Senior Software Engineer II, Design Systems

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Software Engineer II, Design Systems

Company: Carta

Location: San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; New York, NY

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Engineering - Frontend / Design Systems

Date Posted: 2026-04-03

Experience Level: Senior (7+ years recommended)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Architect, build, and maintain robust, production-ready React components for Carta's Design System ("Ink").

• Lead research and development into evolving design systems for the "Agentic Age," incorporating AI-driven interfaces and generative workflows.

• Act as a technical bridge between design (Figma) and code, ensuring high-fidelity UI implementation and seamless translation of design concepts.

• Drive cross-functional initiatives to enhance frontend quality, focusing on animation, CSS architecture, and system modularity to boost developer velocity.

• Mentor engineers and designers across the organization on design system best practices, conduct code and design reviews, and gather feedback for continuous system improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is highly specialized within frontend engineering, focusing on the critical intersection of design systems, UI infrastructure, and emerging AI technologies. The emphasis on "Agentic Age" and generative workflows indicates a forward-thinking approach to design system evolution, requiring candidates to be not only proficient in current best practices but also innovative in anticipating future development paradigms.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain the Ink component library, ensuring rigorous design system standards, intuitive developer ergonomics, and extensible API design.

• Lead R&D on adapting and redefining design systems to support AI-driven interfaces, generative workflows, and agentic UI patterns.

• Translate UI/UX concepts from Figma into performant and polished React components, maintaining visual fidelity and interaction quality.

• Implement and advocate for improvements in animation fluidity, CSS architecture, system modularity, and accessibility across the platform.

• Conduct thorough code and design reviews, provide technical mentorship to engineers and designers, and foster widespread adoption of the Ink design system.

• Collaborate with product teams to solve common UI challenges, enabling them to focus on unique product differentiators.

• Identify and implement opportunities for system optimization, performance enhancements, and developer experience improvements.

• Contribute to the evolution of design tokens, component APIs, and documentation to optimize for both human developers and AI agents.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of core design system engineering, cutting-edge AI research integration, and strong cross-functional collaboration. The expectation to "replace custom, one-off UI with modular, reusable solutions" underscores the strategic importance of this role in driving efficiency and consistency across Carta's product suite.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundational understanding of computer science principles is implied for a senior engineering role.

Experience: 7+ years of relevant frontend engineering experience is recommended, with a significant focus on design systems, UI infrastructure, or AI-assisted development.

Required Skills:

• Deep, expert-level knowledge of React (modern patterns, Hooks, Context API).

• Expert-level proficiency in CSS, including scalable architectures and modern best practices.

• Proven experience in building and maintaining component libraries and design systems.

• Strong understanding of UI/UX principles and experience collaborating within design tools like Figma.

• Proficiency with animation technologies such as CSS Animations, Framer, or D3.

• Demonstrated ability to write high-quality, maintainable, and performant UI code.

• Strong commitment to accessibility standards and best practices.

• Experience in conducting code reviews and providing technical mentorship.

• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with AI-driven development patterns and generative workflows.

• Familiarity with evolving design system definitions for AI agents.

• Expertise in API design for reusable components.

• Experience with performance optimization techniques for complex web applications.

• Knowledge of UI infrastructure and its impact on developer velocity.

• Prototyping complex UI behaviors in Figma or similar tools.

• Understanding of financial technology (FinTech) product considerations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "AI-Forward Innovator" and "Systematic Thinker" descriptions strongly suggest a need for candidates who can not only execute but also strategize and innovate. The emphasis on "opinionated but humble builder" implies a desire for individuals who can confidently propose solutions while remaining open to feedback and collaboration.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrable examples of developed and maintained component libraries or design systems, showcasing architectural decisions and API design.

• Case studies detailing the process of translating complex Figma designs into production-ready React components, highlighting fidelity and performance.

• Evidence of contributions to UI infrastructure projects that improved developer velocity, modularity, or consistency.

• Examples showcasing expertise in CSS architecture and scalable styling solutions.

• Proof of work related to animation implementation or performance optimization within UI components.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase a structured approach to developing and iterating on design system components, including version control and release management.

• Detail the process for collaborating with designers and other engineers on feature development and system enhancements.

• Provide examples of how feedback is gathered and incorporated to improve the design system's usability and effectiveness.

