Lead Product Designer - Design System & Product

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer - Design System & Product

Company: ZOE

Location: United Kingdom (Remote)

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Design Operations / Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-04-24

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and evolve ZOE's Design System across web and app platforms, ensuring brand consistency and scalability.

• Deliver high-impact, end-to-end product design within cross-functional squads, from problem framing to final delivery.

• Drive adoption, governance, and documentation of the Design System, empowering designers and engineers.

• Partner closely with Product, Engineering, and Brand leadership to influence product and design strategy.

• Champion accessibility, consistency, and modularity within the Design System's foundational elements.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a hybrid of Design Operations and Product Design, with a strong emphasis on Design System ownership and strategic product contribution. The "Lead" title implies significant autonomy and influence over the Design System's direction and adoption.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own, champion, and evolve the Design System roadmap, aligning it with product strategy, brand evolution, and business objectives.

• Drive Design System adoption, establish clear workflows, implement governance models, and maintain comprehensive documentation.

• Ensure Design System coherence across mobile app and web surfaces, guiding its extension to new platforms.

• Integrate accessibility, consistency, and modularity principles into the core of the Design System.

• Collaborate with the Brand team to ensure the Design System accurately represents and evolves with ZOE's brand identity.

• Translate brand direction into systematic, implementable design patterns for both designers and engineers.

• Lead end-to-end product design processes, including problem definition, user research, ideation, prototyping, and UI/UX execution.

• Embed within product squads where seniority, systems thinking, or specific craft expertise can add the most value, adapting as business priorities shift.

• Elevate the overall design quality through direct contributions, constructive critique, and collaborative pairing sessions.

• Contribute to product and design strategy by partnering with leadership, helping define product direction and user experience goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus: strategic Design System leadership and hands-on product design execution. The expectation is for the candidate to be a "maker first" who leads by example and contributes directly to design outcomes.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent practical experience and expertise in design principles is essential.

Experience: 5-10 years of progressive experience in product design, with a significant focus on leading and scaling Design Systems in a cross-functional environment.

Required Skills:

• Proven leadership in developing and evolving a Design System, influencing its direction and driving adoption.

• Exceptional visual design and UI craft, including mastery of layout, typography, color theory, visual hierarchy, and interaction detail.

• Deep understanding of how brand identity translates into product design systems.

• Experience with token-based design systems and the flow of design decisions from design tools to code implementation.

• Demonstrated experience designing for both web and mobile application surfaces.

• Proficiency in using design tools, particularly Figma, for component creation, prototyping, and system management.

• Strong systems thinking, able to design for flows, behaviors, and interconnected components rather than isolated screens.

• Ability to frame design challenges around user and business problems, focusing on outcomes and impact.

• Experience collaborating closely with Product Managers and Engineers as strategic partners.

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate ideas and bring stakeholders along with design thinking.

• Pragmatic, low-ego approach, focused on delivering effective solutions.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with motion design and haptics integration within a Design System.

• Familiarity with user research methodologies and incorporating user feedback into design system iterations.

• Understanding of accessibility standards and best practices (WCAG).

• Experience in a fast-paced, growth-stage company environment.

• Experience within the health tech or wellness industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "years of partnering with Product and Engineering" and "measurable impact" suggests a need for candidates who can demonstrate tangible results and collaborative success within product development cycles.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase leadership in a Design System, detailing your role in shaping its direction, driving adoption, and managing its evolution.

• Present end-to-end product design case studies that highlight your problem-solving process, from initial concept to final delivery, with a focus on measurable impact.

• Demonstrate exceptional visual design and UI craft through examples of complex interfaces, interaction details, and cohesive visual language.

• Include examples that illustrate how you translate brand identity into scalable, systematic design patterns within a product context.

• Provide evidence of your understanding of token-based design systems, ideally showing how design decisions flow from Figma to implemented code.

