Product Designer II, Design Systems

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer II, Design Systems

Company: PitchBook Data

Location: Seattle, Washington, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Design Operations / Product Design

Date Posted: January 30, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (4+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is crucial for maintaining and enhancing the PitchBook Product Design System, ensuring consistency and quality across the platform.

• The Product Designer II will focus on the operational aspects of the design system, including Figma component libraries, documentation, and governance.

• Collaboration with UI Kit engineering and product designers is key to aligning design system components with coded implementation and user needs.

• The position offers an opportunity to leverage AI-enabled tools to streamline design system workflows and contribute to a scalable design infrastructure.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is in Product Design, its focus on Design Systems, maintenance, documentation, and operational efficiency aligns closely with the principles of Design Operations and has strong parallels to the process-driven nature of Revenue Operations or Sales Operations roles. The emphasis on system health, component libraries, and cross-functional collaboration makes it a strategic position within the GTM function.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design System Maintenance: Actively support the maintenance and organization of PitchBook's Figma component libraries, ensuring all components are accurate, up-to-date, and user-friendly for designers.

• Component Management: Execute day-to-day component updates, refinements, and bug fixes to enhance the overall quality, consistency, and usability of the design system.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Partner closely with the Senior Product Designer, Design Systems, and the UI Kit engineering team to guarantee seamless alignment between Figma components and their coded counterparts.

• Documentation & Governance: Assist in creating and maintaining comprehensive system documentation, including usage guidelines, accessibility notes, design token references, and do's/don'ts. Participate actively in the design system governance process, contributing to reviews, documenting decisions, and tracking proposed changes.

• System Audits & Improvement: Conduct periodic audits of components, design tokens, and patterns to identify and address inconsistencies or gaps, ensuring adherence to best practices.

• Adoption & Education: Support the creation of release notes, system announcements, and educational materials to facilitate broader adoption and understanding of the design system across the organization.

• Feedback & Collaboration: Collaborate with product designers to understand evolving system needs, gather valuable feedback, and identify opportunities for system enhancement and innovation.

• AI Tool Integration: Utilize AI-enabled tools to optimize and streamline documentation processes, component quality checks, and other recurring design system workflows.

• Quality Assurance: Ensure all system components and patterns adhere to the highest standards of accessibility, usability, and overall design craftsmanship.

• Process Evolution: Contribute to the continuous improvement of design system processes, workflows, and internal tooling to enhance efficiency and scalability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong operational focus within a design context, emphasizing process, documentation, and system health. This requires meticulous attention to detail and a proactive approach to problem-solving, akin to managing a critical operational system.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

Required Skills:

• Figma Proficiency: Deep expertise in Figma, including advanced use of components, variants, styles, auto layout, and library management.

• Design System Operations: Proven experience in maintaining, organizing, and improving design system components and libraries.

• Documentation & Guidelines: Ability to create clear, concise, and comprehensive design documentation, usage guidelines, and best practice notes.

• Accessibility & Usability: Strong understanding of and commitment to accessibility standards (WCAG) and usability principles in design.

• Visual & Interaction Design: Excellent visual and interaction design skills with a keen eye for detail, consistency, and aesthetic quality.

• Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, including product designers, UI Kit engineers, and product managers.

• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions and system updates clearly.

• Organizational Skills: Excellent organizational abilities to manage multiple tasks, priorities, and stakeholders in a dynamic environment.

• Operational Mindset: A willingness to engage with the operational details of a design system, including audits, cleanup, and maintenance.

• AI Tool Familiarity: Comfort or a strong interest in leveraging AI-assisted tools to enhance design system workflows.

Preferred Skills:

• Design-to-Code Workflow: Familiarity with how design systems translate into coded components.

• Technical Exposure: Experience with tools like Storybook, React, or understanding of CSS variables is a significant plus.

• Process Improvement: Experience in streamlining design system processes, workflows, and governance practices.

• Agile Methodologies: Experience working within Agile development environments.

• Jira & Confluence: Proficiency with collaboration and project management tools such as Jira and Confluence.

• Lucidchart: Experience with diagramming and workflow tools like Lucidchart.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on operational aspects, documentation, and cross-functional collaboration with engineering is a strong signal for candidates who can bridge the gap between design intent and implementation efficiency, mirroring the strategic function of operations roles.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Design System Case Study: A dedicated section showcasing experience with design systems. This should detail contributions to component libraries, documentation efforts, and how the system improved design consistency and development efficiency.

• Component Library Examples: Visual examples of components created or maintained, demonstrating proficiency in Figma, variants, auto layout, and adherence to design principles.

