Senior Product Designer (Design Systems)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer (Design Systems)

Company: Civica

Location: Manchester, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / User Experience (Design Systems Focus)

Date Posted: 2026-01-19

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

Remote Status: Hybrid (On-site focus with remote flexibility implied)

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the development and evolution of Civica's multi-platform design system, "Firefly," a critical component of the company's product strategy.

• Drive the creation and maintenance of high-quality, accessible design components, design tokens, and platform-specific libraries to enhance product scalability and efficiency.

• Foster widespread adoption and impact of the design system across Civica's diverse product portfolio through collaboration, training, and advocacy.

• Champion best practices in design systems, governance, and accessibility standards, ensuring consistency and quality across user experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is described as "Hybrid," the explicit mention of "Manchester" as the location and the context of a "Design System" often imply a need for on-site collaboration at least part of the time for in-person workshops, direct team interaction, and strategic alignment. The "5-10 years" experience level suggests a senior individual contributor or team lead capacity.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design System Development & Maintenance: Create, refine, and maintain a comprehensive library of reusable, accessible design components within Figma, ensuring strict adherence to coded libraries and design token specifications.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Adoption: Partner closely with UX designers, product managers, and engineering teams to facilitate the smooth adoption and continuous improvement of the Firefly design system across various product development lifecycles.

• Training & Advocacy: Develop and deliver training sessions, conduct workshops, and create supporting documentation to educate and empower product teams on effectively leveraging the Firefly design system.

• Process & Leadership: Guide and optimize design processes within an agile framework, effectively prioritizing tasks, managing design system roadmaps, and providing mentorship to other designers on design system principles and practices.

• Quality Assurance & Standards: Uphold and enforce high standards for usability, accessibility (WCAG compliance), and overall quality across all design system elements and their implementations.

• Tools & Documentation Management: Define, implement, and continuously improve the tools, processes, and documentation that underpin the Firefly design system's scalability, maintainability, and adoption.

• Culture & Growth Promotion: Cultivate a collaborative, positive, and feedback-driven team culture that emphasizes continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and the delivery of exceptional, user-centric experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of individual contribution (component creation) and leadership/strategic influence (adoption, training, process guidance). The emphasis on "Firefly" as a specific design system implies a need for candidates to understand and contribute to a living, evolving design ecosystem.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a strong portfolio demonstrating practical application of design system principles is paramount. A background in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Graphic Design, or a related field is typically expected.

Experience: A minimum of 5-10 years of progressive experience in UX/Product Design, with a significant focus on Design Systems, is required. This includes hands-on experience in structuring, planning, and owning the end-to-end design process for complex products.

Required Skills:

• Design System Expertise: Proven track record in leading and contributing to design system initiatives, with a robust portfolio showcasing scalable design solutions, reusable components, and design tokens.

• UX & Product Design Craft: Advanced proficiency in user experience (UX) and product design methodologies, applied within complex, enterprise-level product environments.

• Figma Mastery: Expert-level skills in Figma, including advanced capabilities in building, managing, and maintaining design libraries, components, and variants.

• Prototyping Skills: Demonstrated expertise in creating interactive prototypes to effectively communicate design concepts and user flows.

• Systems Thinking: Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a strategic mindset focused on developing scalable, efficient, and maintainable design solutions.

• Responsive & Accessible Design: In-depth knowledge of best practices for responsive web and mobile design, with a thorough understanding of accessibility standards such as WCAG 2.1 AA.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Exceptional ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including product management, engineering, and other designers, to drive consensus and achieve shared goals.

• Communication & Influence: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate the value of design systems and influence stakeholders across a large organization.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with design token management tools and methodologies.

• Familiarity with front-end development concepts (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to better collaborate with engineers.

• Experience in conducting design system audits and maturity assessments.

• Knowledge of design system governance models and contribution workflows.

• Experience with user research and usability testing specific to design system components.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "Figma" is a strong indicator of the primary toolset. The "5-10 years" experience level implies the candidate should be comfortable mentoring and leading aspects of the design process, not just executing tasks.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Design System Case Studies: Detailed case studies showcasing leadership or significant contribution to at least one comprehensive design system. This should highlight the problem statement, your approach, the solutions implemented (components, tokens, guidelines), and the impact on product development efficiency and user experience consistency.

• Scalable Design Solutions: Examples of how your design work has prioritized scalability, reusability, and maintainability, clearly demonstrating your systems-thinking approach.

• Figma Library Examples: Visual evidence or descriptions of complex Figma component libraries you have built or managed, emphasizing organization, variants, auto-layout, and best practices.

