Senior Associate, Product Design - Design Systems

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Associate, Product Design - Design Systems Company: Capital One Location: New York, NY (Also open to Richmond, VA; McLean, VA; Plano, TX) Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: Product Design / Design Systems Date Posted: December 19, 2025 Experience Level: 2-5 Years (Senior Associate level) Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on the strategic development and maintenance of Capital One's Design System for the Card Servicing Experience team.
• It involves leveraging advanced Figma capabilities to build, document, and scale reusable design components and patterns.
• The Senior Associate will ensure consistency and efficiency across product features by applying an atomic design methodology and robust governance processes.
• Responsibilities include collaborating with design, product, and tech partners to synchronize design and development libraries, and performing quality assurance on implemented components.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Senior Associate, Product Design - Design Systems," the responsibilities and experience level (2+ years) suggest an individual contributor (IC) role focused on a specialized area within product design, rather than a management position. The emphasis on "overseeing work" and "co-creating innovative solutions" points to a significant contribution and leadership within the design system domain.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design System Development & Maintenance:
  • Build and maintain scalable, robust design system components within Figma, utilizing advanced features like nested instances, variants, text properties, booleans, and interactive components.
  • Develop responsive components and documentation using auto layout and constraints.
  • Apply atomic design principles to ensure proper inheritance and hierarchy within the design system.
• Documentation & Governance:
  • Create comprehensive documentation for components, including technical specifications, usage guidelines (dos/don'ts), accessibility standards, and practical examples.
  • Establish and manage efficient processes for publishing new versions of the design library and documentation, utilizing branching controls and a risk-adverse mindset.
  • Act as a single source of design truth by managing access and ensuring strict version control for the design system.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
  • Collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, and other designers to validate new components and evolve existing ones, ensuring alignment between design and development.
  • Partner with the Tech team to ensure the design library and technology library remain synchronized.
  • Foster relationships across various design teams to contribute to and leverage the broader design system.
• Quality Assurance & Process Improvement:
  • Perform thorough Quality Assurance (QA) on the technical build of design system components and their associated documentation to ensure accuracy and adherence to standards.
  • Champion the customer throughout the design process by incorporating data, research insights, scalability requirements, and technical constraints.
  • Contribute to the evolution of design practices and methodologies within the Card Servicing Experience team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role explicitly mentions "oversee work on our agent platform and its associated design system and governance processes," indicating a significant level of responsibility for the strategic direction and execution of the design system for this specific product area. The emphasis on documentation and enabling other partners highlights a strong focus on empowering teams through well-defined design resources.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• While no specific degree is mandated, a strong understanding of design principles and methodologies is implied. A Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred in such roles.

Experience:

• Product Design Expertise: A minimum of 2 years of direct experience in a Product Design role, with a proven track record of creating user-centered designs.
• Design Systems Experience: Experience working with established design systems is a preferred qualification, indicating a need for candidates familiar with their structure, benefits, and challenges.
• Tool Proficiency: At least 2 years of hands-on experience with design and prototyping tools, with a specific emphasis on Figma's advanced features for design systems.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Experience collaborating effectively with product, tech, and business partners is highly valued.
• Complex Problem Spaces: Experience working in heavily regulated, data-heavy problem spaces is a plus, suggesting an ability to navigate complex requirements.

Required Skills:

• Product Design: Deep expertise in interaction design, visual design, and service design principles.
• Design Systems: Comprehensive understanding of design system architecture, component-based design, and atomic design methodology.
• Figma Mastery: Advanced proficiency in Figma, including its capabilities for building and managing complex design systems (variants, auto layout, interactive components, branching).
• Collaboration: Proven ability to foster strong relationships and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Business).
• Human-Centered Design: A strong commitment to championing the customer throughout the design process, integrating user research and data insights.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present design decisions and articulate insights to diverse audiences.

Preferred Skills:

• Prototyping: Experience creating high-fidelity prototypes and interactive user flows.
• Documentation Best Practices: Skill in creating clear, concise, and actionable design documentation.
• Quality Assurance (QA): Experience in performing QA for design system components and their implementation.
• Atomic Design Methodology: In-depth understanding and practical application of atomic design principles.
• Accessibility Standards: Knowledge of WCAG and other accessibility guidelines for inclusive design.
• Agile/Scrum Methodologies: Familiarity with agile development processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Figma's advanced features for design systems is a critical differentiator. Candidates should be prepared to showcase deep expertise in these specific functionalities, beyond general UI design skills. The preferred qualifications suggest that prior exposure to a mature design system environment and complex business domains will be highly advantageous.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Design System Case Study: A dedicated section showcasing your experience building, maintaining, or significantly contributing to a design system. This should detail the problem, your approach, the tools used (especially Figma), and the impact of your work.
• Component Design Examples: Visual examples of complex, reusable components you have designed, demonstrating an understanding of variants, states, and accessibility.
• Documentation Samples: Examples of design documentation you've created for components, including usage guidelines, best practices, and technical specifications.
• Process & Methodology: Clearly articulate your design process, particularly as it applies to design systems, including how you approach research, collaboration, iteration, and governance.
• Impact & Results: Quantify the impact of your design system contributions whenever possible (e.g., increased design efficiency, improved consistency, reduced development time, enhanced user satisfaction).