Process Documentation:

• Case studies should clearly articulate the problem framing process, user needs, and business objectives addressed by your designs.

• Detail your approach to system thinking, illustrating how you designed for complex user flows, behaviors, and interconnected components.

• Showcase your collaboration methodology with Product and Engineering teams, highlighting how you partnered to achieve design goals.

• Present metrics and outcomes that demonstrate the impact of your design work, linking it to user experience improvements or business results.

• Illustrate your approach to ensuring accessibility, consistency, and modularity within your design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is critical for this role, serving as the primary evidence of "exceptional craft, end-to-end ownership, and measurable impact." Candidates should curate their portfolio to explicitly address Design System leadership and product design execution.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a Lead Product Designer with 5-10 years of experience in the United Kingdom, a competitive salary range is estimated between £70,000 - £100,000 annually. This estimate considers the remote nature of the role, the company's growth stage, and the specialized skills in Design Systems and product design.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and potential for equity.

• Comprehensive health benefits package.

• Generous paid time off and holidays.

• Remote-first work environment fostering trust and support.

• Opportunities for professional development and continuous learning.

• Work on meaningful problems with direct impact on user health.

• Collaborative environment with world-class scientists, designers, and technologists.

• Opportunity to shape critical revenue and member journeys.

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered within a remote-first environment. Emphasis is placed on output and impact rather than strict adherence to hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is an estimate based on UK market rates for similar senior design roles. The specific compensation package will depend on the candidate's experience, qualifications, and negotiation.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Health Technology / Wellness Science. ZOE operates at the intersection of cutting-edge scientific research (particularly in gut health) and consumer product development, aiming to translate complex science into accessible, personalized health solutions.

Company Size: The company is likely in a growth phase, indicated by the need for a lead designer to scale its Design System and product offerings. This implies a dynamic, agile environment where individual contributions have significant visibility and impact.

Founded: ZOE was founded on scientific research, indicating a culture that values data, evidence-based decision-making, and a deep understanding of its domain.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team consists of Product Designers, Content Designers, Motion Designers, and UX Researchers, forming a multi-disciplinary group.

• Designers work closely with Product Managers and Engineers within cross-functional squads, sometimes embedded and sometimes working across multiple areas.

Methodology:

• Focus on solving user problems and creating joyful, impactful user experiences.

• Data-driven decision-making, leveraging scientific insights and user behavior data.

• Emphasis on craft, systems thinking, and end-to-end ownership of design solutions.

• Continuous learning, challenging each other, and aiming for enjoyable work processes.

• Design System is a core methodology for ensuring consistency, scalability, and efficiency across product development.

Company Website: https://zoe.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission to improve health through science and technology suggests a culture that is both purpose-driven and innovation-focused, attracting individuals who are passionate about making a real-world impact.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is senior, positioned as a "Lead Product Designer." It requires not only strong individual design contributions but also the ability to shape strategic direction, lead initiatives (like the Design System), and mentor others through example. This is a key individual contributor role with significant influence.

Reporting Structure: The role reports into the Product Design leadership team. The designer will work collaboratively with Product and Engineering leaders across various squads, indicating a flat, matrixed reporting structure common in agile environments.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on revenue and member journeys by improving the user experience of ZOE's app and website. A well-maintained and adopted Design System leads to faster product development cycles, more consistent user experiences, and ultimately, better user retention and acquisition.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design System Specialization: Deepen expertise in Design System strategy, governance, and scaling, potentially growing into a dedicated Design Systems Lead or Manager role.

• Product Strategy Influence: Expand influence on broader product strategy and roadmap planning through demonstrated impact and strong cross-functional partnerships.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Grow into a more formal leadership position, mentoring junior designers and guiding the design team's overall direction and quality standards.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Develop a deeper understanding of engineering constraints, brand strategy, and scientific underpinnings, becoming a more holistic product thinker.

