on building and scaling design systems or complex product animations.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in building and scaling motion design systems for large-scale products or design systems.
• Fluency in communicating effectively with both design and engineering teams, understanding technical constraints and design intentions.
• Hands-on proficiency in creating motion tokens, animations, and managing Figma libraries.
• Demonstrated ability to set strategic direction for motion design within a product ecosystem.
• Experience in teaching, mentoring, or enabling design teams to adopt and implement motion guidelines.
• Deep understanding of animation principles, timing, easing curves, and their impact on user experience.
• Familiarity with cross-platform implementation challenges and solutions for web and mobile.
• Expertise in defining and implementing accessibility standards for motion design.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with AI-powered design tools or workflows.
• Familiarity with Upwork's platform or similar global marketplaces.
• Experience in creating micro-feedback animations that enhance user interaction.
• Knowledge of performance implications of motion on digital products.
• Ability to provide constructive feedback on motion implementations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Must Haves" section in the original description directly translates to these required skills. The emphasis on fluency in both design and engineering language, along with hands-on capability and strategic setting, is critical for this role. The AI-derived experience level of 5-10 years aligns with the complexity and strategic nature of building systems at scale.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase at least one significant project where you designed and implemented a scalable motion design system.
• Include examples of defined motion tokens (duration, easing, delays) and reusable presets.
• Demonstrate how you translated motion principles into practical component-level patterns and interactions.
• Provide evidence of cross-platform considerations (web/mobile) in your motion system design.
• Include examples of accessibility considerations within your motion system.

Process Documentation:

• Detail your process for defining motion tokens and establishing system-level principles.
• Illustrate how you collaborate with engineering to ensure implementability and feasibility.
• Showcase your approach to creating reusable motion patterns and guidelines.
• Demonstrate methods for documenting and communicating motion design standards to design and development teams.
• Provide examples of materials created for workshops or enablement sessions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given this is a contract role focused on establishing a motion design system, a robust portfolio is paramount. It should not only display visual work but also clearly articulate the strategic thinking, process, and collaborative efforts involved in building a system that can be adopted and maintained by the existing team.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: As this is a contract role, compensation will be negotiated based on experience, expertise, and the project scope. Typical rates for expert-level contract Motion Design Systems Experts in the global market can range from $70 to $150+ USD per hour, depending on the specific skills, portfolio strength, and negotiation. For a full-time equivalent contract (e.g., 40 hours/week), this could translate to an annual contract value of $145,600 - $312,000+ USD.

Benefits:

• Opportunity to work on a high-impact project for a leading global work marketplace (Upwork).
• Flexible remote work arrangement, allowing for global collaboration.
• Exposure to cutting-edge AI-powered work solutions and industry-leading design practices.
• Potential for contract extension based on project needs and performance.
• Direct contribution to the evolution of Upwork's Next Gen Design System.

Working Hours: This is a contract role, likely requiring a commitment of approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility in scheduling to accommodate global team collaboration. Specific working hours will be agreed upon with the hiring manager.

📝 Enhancement Note: As Upwork is a platform for freelancers, this role is a contract engagement. The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry benchmarks for highly specialized contract roles of this nature in the global market. The absence of traditional employee benefits is typical for contract positions.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology (Online Marketplaces, AI, Freelance Platforms) Company Size: Upwork is a large, publicly traded company with over 1,000 employees, but this role is part of the Hybrid Workforce Solutions (HWS) program, which engages a global network of independent professionals. Founded: 2015 (formed by the merger of Elance and oDesk)

Team Structure:

• The role is part of the Next Gen Design System team, which currently has limited motion expertise.
• You will collaborate closely with existing designers and engineers on this team.
• As part of the HWS program, you will interact with a diverse, global group of skilled professionals.
• The role requires strong collaboration with product managers and potentially other stakeholders involved in the design system's development.