• Accessibility & Responsiveness: Demonstrations of how accessibility (WCAG) and responsive design principles were integrated into your design system work, with specific examples of components adapting across different breakpoints and user needs.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Showcase examples of how you've defined or improved design processes, particularly those related to design system contribution, review, and implementation within an agile context.

• System Implementation & Automation: Illustrate your understanding of how design systems integrate with development workflows, potentially including examples of design-to-code handoffs or automation efforts.

• Metrics & Performance Analysis: Demonstrate how you have measured or contributed to measuring the impact and adoption of a design system, using metrics related to efficiency, consistency, or user satisfaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is critical for this role. Candidates must be able to visually and verbally articulate their experience with design systems, demonstrating not just design skills but also strategic thinking about system architecture, governance, and adoption.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the Senior Product Designer title, 5-10 years of experience, and location in Manchester, UK, a competitive salary range is anticipated. For a Senior Product Designer in Manchester, typical ranges can fall between £55,000 - £80,000 per annum, depending on the specific company's compensation philosophy, the candidate's exact experience, and the scope of responsibilities.

Benefits:

• Generous Annual Leave: 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase up to 10 additional days, promoting work-life balance.

• Volunteering Leave: Up to 3 "Days of Difference" for paid volunteering, supporting community engagement.

• Pension Contributions: A 5% employer match on pension contributions, aiding long-term financial security.

• Income Protection: Up to 75% salary cover for long-term illness, providing financial stability during extended absences.

• Life Assurance: A 4x salary lump sum paid tax-free to beneficiaries, offering financial protection for families.

• Critical Illness Cover: A £25,000 lump sum, with the option to extend coverage to dependents.

• Private Medical Insurance: Access to private healthcare for faster treatment and specialized care.

• Health Cash Plan: Reimbursement for routine health expenses such as physiotherapy, therapies, and more.

• Dental Insurance: Coverage for routine and emergency dental care.

• Affinity Groups: Opportunities to join employee-led communities based on shared interests or backgrounds.

• Bounty Bonus: A referral bonus program for successfully recommending candidates.

Working Hours: The role implies a standard full-time work week, likely around 40 hours, with flexibility typically offered in hybrid or remote arrangements, though the emphasis here is on hybrid with potential for on-site collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on industry benchmarks for Senior Product Designers in major UK cities like Manchester. The benefits package is extensive and highly attractive, reflecting a company that invests in employee well-being and financial security.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, specifically Government Technology (GovTech) and Public Sector Software. Civica focuses on providing software solutions that enable public bodies to deliver essential services to citizens. This industry context implies a mission-driven culture focused on societal impact and efficiency.

Company Size: Civica is a substantial organization, with over 5,000 employees globally. This size suggests a structured environment with established processes, but also opportunities for impact within specific product teams and initiatives like the design system.

Founded: Founded 21 years ago, Civica has a long history of growth and stability in the public sector software market. This longevity points to a company with a strong foundation and evolving strategic vision.

Team Structure:

• User Experience (UX) Team: The Senior Product Designer will join the existing UX team, which is responsible for shaping the user experience of Civica's products. This team likely comprises other designers, researchers, and potentially UX writers.

• Reporting Structure: The role will likely report to a Head of UX, Design Manager, or a similar senior leadership position within the UX or Product organization.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: A core aspect of the role involves extensive collaboration with Product Managers, Software Developers, and other stakeholders across different product lines and business units.

Methodology:

• Agile Development: The mention of an "agile environment" indicates that design processes will be integrated into iterative development cycles, requiring close collaboration with development teams and adaptability.

• Data-Driven Design: While not explicitly stated, a company of Civica's size and focus on public services likely values data in decision-making. The design system's success will be measured, implying a data-informed approach to its evolution.

• User-Centricity: The overarching goal of improving citizen services suggests a strong emphasis on understanding and meeting user needs through thoughtful design.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Civica's focus on GovTech means the impact of the design system extends to critical public services. This mission-driven aspect can be a significant cultural differentiator and motivator for candidates.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a "Senior Product Designer" with a specialization in Design Systems. This signifies an experienced individual contributor role, expected to lead significant design initiatives, mentor junior team members, and influence product strategy through design system adoption. It's a step beyond general product design, focusing on systemic thinking and platform thinking.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will likely report to a Design Lead or Manager within the User Experience team. They will collaborate closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads on various product development teams, acting as a central point of expertise for the design system.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is significant, as the design system ("Firefly") is described as a "critical component of Civica’s product strategy." By ensuring consistency, scalability, and efficiency, the Senior Product Designer directly influences the speed of product development, the quality of user experiences, and ultimately, the effectiveness of public services delivered by Civica's software.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design System Leadership: Potential to grow into a dedicated Design Systems Lead or Manager role, overseeing the entire design system strategy, roadmap, and team.