Process Documentation:

• Candidates are expected to demonstrate a structured approach to documenting design processes, especially for design system initiatives. This includes:
  • Workflow Design: How you define and optimize workflows for component creation, contribution, and adoption.
  • Implementation & Automation: How you leverage tools and processes to ensure efficient implementation and integration of design system elements.
  • Measurement & Analysis: How you track the effectiveness and adoption of the design system, and use data to inform its evolution.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "ideal candidate has a strong portfolio demonstrating their process, results, and impact." For this specific role, the portfolio must heavily feature design systems work, showcasing practical application of Figma's advanced features and a systematic approach to component creation and documentation. Demonstrating an understanding of how the design system impacts broader product development and user experience will be crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• New York, NY: $118,900 - $135,700 annually for Sr. Associate, Design
• McLean, VA: $109,000 - $124,400 annually for Sr. Associate, Design
• Richmond, VA: $99,100 - $113,100 annually for Sr. Associate, Design
• Plano, TX: $99,100 - $113,100 annually for Sr. Associate, Design

📝 Enhancement Note: These salary ranges are specific to Capital One's compensation bands for the "Sr. Associate, Design" role in the listed locations as of December 19, 2025. The actual salary offered will depend on the candidate's qualifications, experience, and the specific location of employment. Capital One is a large financial institution, and these ranges reflect competitive market rates for experienced design professionals in these metropolitan areas.

Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance: Comprehensive health coverage options.
• 401(k) Plan: Retirement savings plan with potential company match.
• Performance-Based Incentive Compensation: Eligibility for cash bonuses and/or Long-Term Incentives (LTI), which can be discretionary or non-discretionary.
• Comprehensive Benefits Package: Capital One offers a competitive and inclusive set of financial and well-being benefits, detailed on their careers website.
• Paid Time Off: Details on PTO are typically provided during the offer stage but can be assumed to be competitive for a full-time role at a major corporation.

Working Hours:

• The role is full-time, typically expected to be around 40 hours per week. While the role is on-site, specific daily start/end times may offer some flexibility within standard business hours, allowing for effective collaboration with teams across different time zones where applicable.

📝 Enhancement Note: The mention of "performance based incentive compensation" indicates that total compensation can exceed the base salary range, which is common for Senior Associate level roles at large financial institutions.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Technology / Banking Services. Capital One is a leading information-based technology company, leveraging data and technology to innovate within the banking sector. Company Size: Large enterprise (implied by the scale of operations, multiple locations, and comprehensive benefits). Founded: 1994. Capital One has a history of innovation, particularly in credit cards and technology-driven financial services.

Team Structure:

• Card Servicing Experience Design Team: This team focuses on designing user experiences and tools for both customer service associates and customers interacting with servicing functions.
• Reporting Structure: The Senior Associate will likely report to a Design Manager or Lead within the Card Servicing Experience team.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role emphasizes close collaboration with Product Managers, Engineers (Tech team), and other designers across various product areas.

Methodology:

• Human-Centered Design: A core philosophy, emphasizing understanding customer needs and business goals.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Insights from data and research are critical inputs for design work.
• Systematic Approach: The role requires a methodical, systematic approach to product feature expansion and design system development.
• Agile Environment: Likely operates within an agile or hybrid development framework, requiring adaptability and iterative processes.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Capital One positions itself as a technology company within the financial services industry. This implies a culture that values innovation, data, and efficient processes, which aligns well with the requirements of a Design Systems role focused on scalability and reusability.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Associate (Individual Contributor). This level typically signifies a mid-career professional with significant hands-on experience and the ability to work independently on complex tasks, contributing to strategic initiatives within their domain. Reporting Structure: The role reports into the Card Servicing Experience design team, likely under a Design Manager or Lead. This structure provides mentorship and guidance while allowing for significant autonomy in design system work. Operations Impact: The impact is significant. By establishing and maintaining a robust design system, this role directly influences the efficiency of design and development teams, the consistency and quality of user experiences across the card servicing platform, and ultimately, customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. A well-governed design system can accelerate product delivery and reduce technical debt.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design System Specialization: Deepen expertise in design systems, potentially moving into lead or architect roles for design systems at a larger scale.
• Product Design Leadership: Transition into broader product design leadership roles, leveraging system-thinking skills to influence product strategy.
• Mentorship: Mentor junior designers on design system principles and Figma best practices.
• Cross-Functional Mobility: Opportunities to work on different product areas within Capital One's vast portfolio.
• Skill Development: Continuous learning through internal resources, industry conferences, and hands-on experience with evolving design technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a specialized path within Product Design. Growth will likely involve deepening expertise in design systems and potentially expanding influence over broader product portfolios or leading design system initiatives. The "Senior Associate" title implies a strong foundation and the potential for advancement to more senior or lead positions within design.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site. The role requires working from a Capital One office location. Office Location(s): New York, NY; Richmond, VA; McLean, VA; Plano, TX. Candidates can indicate preference, and the salary range will adjust accordingly.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The office setting is designed to foster collaboration, with shared spaces and meeting rooms conducive to design critiques, brainstorming sessions, and cross-functional alignment.
• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design software (Figma is mandatory), collaboration tools, and Capital One's internal technology infrastructure.
• Team Interaction: Regular opportunities to interact with design peers, product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to discuss projects, share knowledge, and receive feedback.

Work Schedule:

• Full-time, standard business hours (approximately 40 hours/week). While on-site, there may be some flexibility in daily start/end times, but adherence to team schedules for meetings and collaborative work is expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement suggests a preference for in-person collaboration, which is often beneficial for the iterative and communicative nature of design system work. The multiple location options provide flexibility for candidates within these regions.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Typically a recruiter screen to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.
• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: Candidates will likely present their portfolio, focusing on design system work. A design challenge, potentially involving component design or system thinking, may be administered.
• Hiring Manager Interview: Deeper dive into experience, problem-solving skills, and understanding of design systems.
• Team/Peer Interviews: Interviews with other designers and potentially product/engineering partners to assess collaboration style and technical acumen.
• Final Round/Executive Interview: May involve a senior leader to assess strategic thinking and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Design Systems: Dedicate significant space to your design system projects. Show the evolution of components, the rationale behind decisions, and the impact.
• Figma Deep Dive: Be prepared to discuss your advanced Figma skills – variants, auto layout, interactive components, component properties, and how you manage complex libraries.
• Process Over Polish: While polished visuals are important, focus on demonstrating your process – how you think, collaborate, iterate, and solve problems.
• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to show the results of your design system work (e.g., "reduced design time by X%", "improved component adoption by Y%").
• Showcase Documentation: Include examples of well-structured component documentation and usage guidelines.
• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize experience with design systems for complex platforms, ideally within financial services or regulated industries if applicable.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design System Fundamentals: Brush up on atomic design, component states, accessibility best practices, and responsive design principles.
• Figma Exercises: Practice creating complex components with variants, auto layout, and interactive elements under timed conditions.
• Problem-Solving Scenarios: Be ready to discuss how you would approach designing a new component, evolving an existing one, or addressing a design system adoption challenge.
• Collaboration Scenarios: Prepare to discuss how you would work with engineers to ensure component parity and with product managers to prioritize design system work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily scrutinize the candidate's practical experience with design systems and their proficiency in Figma. Candidates should be ready to articulate their design system philosophy and demonstrate how their work drives efficiency and consistency at scale.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: This is the core tool for this role. Advanced proficiency is not just preferred but essential, including mastery of:
  • Variants
  • Auto Layout
  • Nested Instances
  • Text Properties & Boolean properties
  • Interactive Components
  • Component Properties
  • Branching and Version Control features within Figma Libraries
• Prototyping Tools: Figma's prototyping capabilities are key.
• Design System Platforms: Familiarity with how design systems are organized, versioned, and distributed.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a direct responsibility, understanding how design system adoption and component usage are tracked using analytics tools would be beneficial.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to this design role, but awareness of how design systems integrate with development workflows and potentially CRM or other enterprise platforms might be a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma and its advanced design system features is paramount. Candidates must demonstrate deep, practical expertise in Figma's capabilities for building and managing scalable component libraries. Proficiency in other design tools is secondary to Figma mastery for this specific position.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: Championing the customer's needs and experience is central to Capital One's mission.
• Innovation & Ingenuity: Encouraging creative solutions and embracing new technologies.
• Collaboration & Openness: Valuing teamwork, diverse perspectives, and transparent communication.
• Respect & Humility: Treating colleagues and customers with dignity and a deep sense of responsibility.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Using data and insights to inform strategy and design choices.
• Efficiency & Scalability: Driving systematic improvements and building solutions that can scale.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership-Oriented: Actively building relationships and fostering alignment with product, tech, and business partners.
• Informed Perspective: Listening to diverse viewpoints and contributing with a well-researched and thoughtful approach.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Working to break down silos and ensure design is integrated seamlessly into the broader product development lifecycle.
• Feedback Culture: Open to giving and receiving constructive feedback to improve designs and processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: Capital One emphasizes a culture that blends technological innovation with a strong sense of customer advocacy and ethical responsibility. For this role, the ideal candidate will embody a collaborative spirit and a commitment to building scalable, user-centered solutions through a well-defined design system.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Ensuring Design/Dev Sync: Maintaining perfect parity between the design system in Figma and the coded components in production can be challenging.
• Adoption & Buy-in: Encouraging widespread adoption of the design system across diverse teams and product lines requires continuous effort and advocacy.
• Balancing Consistency with Flexibility: Creating a system that is robust and consistent, yet flexible enough to accommodate unique product needs.
• Navigating Complex Requirements: Working within a regulated industry (financial services) requires meticulous attention to compliance, accessibility, and security in design.
• Evolving Technology: Keeping the design system up-to-date with the latest design tools, front-end technologies, and user expectations.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Figma Techniques: Mastering new features and workflows within Figma as they are released.
• Design System Strategy: Gaining experience in the strategic planning and evolution of a large-scale design system.
• Accessibility & Inclusive Design: Deepening knowledge of best practices for creating accessible digital products.
• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Understanding the intricacies of product development, engineering, and business strategy within the financial sector.
• Industry Best Practices: Engaging with the broader design systems community through conferences, webinars, and online resources.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers significant opportunities to tackle complex design system challenges within a large, established organization. Success will depend on strong problem-solving skills, a proactive approach to learning, and the ability to influence change through collaboration and clear communication.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design System Philosophy: "Describe your philosophy on design systems. What makes a design system successful?" (Prepare to discuss principles like scalability, reusability, documentation, governance, and collaboration.)
• Figma Mastery: "Walk us through how you would build a complex, responsive component in Figma using variants, auto layout, and interactive components." (Be ready to demonstrate this live or via portfolio examples.)
• Problem Solving (Systemic): "Imagine a scenario where a product team is struggling to adopt the design system. How would you approach diagnosing the problem and proposing solutions?" (Focus on communication, empathy, and data-driven approaches.)
• Collaboration with Dev: "How do you ensure design and development alignment when building and maintaining design system components?" (Discuss communication strategies, handoff processes, and QA.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• Capital One Values: "How do Capital One's values (e.g., innovation, customer advocacy) influence your approach to design systems?" (Research the company's mission and values.)
• Teamwork: "Describe a time you collaborated with engineers or product managers to evolve a design system component. What were the challenges and outcomes?" (Prepare a STAR method answer.)
• Impact Measurement: "How would you measure the success and impact of a design system for the Card Servicing Experience team?" (Think about adoption rates, efficiency gains, consistency metrics, user feedback.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Design System Focus: Prioritize your design system projects. Clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process (especially in Figma), the solutions, and the measurable impact.
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively. Demonstrate interactive components, responsive behavior, and clear documentation.
• Narrative Arc: Structure your presentation like a story – problem, your solution, results.
• Figma Expertise Demonstration: Be prepared to answer detailed questions about your Figma workflow and advanced feature usage.
• Conciseness: Be mindful of time; focus on the most impactful aspects of your work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will likely involve a strong emphasis on practical demonstration of Figma skills and a deep understanding of design system principles. Candidates should prepare to articulate their experience with a systems-thinking mindset and showcase their ability to drive consistency and efficiency through well-designed and well-documented components.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Design position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday link on the Capital One careers site.
• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features your design system experience, specifically highlighting your proficiency with Figma's advanced features (variants, auto layout, interactive components) and your process for component creation, documentation, and governance.
• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize keywords such as "Design Systems," "Figma," "Product Design," "Interaction Design," "Visual Design," "Atomic Design," "Component Library," "Scalability," "Consistency," and "Collaboration." Quantify achievements where possible.
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, especially for design system projects. Be ready to discuss your experience with Figma in detail and prepare to present case studies that showcase your problem-solving skills and impact.
• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Capital One's mission, values, and their commitment to technology and customer experience. Understand how design systems contribute to these broad organizational goals.

⚠️ Important Notice: While this enhanced job description provides comprehensive insights based on industry standards and the provided information, it's crucial to verify all details directly with Capital One during the application and interview process. Salary ranges are location-specific and subject to final offer.