• Illustrate methodologies for ensuring cross-browser compatibility and performance across different devices.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the senior nature of the role and its focus on design systems, a robust portfolio demonstrating practical application of skills in building scalable, reusable UI solutions is paramount. The emphasis on bridging design and code, and the forward-looking AI component, suggests portfolio pieces that illustrate innovative problem-solving in these areas would be highly valued.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• San Francisco, CA & New York, NY: $212,500 - $250,000 USD per year

Benefits:

• Competitive cash compensation (salary).

• Equity grants for all full-time roles, reflecting ownership and contribution.

• Exceptional health insurance coverage.

• Potential for commission plans, depending on the specific role level and responsibilities.

• Access to Carta's platform and services.

• Opportunities for professional development and continuous learning.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week (standard full-time).

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary ranges provided are specific to the listed locations and reflect a senior-level position in high-cost-of-living areas. Carta's commitment to "equity for all full time roles" is a significant benefit for senior engineers, aligning their success with the company's growth. The mention of potential commissions suggests that while this is primarily an engineering role, there might be elements of driving adoption or influencing strategic technical decisions that are incentivized.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Technology (FinTech), Private Markets Infrastructure, ERP Software.

Company Size: Carta is a significant player in the FinTech space, serving over 65,000 companies and managing substantial assets under management. This indicates a mature organization with complex operational needs and a large user base.

Founded: Carta was founded with a mission to unlock the power of equity ownership, indicating a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on innovation.

Team Structure:

• The "Ink" Design System team operates at the intersection of design and engineering.

• This team is responsible for building foundational components, tooling, and documentation.

• They empower hundreds of engineers and designers across Carta.

Methodology:

• Data-driven approach to product development and system iteration.

• Emphasis on rigorous design system standards and best practices.

• Focus on developer velocity and efficiency through reusable solutions.

• Iterative improvement based on feedback from internal users (engineers and designers).

• Forward-thinking research into emerging technologies like AI and its application in design systems.

Company Website: https://carta.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Carta's positioning as a "world-class software" provider for private markets, aiming to create an "end-to-end ERP platform," suggests a company focused on robust, scalable, and reliable solutions. The culture appears to value innovation, collaboration, and a strong sense of mission, particularly in democratizing equity ownership. The "Ink" team's role is central to achieving this mission by ensuring consistency and quality across the platform.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Software Engineer II signifies a highly experienced individual contributor with a deep specialization. This level typically involves leading technical initiatives, mentoring more junior engineers, and influencing architectural decisions within their domain.

Reporting Structure: The role reports into the Design System team, likely under an Engineering Manager or Lead for the Design System. This team collaborates extensively with Product Design and various Product Engineering teams across Carta.

Operations Impact: This role has a profound impact on the operational efficiency and product quality of Carta. By providing a robust and evolving design system, the engineer directly influences the speed at which new features can be built, the consistency of the user experience, and the overall technical health of the frontend codebase. The focus on AI integration also positions this role to shape the future of how Carta's products are developed and experienced.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in design systems, UI architecture, performance optimization, and emerging AI technologies for interfaces.

• Leadership: Transition into a Tech Lead role within the Design System team or a broader frontend engineering group, taking ownership of architectural direction and team mentorship.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Expand influence across product teams, driving adoption and best practices for design system utilization.

• Innovation: Lead research and development initiatives, particularly in the area of AI's role in design systems and generative UI.

• Mentorship: Develop strong mentoring skills by guiding junior engineers and designers, contributing to the growth of the broader engineering organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior II" title, combined with the focus on leading R&D and mentoring, points towards a role with significant autonomy and influence. Growth opportunities are likely to be concentrated on deepening technical expertise and taking on more strategic leadership responsibilities within the engineering organization, particularly in shaping the future of UI development at Carta.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Carta maintains physical office locations in San Francisco, Seattle, and New York, suggesting a preference for an on-site or hybrid work model where collaboration and in-person ideation are valued.

Office Location(s):

• San Francisco, CA

• Seattle, WA

• New York, NY

These locations are in major tech hubs, offering access to talent and a vibrant ecosystem.

Workspace Context:

• The role is part of the "Ink" Design System team, implying a collaborative environment where close interaction with designers and fellow engineers is expected.

• Access to modern development tools and technologies within Carta's tech stack.