Methodology:

• Emphasis on a systems-thinking approach to design, ensuring consistency and scalability.
• Data-driven decision-making, informed by user feedback and engineering feasibility.
• Agile development methodologies are likely employed for design system updates and feature integration.
• Focus on creating reusable, implementable design components and patterns.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Upwork's mission to create economic opportunities is central to its culture. The HWS program signifies a commitment to leveraging external expertise for specialized projects. The design system team's current state (limited motion expertise) presents an opportunity for the hired expert to shape and influence the direction of motion within the system.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a senior-level individual contributor or specialist position within the design operations and product design spectrum. It requires deep expertise in a niche area (motion design systems) and the ability to operate strategically while being hands-on. Reporting Structure: You will likely report to a Design Lead, Product Manager, or Head of Design Systems within Upwork's HWS program or core product team. Your work will be project-driven, with regular check-ins for progress and alignment. Operations Impact: The success of this role will directly impact the user experience of the Upwork platform by ensuring consistent, engaging, and accessible motion design. This contributes to brand perception, user engagement, and potentially conversion rates by making the interface more intuitive and delightful.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in motion design systems and contribute to the evolution of best practices in this field.
• Project Leadership: Lead the foundational work for motion within a critical design system, setting a precedent for future development.
• Mentorship & Enablement: Develop strong teaching and coaching skills by enabling the internal team.
• Portfolio Enhancement: Add a significant, high-profile project to your portfolio, showcasing your ability to build scalable design systems.
• Network Expansion: Connect with a global network of professionals through the Upwork HWS program.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a contract role, "growth" is often measured by the impact on the project, the skills honed, and the portfolio enhancement. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape a core aspect of a major platform's user experience and demonstrate leadership in a specialized design discipline.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This role is part of Upwork's Hybrid Workforce Solutions (HWS) program, which is designed for remote engagement. Office Location(s): Global. As a remote role, you can work from anywhere, though strong internet connectivity and reliable communication tools are essential.

Workspace Context:

• You will be working within a distributed, global team environment, requiring strong asynchronous communication skills.
• Access to digital collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Figma, video conferencing) will be crucial.
• The environment encourages autonomy and self-direction, typical of contract roles.
• You will be expected to manage your own workspace and time effectively.

Work Schedule: The role is expected to require approximately 40 hours per week. While there's flexibility, you'll need to align with team members for critical meetings, workshops, and handoffs, which may require some overlap with specific time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature of this contract means success hinges on self-discipline, proactive communication, and the ability to collaborate effectively across different time zones and cultural backgrounds.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your Upwork profile, resume, and portfolio to assess suitability for the role's requirements, especially experience with motion design systems.
• Technical Interview/Portfolio Review: A deeper dive into your portfolio, focusing on specific projects where you built motion systems. Expect to discuss your process, decision-making, and technical approaches.
• Skills & Collaboration Assessment: Interviews designed to gauge your fluency in design and engineering language, your strategic thinking, and your ability to teach and enable others. Case study presentations or hypothetical problem-solving scenarios may be used.
• Final Discussion/Offer: A wrap-up to discuss contract terms, scope, and next steps.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Systems Thinking: Clearly demonstrate how your motion work fits into a larger design system. Show how you defined tokens, principles, and patterns.
• Showcase Process & Collaboration: Include case studies that detail your workflow, how you partnered with engineering, and how you translated abstract concepts into tangible outputs.
• Quantify Impact (if possible): While challenging for motion systems, try to articulate the benefits of your work (e.g., improved consistency, reduced design/dev time, enhanced user experience).
• Demonstrate Hands-on Skills: Include examples of Figma prototypes, animation clips, or code snippets (if applicable) that showcase your technical capabilities.
• Address Accessibility: Explicitly show how you incorporated accessibility considerations into your motion design.

Challenge Preparation:

• Motion Token Definition: Be ready to discuss how you would define motion tokens for a new system and what criteria you'd use.
• Principle Articulation: Prepare to articulate your approach to defining motion principles and how you'd ensure they are applied consistently.
• Design-to-Engineering Handoff: Practice explaining how you would facilitate seamless handoffs of motion designs to engineers, considering technical constraints.
• Team Enablement Strategy: Outline how you would structure workshops or documentation to empower a team with limited motion expertise.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a contract role, especially one focused on establishing a system, the portfolio is the primary evaluation tool. The interview process will likely focus on validating the claims made in the portfolio and assessing the candidate's ability to execute and transfer knowledge.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for prototyping, creating animation examples, and managing design libraries.
• Motion Design Software: Proficiency in tools like After Effects, Principle, Lottie, or similar for creating and exporting animations.
• Design System Platforms: Familiarity with how design systems are structured and managed digitally.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary focus for this role, understanding how motion impacts user behavior metrics (e.g., engagement, task completion) is beneficial. Tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or Amplitude might be indirectly relevant.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to this role's core responsibilities, but understanding Upwork's platform as a user and potential contributor is a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core tools for this role are design and animation software, with a strong emphasis on Figma for its design system capabilities. The ability to integrate motion into a broader technical stack (web/mobile engineering) is key.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Intentionality: Motion should serve a purpose, guiding users and enhancing clarity, not just for decoration.
• Authenticity: Motion should feel natural and aligned with Upwork's brand and user experience.
• Inclusivity: Motion design must be accessible to all users, respecting preferences for reduced motion and diverse needs.
• Groundedness: Animations should feel realistic and technically feasible within the platform's constraints.
• Efficiency: Developing reusable, scalable motion solutions that streamline design and development processes.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: Close collaboration with designers and engineers is critical for success.
• Knowledge Sharing: A willingness to teach and mentor the existing team to ensure long-term adoption of the motion system.
• Feedback-Oriented: Openness to feedback on designs and principles to refine the system.
• Asynchronous Communication: Proficiency in working effectively with a distributed team across different time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The stated motion principles (intentional, authentic, inclusive, grounded) are core values that should guide the candidate's work and approach. The collaborative style emphasizes knowledge transfer, a key requirement for a contract role aiming to build internal capacity.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing a New System: Building a motion design system from the ground up within a team that has limited expertise requires significant strategic and foundational work.
• Cross-Platform Consistency: Ensuring motion is implemented consistently and effectively across web and mobile platforms presents technical and design challenges.
• Balancing Creativity and Constraints: Designing engaging motion while adhering to accessibility standards and engineering limitations requires a nuanced approach.
• Knowledge Transfer: Effectively enabling an internal team to maintain and expand the motion system after the contract concludes.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen Design Systems Expertise: Gain hands-on experience building a critical component of a large-scale design system.
• Specialize in Motion: Become a recognized expert in motion design systems, a highly sought-after skill.
• Cross-functional Skill Development: Enhance communication and collaboration skills by working closely with engineering and product teams.
• Contribute to a Global Platform: Impact the user experience for millions of users worldwide on a prominent digital marketplace.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge is establishing a robust foundation and ensuring its sustainable adoption. The growth opportunities are centered on deepening expertise and making a significant, visible impact on a well-known platform.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach defining motion tokens for a new design system, considering both design aesthetics and engineering feasibility?"
• "Describe your process for translating abstract motion principles into concrete, reusable UI patterns for components like buttons, modals, and navigation."
• "Walk me through a time you had to explain complex motion design concepts to engineers who were unfamiliar with the principles. What was your strategy, and what was the outcome?"
• "How would you measure the success or impact of motion design within a product, especially considering accessibility and user experience?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on Upwork's mission and the description of this role, how do you see your motion design expertise contributing to the company's goals?"
• "How do you typically collaborate with design and engineering teams in a remote, distributed environment?"
• "What are your thoughts on creating motion that is both engaging and inclusive, particularly for users who may prefer reduced motion?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly state the problem, your proposed solution (the motion system/patterns), your process (token definition, guideline creation, prototyping, engineering collaboration), and the results/impact.
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use video clips, interactive prototypes, or animated GIFs to demonstrate motion effectively.
• Highlight Systemic Thinking: Emphasize how your work creates a scalable and maintainable system, not just isolated animations.
• Address Collaboration: Be prepared to talk about how you worked with others, especially engineers, and how you facilitated knowledge transfer.
• Be Ready for Technical Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about easing curves, timing, platform-specific implementation (web vs. mobile), and accessibility standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a blend of strategic thinking, hands-on technical skill, and strong communication/collaboration abilities, all within the context of design systems and motion. The portfolio review will be a critical component.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the Upwork platform or the provided Greenhouse link.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio prominently features projects demonstrating your experience in building and scaling motion design systems. Include specific examples of motion tokens, principles, reusable patterns, and cross-platform considerations.
• Tailor Your Resume/Profile: Highlight keywords related to motion design, design systems, animation, Figma, engineering collaboration, and accessibility. Quantify achievements where possible.
• Prepare Your Narrative: Be ready to articulate your process, strategic approach, and hands-on skills during interviews. Practice explaining your motion design philosophy and how it aligns with the role's requirements.
• Research Upwork: Familiarize yourself with Upwork's platform, mission, and the context of their Hybrid Workforce Solutions program to demonstrate genuine interest and understanding.

⚠️ 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.

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