📝 Enhancement Note: The dual nature of the role (Design System lead + Product Designer) offers a unique growth path. Candidates can advance by either specializing further in Design Systems or by leveraging their systems thinking to drive broader product innovation and strategic leadership.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: ZOE operates on a remote-first model, meaning there is no central physical office that employees are required to attend. This fosters a flexible and distributed work environment.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, the company is based in the United Kingdom, and the salary and working hours are benchmarked against UK standards. The company also mentions extending its Design System to web, indicating a digital-first approach to all its platforms.

Workspace Context:

• A fully remote environment that emphasizes trust, support, and autonomy.

• Access to modern collaboration tools and digital workflows essential for distributed teams.

• Opportunities to connect with colleagues through virtual channels, team meetings, and potentially occasional virtual or in-person team offsites.

• A focus on creating a productive and engaging remote workspace for all team members.

Work Schedule: The standard working hours are around 40 hours per week, but the remote-first culture likely offers flexibility in how these hours are structured. The emphasis is on achieving outcomes, allowing for a balance between work and personal life.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote-first nature requires strong self-discipline, excellent communication skills, and the ability to manage one's own workload effectively. Candidates should be comfortable working independently and proactively engaging with team members.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application and portfolio to assess alignment with the role's requirements, particularly Design System leadership and product design craft.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager to delve deeper into your experience, approach to Design Systems, product design philosophy, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: You will likely be asked to present your portfolio to the design team, showcasing specific case studies that highlight your Design System work and end-to-end product design contributions. A design challenge, potentially focused on a Design System component or a product problem, may also be part of this stage.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Conversations with Product and Engineering leads to assess collaboration skills, systems thinking, and strategic contribution potential.

• Final Interview: A final discussion with senior leadership to confirm fit and discuss the role's strategic importance.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio with clear case studies. For Design System work, highlight your role in strategy, adoption, governance, and evolution. For product design, showcase end-to-end ownership and problem-solving.

• Narrative: Tell a compelling story for each case study. Clearly articulate the problem, your process, your role, the solutions you designed, and the impact and outcomes achieved.

• Visuals: Ensure high-quality visuals, mockups, and prototypes. Demonstrate excellent UI craft and attention to detail.

• System Focus: Explicitly detail your experience with Design Systems, token-based design, and the integration of brand into product.

• Metrics: Quantify impact wherever possible. Use data to support your claims about user experience improvements or business results.

Challenge Preparation:

• Familiarize yourself with ZOE's product and mission.

• Be prepared to discuss your approach to Design Systems governance, component design, and scaling.

• Practice articulating your design process clearly and concisely, focusing on problem-solving and strategic thinking.

• Prepare to discuss how you would bridge the gap between brand creative ambition and engineering implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily rely on your portfolio. Be prepared to walk through your work, discuss your decision-making process, and demonstrate how you've applied systems thinking and led design initiatives.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: This is the core design tool for UI design, prototyping, and Design System management. Proficiency is non-negotiable.

• Design System Tools/Platforms: While not explicitly named, expect tools or processes for managing component libraries, design tokens, and documentation (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook integration, or custom solutions).

• Prototyping Tools: Figma's built-in prototyping capabilities, or potentially others depending on specific needs.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Not typically a direct tool for product designers, but understanding how user journeys within the app and website relate to CRM and automation workflows can be beneficial for context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Deep proficiency in Figma is paramount. Experience with Design System platforms and understanding the connection between design artifacts and code implementation (e.g., token systems) is crucial.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Impact & Meaning: A strong drive to make a positive impact on people's health through science and technology.

• Craft & Quality: A commitment to high standards in design, user experience, and product execution.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Working closely with Product and Engineering as equal partners, fostering a shared sense of ownership.

• Learning & Growth: A culture that encourages continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and personal development.

• Pragmatism & Low Ego: A focus on what works, being adaptable, and prioritizing collective success over individual recognition.