• Specialization Deepening: Opportunities to become a recognized expert in design systems, accessibility, or specific platform design patterns through continuous learning and advanced project work.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Potential to lead design initiatives that span multiple product areas or contribute to broader product strategy discussions, leveraging the influence of a mature design system.

• Mentorship & Training: Developing leadership skills by mentoring junior designers and training wider product teams on design system principles and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a clear path for specialization within the design systems domain, which is a highly sought-after skill set. The "Senior" title suggests significant autonomy and the opportunity to shape processes and mentor others.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is advertised as "Hybrid," suggesting a blend of remote work and in-office presence. The primary office location is Manchester, England. This setup often aims to balance the benefits of remote flexibility with the advantages of in-person collaboration.

Office Location(s): The primary office is in Manchester, England. While specific office amenities aren't detailed, a large company like Civica typically offers modern office spaces conducive to collaborative work.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model and emphasis on cross-functional collaboration suggest a work environment that encourages interaction, brainstorming, and shared problem-solving, both in person and virtually.

• Tools & Technology: As a Senior Product Designer, access to industry-standard design tools (Figma is explicitly mentioned) and relevant prototyping software will be provided. The role also implies working with development tools and platforms.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with fellow designers, product managers, and engineers will be integral to the role, fostering a dynamic and communicative atmosphere.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time work schedule is expected, likely aligning with UK business hours, with flexibility typically afforded by the hybrid arrangement. This allows for focused individual work and scheduled collaborative sessions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Hybrid" nature implies that candidates should be comfortable working both independently and collaboratively, and be able to manage their time effectively across different work settings.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio by the recruitment team to assess qualifications and alignment with the role.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager (likely a Design Lead or Manager) to delve deeper into your experience, design philosophy, and suitability for the team. This stage will heavily feature portfolio review.

• Technical/Design Challenge: Potentially a practical exercise or a case study presentation focused on design systems, problem-solving, and strategic thinking. This might involve designing a component, critiquing an existing system, or outlining an adoption strategy.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with key collaborators, such as Product Managers and Engineering Leads, to assess your ability to work effectively in a cross-functional environment and communicate technical/design concepts clearly.

• Final Interview: A discussion with senior leadership to confirm cultural fit and overall suitability for the role and company.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Design System Leadership: Clearly articulate your role and impact in designing, building, or scaling design systems. Use specific examples of components, guidelines, and processes you influenced.

• Showcase Figma Expertise: Demonstrate your proficiency in Figma by showcasing organized component libraries, smart use of variants, auto layout, and design tokens.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your design system work – e.g., increased design efficiency, reduced development time, improved consistency scores, adoption rates.

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each design system project, clearly outline the problem, your process, your specific contributions, the solutions, and the outcomes.

• Address Accessibility & Responsiveness: Explicitly show how you incorporated WCAG standards and responsive design principles into your system.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Design System Principles: Be prepared to discuss core concepts like atomic design, design tokens, component libraries, governance, and contribution models.

• Practice Systemic Thinking: Anticipate questions that require you to think about how a design system impacts different parts of the organization and how to achieve buy-in and adoption.

• Figma Proficiency: Be ready to demonstrate your Figma skills, potentially through a live exercise or by walking through complex examples from your portfolio.

• Articulate Value: Practice explaining the business value of a well-executed design system, focusing on efficiency, consistency, brand integrity, and user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "Design Systems" role means the portfolio review will be highly specific, focusing on the candidate's ability to build and manage scalable design infrastructure, not just individual product features.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for design creation, prototyping, and managing design libraries. Expert proficiency is expected.

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma includes prototyping, familiarity with other tools like InVision, Adobe XD, or similar might be beneficial for specific use cases or older workflows.

• Design System Management Platforms: Experience with platforms or methodologies for managing design tokens, documentation, and component libraries (e.g., Storybook, Zeroheight, or internal tools).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Analytics Tools: Familiarity with tools used to track product usage and user behavior (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude) to understand how design system elements are adopted and impact user journeys.

• Reporting Dashboards: Ability to interpret and potentially contribute to dashboards that monitor design system health, adoption rates, and impact.