• Documentation Samples: Showcase examples of system documentation, including usage guidelines, accessibility notes, or pattern definitions.

• Process Improvement Examples: Highlight instances where you identified and solved operational inefficiencies within a design system or design workflow.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Demonstrate an understanding of designing efficient workflows for design system updates, contribution, and governance.

• System Audits: Provide examples of how you have conducted audits of design systems, identifying inconsistencies and proposing solutions.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Illustrate how you've documented and facilitated collaboration between design and engineering for UI Kit components.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations professionals, this section translates to demonstrating a portfolio that showcases process mapping, system implementation success, and quantifiable improvements. The "design system" here can be viewed as a complex operational system requiring meticulous management and continuous optimization.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Annual base salary: $135,000 - $150,000 USD

Benefits:

• Physical Health: Comprehensive health benefits, additional medical wellness incentives, STD, LTD, AD&D, and life insurance.

• Emotional Health: Paid sabbatical program after four years, paid family and paternity leave, annual educational stipend, tuition reimbursement, CFA exam stipend, robust training programs, employee assistance program, generous allotment of vacation, sick, and volunteer days.

• Social Health: Matching gifts program, employee resource groups, subsidized emergency childcare, Dependent Care FSA, company-wide events, employee referral bonus program, quarterly team building events.

• Financial Health: 401k match, shared ownership employee stock program, monthly transportation stipend.

Working Hours:

• Standard 40-hour work week, with the expectation of being in the office 5 days a week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a mid-level design role in Seattle, reflecting the specialized nature of design systems work. The comprehensive benefits package emphasizes employee well-being and professional development, aligning with a company culture that invests in its people.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Data & Analytics (Private Capital Markets). PitchBook provides data, research, and technology for professionals in the private equity, venture capital, and M&A industries.

Company Size: Large (likely 1,000+ employees based on typical Morningstar subsidiaries and the breadth of operations described). This implies established processes but also opportunities for impact within a structured environment.

Founded: PitchBook was founded in 2007. As a Morningstar company, it benefits from the stability and resources of a larger, established financial services firm.

Team Structure:

• Product & Engineering Team: The role sits within this team, working alongside other designers, engineers, and innovators.

• Design Systems Team: A dedicated, smaller team focused on the design system, likely including a Senior Product Designer and collaborating closely with UI Kit engineers.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Expected to partner with product designers across various product teams to understand their needs and support system adoption.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Innovation: PitchBook's core business relies on data, suggesting a culture that values data analysis and insights for decision-making.

• Customer Experience Focus: The role emphasizes creating exceptional customer experiences, indicating a user-centric approach to product development.

• Continuous Improvement: The company culture promotes innovation, evolving, and finding better ways of doing things, aligning with the iterative nature of design system development.

• Agile & Risk-Taking: The description mentions excelling when challenging themselves, taking risks, and failing fast, indicative of an agile and experimental environment.

Company Website: https://pitchbook.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: PitchBook operates in a highly competitive and data-intensive industry. A strong design system is critical for maintaining a cohesive and professional brand image, ensuring efficient product development, and delivering a superior user experience to sophisticated financial professionals. This role is instrumental in achieving those goals.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This Product Designer II role is positioned at a mid-level. It requires specialized knowledge in design systems and operational execution rather than broad product design strategy. It's a crucial support role for the Senior Product Designer, Design Systems, with potential to grow into more senior or specialized design operations roles.

Reporting Structure: The role will report to the Senior Product Designer, Design Systems. Collaboration will extend to UI Kit engineering teams and various product design teams.

Operations Impact:

• Efficiency Gains: A well-maintained design system directly translates to faster design and development cycles, reducing time-to-market for new features and improvements.

• Consistency & Brand Integrity: Ensures a unified user experience across the PitchBook platform, reinforcing brand identity and professionalism in the financial data space.

• Scalability: Supports the growth of the product and design teams by providing a robust, reusable foundation for UI elements.

• Reduced Technical Debt: Aligning design and code through a strong UI Kit minimizes inconsistencies and simplifies future updates.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design System Specialization: Deepen expertise in design system management, governance, and strategy, potentially leading to a Senior Design Systems Designer or Design Operations Manager role.

• Cross-Functional Skill Development: Gain exposure to engineering processes, product strategy, and user research through close collaboration.

• Leadership Potential: As the design system matures, opportunities may arise to lead specific initiatives, mentor junior designers, or contribute to broader design strategy.