• Opportunities to engage with a diverse group of engineers and designers across different product lines.

• The physical office spaces likely support collaborative work, with meeting rooms and common areas designed for team interaction.

Work Schedule: The standard 40-hour work week is expected, but the nature of senior engineering roles often allows for some flexibility in managing work hours, provided responsibilities are met and collaboration needs are satisfied.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of multiple office locations and the "on-site" derived status suggest that while hybrid work might be possible, a significant in-office presence is likely preferred for this role, especially given the collaborative nature of design systems work. This environment fosters spontaneous discussions and a strong team dynamic crucial for design system evolution.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications and conduct an initial call to assess qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Technical Screens: Expect one or more technical interviews focusing on React, CSS, JavaScript, and problem-solving abilities. These might include coding challenges or system design discussions.

• Design System Deep Dive: Interviews specifically targeting experience with design systems, component library architecture, API design, and collaboration with designers. This is where your portfolio will be heavily scrutinized.

• AI/Future Tech Discussion: Interviews focusing on your understanding of AI's impact on development, your thoughts on agentic workflows, and your innovative ideas for design systems in this context.

• Cross-Functional/Behavioral Interviews: Discussions with potential teammates (engineers, designers) and hiring managers to assess collaboration style, mentorship capabilities, and alignment with Carta's values.

• Final Round: Often involves a system design exercise or a more in-depth architectural discussion, potentially with senior leadership.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Showcase 2-3 high-impact projects that best demonstrate your expertise in design systems, React, CSS, and ideally, any AI-related UI explorations.

• Highlight Process & Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your approach (including design system principles, architectural choices), the technologies used, and the tangible outcomes (e.g., improved developer velocity, enhanced UI consistency, performance gains).

• Figma Collaboration: Include examples or descriptions of how you've worked effectively with Figma designs, demonstrating your ability to translate them accurately and efficiently into code.

• AI/Generative Examples: If you have any personal projects or contributions related to AI in development or generative UI, highlight them, even if they are experimental. This is a key differentiator for this role.

• Code Quality Emphasis: Be prepared to discuss the quality of your code, including aspects like testability, maintainability, scalability, and accessibility.

Challenge Preparation:

• System Design: Practice designing scalable UI architectures, focusing on component modularity, state management, and performance considerations.

• Coding Challenges: Brush up on modern React patterns, Hooks, API design, and efficient CSS implementation. Be ready to write clean, well-structured code under pressure.

• Design System Scenarios: Prepare to discuss how you would approach building a new component, refactoring an existing one, or handling design system adoption challenges.

• AI Integration Scenarios: Think critically about how AI could impact design system workflows, component generation, or documentation. Be ready to articulate your vision and potential implementation strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the specific focus on AI and the "Agentic Age," candidates who can present forward-thinking ideas and tangible examples of exploring these concepts will have a significant advantage. The portfolio review will be critical for demonstrating practical application of design system principles and technical depth.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• React: The core JavaScript library for building user interfaces. Expert-level proficiency is required.

• CSS: Advanced knowledge of CSS architecture, scalability, and modern features.

• Figma: Essential for design collaboration, prototyping, and understanding design specifications.

• Version Control (e.g., Git): Standard for code management and collaboration.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

Emerging Technologies:

• AI/ML Tools: Candidates are encouraged to explore and potentially integrate tools and concepts related to AI-assisted development, generative design, and agentic workflows.

• Animation Libraries: Framer, D3, CSS Animations are mentioned as relevant technologies for implementing fluid and engaging UI experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is heavily centered around modern frontend development practices, with a strong emphasis on React and CSS. The explicit call-out for AI and animation technologies highlights areas where candidates can differentiate themselves. Proficiency in Figma is non-negotiable for bridging the design-engineering gap.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Craftsmanship: Deep care for the quality, details, and polish of software and design.

• Innovation: Proactively exploring and integrating new technologies, especially AI, to enhance development processes and product experiences.

• Collaboration: Working effectively with designers, engineers, and product teams to achieve shared goals.

• Efficiency: Building reusable solutions that accelerate development and improve consistency across the platform.

• User-Centricity: Focusing on the needs of both end-users and internal developers/designers who utilize the design system.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing data and feedback to inform design system evolution and improvements.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Close partnership between engineering and design is fundamental to the "Ink" team's function.