CRM & Automation:

• Project Management Tools: Proficiency in agile project management tools such as Jira, Asana, Trello, or similar, for tracking design tasks, sprints, and design system backlog items.

• Collaboration Platforms: Tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams for communication and collaboration with cross-functional teams.

• Documentation Tools: Platforms for creating and maintaining design system documentation (e.g., Confluence, Notion, Zeroheight).

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is the cornerstone tool for this role. Understanding how design systems integrate with development tools and processes is also key.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven Impact: A strong commitment to improving public services and citizen outcomes through technology, fostering a sense of purpose in the work.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Valuing teamwork, open communication, and strong relationships across product, design, and engineering teams to achieve shared goals.

• Continuous Improvement: A dedication to ongoing learning, feedback, and iteration, both in personal skill development and within design processes and systems.

• Quality & Excellence: A focus on delivering high-quality, accessible, and user-friendly solutions that meet rigorous standards.

• Efficiency & Scalability: Prioritizing the creation of solutions that are not only effective but also scalable and efficient for long-term product development.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: A collaborative approach that seamlessly integrates design thinking into the entire product development lifecycle, working hand-in-hand with product managers and developers.

• Feedback-Driven: An open culture where constructive feedback is welcomed and utilized to refine designs, processes, and the design system itself.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, design patterns, and insights across teams to foster collective growth and maintain design system integrity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "GovTech" aspect of Civica likely instills a strong sense of purpose and a commitment to delivering reliable, impactful solutions for public sector clients.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Driving Adoption: Overcoming inertia and resistance to change to ensure widespread adoption and effective utilization of the Firefly design system across diverse product teams.

• Balancing Needs: Harmonizing the needs of various product teams, business goals, and technical constraints while maintaining the integrity and scalability of the design system.

• Evolving Standards: Keeping the design system up-to-date with the latest accessibility standards, platform updates, and emerging design best practices.

• Cross-Team Alignment: Ensuring consistent application of design system principles across a large, potentially distributed, organization with multiple development teams.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design System Mastery: Deepening expertise in areas like design token architecture, accessibility auditing, and advanced component design.

• Industry Best Practices: Staying abreast of the latest trends and innovations in design systems, UX, and GovTech through conferences, webinars, and industry publications.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Developing leadership capabilities through mentoring junior designers and leading design system initiatives.

• Platform Expertise: Gaining deeper knowledge of the specific platforms and technologies used by Civica's products, enhancing collaborative capabilities with engineering.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge will be enabling adoption and ensuring consistent application of a complex design system across a large organization, requiring strong communication and strategic influence skills.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to advocate for the adoption of a design system in a large organization. What were the challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Focus on influence, communication, and problem-solving.)

• "How do you approach balancing the needs of different product teams when evolving a design system? Provide an example." (Emphasize prioritization, stakeholder management, and systemic thinking.)

• "Walk us through your process for designing and documenting a new component for a design system, ensuring accessibility and responsiveness." (Demonstrate your practical workflow, attention to detail, and adherence to standards.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Civica and our mission in the GovTech space?" (Research Civica's impact on public services and articulate your connection.)

• "How do you contribute to a collaborative and feedback-driven team environment?" (Provide examples of your active participation in team discussions and feedback loops.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Select 2-3 key design system projects. For each, clearly outline the problem, your role, your process, the specific solutions (components, guidelines, tokens), and the measurable outcomes or impact.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals of your Figma work, component examples, and documentation. If possible, show interactive prototypes.

• Narrate Your Process: Explain why you made certain design decisions, focusing on the strategic thinking behind your choices regarding scalability, accessibility, and reusability.

• Highlight Collaboration: Discuss how you worked with developers and product managers throughout the process.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific components, design decisions, and your Figma workflow.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should be prepared to discuss the "why" behind their design system work, not just the "what," and demonstrate how their contributions align with business objectives and user needs.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Workable portal at the provided link.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio prominently features 2-3 strong case studies specifically related to design systems. Highlight your work with Figma, component creation, design tokens, and accessibility. Quantify impact where possible.

• Tailor Your CV: Update your resume to emphasize your experience in design systems, UX/product design, Figma proficiency, cross-functional collaboration, and any leadership or mentorship roles. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your design process, your understanding of design systems, and your experience in driving adoption. Be ready to walk through your portfolio confidently.

• Research Civica: Understand Civica's mission, its products, and its position in the GovTech market. Consider how your design system expertise can contribute to their goals of improving citizen services.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details, particularly regarding salary expectations, specific interview stages, and exact responsibilities, should be verified directly with the hiring organization during the application process.