• Industry Exposure: Develop expertise in the financial data and private capital markets industry, a valuable niche.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations professionals, this growth path mirrors moving from tactical execution to strategic management of operational systems, process optimization, and team leadership within an operations function.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is explicitly stated as "on-site," with a strong emphasis on the value of in-person collaboration. This suggests a traditional office setting designed to foster creativity, spontaneous interactions, and team cohesion.

Office Location(s): Seattle, Washington. Specific office details (e.g., amenities, layout) are not provided but can be inferred to support collaborative work.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The environment is designed to encourage hallway conversations, whiteboard brainstorms, and shared celebrations, indicating an open and interactive workspace.

• Tools & Technology: While not explicitly detailed for the workspace itself, the job description mentions proficiency in Figma, Jira, Confluence, and the use of AI-enabled tools, implying access to modern design and project management software.

• Team Interaction: High frequency of interaction expected with designers, engineers, and potentially other stakeholders within the office.

Work Schedule:

• The role requires a standard 40-hour work week.

• The expectation is to be in the office 5 days a week, emphasizing the company's commitment to in-person collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The strong emphasis on on-site work and in-person collaboration is a defining characteristic. This environment is ideal for individuals who thrive on direct interaction and believe that physical presence fosters innovation and connection, similar to how some operations teams optimize workflows through close physical proximity and direct communication.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a recruiter screen to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper dive into experience with design systems, Figma proficiency, and operational responsibilities.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: Candidates will present their portfolio, focusing on design system work. A practical design challenge, possibly related to component updates, documentation, or system audits, may be administered.

• Cross-Functional Interview: Meeting with Senior Product Designer, Design Systems, and potentially UI Kit engineers to assess collaboration skills and technical understanding.

• Final Interview: May involve a broader team member or leadership interview to confirm cultural alignment and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Design System Impact: Clearly articulate your role in designing, building, or maintaining design systems. Quantify improvements in efficiency, consistency, or adoption where possible.

• Showcase Figma Mastery: Demonstrate complexity in your Figma work, including component structure, variants, auto layout, and library organization.

• Detail Your Operational Contribution: For this specific role, emphasize your experience with documentation, audits, governance, and problem-solving within a design system context.

• Explain Your Process: Walk through your thought process for updating components, writing documentation, or resolving inconsistencies.

• Address AI Tool Usage: If you have experience with AI tools in design systems, be prepared to discuss how they were used and the benefits derived.

Challenge Preparation:

• Component Auditing: Be ready to audit a small set of UI components for consistency, accessibility, and adherence to best practices.

• Documentation Creation: Prepare to draft documentation for a new or existing component, including usage guidelines and accessibility notes.

• Figma Library Organization: Understand best practices for organizing Figma libraries for scalability and ease of use.

• Design System Governance: Be prepared to discuss how you would contribute to or manage a design system governance process.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations candidates, this translates to preparing specific case studies demonstrating process optimization, system implementation, and quantifiable results. Be ready to "walk through" your work and explain the "why" behind your operational decisions.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for component library creation, maintenance, and collaboration. Proficiency in advanced features like components, variants, auto layout, and styles is critical.

• AI-Enabled Tools: Mentioned as a way to streamline workflows; candidates should be familiar with or eager to learn how AI can assist in tasks like documentation, quality checks, or pattern generation.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Design System Analytics: While not explicitly stated, understanding how to track design system adoption, component usage, and impact is beneficial. This might involve tools for tracking Figma library usage or integrating with product analytics.

CRM & Automation:

• Jira: Commonly used for tracking design system tasks, bug reports, and feature requests, facilitating collaboration with engineering.

• Confluence: For comprehensive documentation, release notes, and knowledge sharing related to the design system.

• Lucidchart: Potentially used for diagramming workflows, system architecture, or user flows related to the design system.

Design-to-Code Collaboration:

• Storybook: A common tool for UI component development and documentation, used by engineers. Familiarity here is a plus.

• React: The underlying framework for many modern web applications; understanding its component-based architecture is beneficial.

• CSS Variables: Used for managing design tokens and styling; knowledge is advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: This stack reflects a modern design operation environment. For operations roles, consider how your experience with CRM, ERP, marketing automation, BI tools, and project management software aligns with the functional needs of this role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Excellence & Curiosity: PitchBook emphasizes continuous innovation, evolution, and finding better ways of doing things. This means a drive for high-quality output and a willingness to explore new solutions.

• Collaboration: Deeply collaborative culture, valuing teamwork and shared energy. This role requires strong partnerships with designers and engineers.