• Data-Driven: Decisions are informed by science, user research, and product analytics.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional collaboration is central, with designers working in lockstep with Product Managers and Engineers.

• Open communication and constructive critique are encouraged to elevate design quality.

• A "maker first" approach means collaboration often involves hands-on design work, pairing, and direct contribution.

• Emphasis on bringing others along with design thinking through clear communication and shared understanding.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values emphasize a mission-driven, collaborative, and high-performance environment. Candidates should demonstrate alignment with these values, particularly concerning user impact, quality, and teamwork.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling a Design System: Balancing the need for a robust, scalable Design System with the agility required for rapid product development.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent adoption and understanding of the Design System across diverse teams (Product, Engineering, Brand) with potentially differing priorities.

• Bridging Brand and Product: Effectively translating creative brand ambitions into systematic, implementable design patterns that maintain brand integrity while meeting product needs.

• Ambiguity in a Growth Stage: Navigating a dynamic environment where priorities may shift, requiring adaptability and the ability to create clarity through design exploration.

• Remote Collaboration: Maintaining strong collaborative relationships and design quality in a fully remote setting.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Design System Mastery: Deep dive into advanced Design System architecture, governance, and tooling.

• Product Strategy Contribution: Gain exposure to and influence over product roadmapping and strategic decision-making.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Work closely with scientists, engineers, and content designers to deepen understanding across disciplines.

• Leadership Skills: Develop leadership capabilities through mentoring, guiding design initiatives, and influencing stakeholders.

• Industry Trends: Stay abreast of emerging trends in design systems, UX, and health tech.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a Lead Designer role focused on Design Systems in a growing company. Successful candidates will be those who can proactively address these challenges and see them as opportunities for growth.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach evolving our Design System roadmap to align with ZOE's business objectives and brand growth?" (Focus on strategic thinking, roadmap planning, and cross-functional alignment.)

• "Describe a time you had to drive adoption of a Design System. What were the challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Assess experience with adoption, governance, and stakeholder management.)

• "How do you ensure accessibility and consistency are foundational elements in a Design System, rather than afterthoughts?" (Probe understanding of core design principles and systematic implementation.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Given ZOE's mission, how do you see design playing a critical role in improving people's health?" (Assess alignment with company mission and understanding of design's impact.)

• "How do you collaborate with engineers and product managers to ensure design quality and feasibility?" (Evaluate partnership approach, communication, and understanding of development cycles.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Design System Story: Clearly articulate the "why," "what," and "how" of your Design System work. Show its evolution, your strategic contributions, and its impact on product development and consistency.

• Problem-Solution-Outcome: For product design case studies, frame them around a clear problem, your systematic approach to designing solutions, and the measurable outcomes achieved.

• Brand Integration: Highlight specific examples of how you've translated brand identity into product design patterns within your Design System or product work.

• Technical Understanding: Be prepared to discuss your understanding of token-based design and the Figma-to-code flow.

• Conciseness & Clarity: Practice presenting your work concisely, focusing on key decisions and impacts. Be ready to answer deep-dive questions about your process.

📝 Enhancement Note: Be prepared to demonstrate both strategic leadership in Design Systems and hands-on product design craft. Your portfolio is your primary tool, so ensure it's well-curated and you can speak to every aspect of it with confidence.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Ashby careers portal, ensuring all required fields are completed accurately.

• Curate a compelling portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest case studies that best showcase your Design System leadership and end-to-end product design experience. Prioritize examples that demonstrate measurable impact and strong collaboration.

• Tailor your resume: Highlight keywords related to Design Systems, Product Design, UI/UX, Figma, cross-functional collaboration, and leadership. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare your portfolio presentation: Practice walking through your selected case studies, focusing on your process, decision-making, and the outcomes achieved. Be ready to discuss your approach to Design Systems strategy and adoption.

• Research ZOE: Understand their mission, product, and target audience. Consider how your design philosophy and experience align with their values and goals.

⚠️ 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.