• Mentorship and Knowledge Sharing: A culture of coaching and actively sharing best practices across teams.

• Iterative Development: Embracing feedback loops to continuously improve the design system and its adoption.

• Opinionated but Humble: Encouraging strong technical opinions while maintaining openness to diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving.

📝 Enhancement Note: Carta's culture appears to value individuals who are not only technically proficient but also possess strong collaborative instincts and a passion for continuous improvement. The emphasis on "craft" and "polish" suggests a high standard for quality, while the forward-looking aspect highlights a commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Evolving Design System for AI: Defining and implementing a design system that effectively supports AI-driven interfaces and generative workflows is a novel and complex challenge.

• Balancing Innovation and Stability: Integrating cutting-edge AI concepts while maintaining the stability, performance, and accessibility of a core design system.

• Driving Adoption: Persuading and enabling hundreds of engineers and designers across Carta to consistently adopt and utilize the Ink design system.

• Maintaining High Fidelity: Ensuring that the "polish" and intricate details of design are never lost in translation from Figma to code, especially at scale.

• Technical Debt Management: Continuously addressing and mitigating technical debt within the component library as it grows and evolves.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI in UI/UX: Opportunity to become a leader in defining how AI impacts design systems and front-end development workflows.

• Advanced Frontend Architecture: Deepen expertise in complex React patterns, state management, performance tuning, and scalable CSS.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Gaining deeper insights into UX design principles and the strategic impact of design systems on product development.

• Mentorship and Leadership: Developing skills in mentoring junior team members and potentially leading technical initiatives.

• Industry Influence: Contributing to the broader conversation around design systems and AI in development through internal knowledge sharing and potentially external contributions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge and growth opportunity lie in pioneering the integration of AI into design systems. This requires a proactive, research-oriented mindset and the ability to translate abstract concepts into practical, implementable solutions that benefit the entire engineering organization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you significantly improved a design system's adoption rate. What strategies did you employ?" (Focus on communication, advocacy, and addressing user needs.)

• "How would you architect a design system component to be easily consumable by both human developers and AI agents?" (Prepare to discuss API design, tokenization, and documentation strategies for AI compatibility.)

• "Imagine a scenario where a product team needs a UI element not currently in Ink. How would you evaluate their request and integrate it into the system?" (Showcase your process for handling new component requests, trade-off analysis, and system expansion.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you most about Carta's mission and its role in the private markets?" (Research Carta's impact and align your interest with their goals.)

• "How do you approach collaboration with designers, especially when there are differing opinions on implementation?" (Emphasize empathy, technical translation, and finding common ground.)

• "How do you stay updated on emerging technologies like AI, and how do you see them impacting frontend development?" (Show your passion for continuous learning and forward-thinking.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Begin with a brief overview of Carta and the Ink Design System. Then, for each portfolio piece, follow a clear narrative: Problem -> Your Solution (highlighting design system principles, technical choices, AI considerations if applicable) -> Impact (quantifiable results if possible).

• Technical Depth: Be prepared to dive deep into the code, architecture, and specific implementation details of your showcased projects. Explain why you made certain decisions.

• AI Vision: Clearly articulate your thoughts on the future of design systems with AI. Be ready to discuss potential benefits, challenges, and how Ink could evolve.

• Engagement: Make it interactive. Ask clarifying questions, invite discussion, and tailor your presentation to the interviewer's background and interests.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will likely test both your deep technical expertise in design systems and your visionary thinking regarding AI's integration. Be ready to demonstrate not just what you've done, but how you think and how you can shape the future of UI development at Carta.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Software Engineer II, Design Systems position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Greenhouse.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your resume and portfolio are tailored to highlight your experience with React, CSS, design systems, Figma collaboration, and any relevant AI/generative workflow explorations.

• Resume Optimization: Clearly articulate your 7+ years of experience, focusing on achievements related to component library development, UI infrastructure, performance, and accessibility. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice answering behavioral and technical questions, focusing on your design system expertise, your vision for AI in UI, and your collaborative approach. Prepare a concise and compelling walkthrough of your portfolio.

• Company Research: Understand Carta's mission, its place in the FinTech industry, and its commitment to creating an end-to-end ERP platform for private markets. Familiarize yourself with their culture and values.

⚠️ 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.