• Ownership & Drive: A "good attitude and willingness to roll up your sleeves to get things done" points to a proactive, results-oriented mentality.

• Efficiency & Scalability: The design system's purpose is to enable teams to deliver experiences more efficiently and ensure the system is scalable.

• Data-Informed: As a data company, decisions are likely informed by data and analytics, even within design.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Strong emphasis on working closely with UI Kit engineering and other product designers to ensure seamless integration of the design system.

• Open Communication: Encourages spontaneous interactions and sharing, suggesting an environment where feedback is welcomed and transparent communication is valued.

• Process-Oriented: The nature of design systems requires defined processes for contributions, updates, and governance, fostering a structured yet adaptable collaborative style.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture description aligns well with the operational ethos of meticulous process management, collaborative problem-solving, and a drive for continuous improvement.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Maintaining System Health at Scale: As PitchBook grows, ensuring the design system remains accurate, consistent, and manageable across a large product suite will be an ongoing challenge.

• Balancing New Features vs. Maintenance: Juggling the need to introduce new components or patterns with the critical task of maintaining existing ones requires careful prioritization.

• Driving Adoption & Consistency: Encouraging widespread adoption of the design system by diverse teams and ensuring consistent application can be challenging.

• Bridging Design & Engineering Gaps: Ensuring perfect parity between Figma components and their coded implementations requires constant vigilance and effective communication.

• Integrating AI Tools Effectively: Learning and implementing AI tools in a way that genuinely enhances workflows without introducing new complications.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepening Design System Expertise: Opportunities to become a subject matter expert in design systems, component architecture, and governance.

• Technical Skill Enhancement: Exposure to front-end development concepts (React, Storybook) through collaboration with the UI Kit engineering team.

• Process Optimization: Developing skills in process design, documentation, and workflow improvement within a design operations context.

• Cross-Functional Acumen: Gaining a broader understanding of product development lifecycles, engineering constraints, and business objectives.

• AI in Design: Becoming proficient in leveraging AI tools for design system acceleration.

📝 Enhancement Note: These challenges and opportunities mirror those found in operations roles, where individuals must navigate complex systems, drive process adoption, and continuously learn to stay ahead of technological advancements and business needs.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your experience maintaining and evolving a design system. What were your key responsibilities and achievements?" (Focus on operational tasks, documentation, and system health.)

• "How do you ensure consistency between design system components in Figma and their coded implementations?" (Be ready to discuss collaboration with engineering, tooling, and QA processes.)

• "Walk us through an example of a time you identified an inefficiency in a design system or workflow and how you addressed it." (Highlight your problem-solving and process improvement skills.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about PitchBook and our mission in the private capital markets?" (Research the company's impact and role in the industry.)

• "How do you see yourself contributing to our collaborative, in-person work environment?" (Emphasize your teamwork skills and appreciation for in-office dynamics.)

• "How do you stay updated on best practices in design systems and UI/UX design?" (Demonstrate your commitment to continuous learning.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio to clearly showcase your design system experience. Start with a high-level overview of your role and contributions.

• Deep Dive on Key Projects: Select 1-2 strong design system projects. For each, detail the problem, your specific contributions (especially operational ones), the tools used, the solutions implemented, and the outcomes (quantifiable if possible).

• Showcase Figma Skills: During your presentation, be prepared to demonstrate specific Figma techniques related to components, variants, and auto layout.

• Explain Your Process: Clearly articulate the "how" and "why" behind your design decisions and operational processes.

• Address Documentation & Governance: Explicitly highlight your experience with system documentation, audits, and participation in governance.

• Discuss Collaboration: Explain how you collaborated with engineers and other designers, and the impact of that collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations professionals, this means preparing detailed case studies that demonstrate your ability to manage complex systems, implement processes, drive efficiency, and collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders, using quantifiable results.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer II, Design Systems position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Greenhouse.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to prominently feature your design system experience. Include specific case studies detailing your contributions to component libraries, documentation, and system maintenance. Quantify your impact whenever possible.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly highlights your 4+ years of relevant experience, specific skills in Figma, design system operations, documentation, and cross-functional collaboration. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your experience with design system principles, operational tasks, and collaborative workflows. Prepare to walk through your portfolio with a focus on your contributions to system health and efficiency.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with PitchBook's data offerings, target markets, and company culture, particularly its emphasis on in-person collaboration and innovation. Understand their product suite to better grasp the context of the design system.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions, particularly regarding operations and design system methodologies. All details should be verified directly with PitchBook Data before making application decisions.