Manager (IC), Product Design - Design Systems

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Manager (IC), Product Design - Design Systems

Company: Capital One

Location: New York, NY; McLean, VA; Richmond, VA

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / Design Systems

Date Posted: 2026-06-12

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end lifecycle of a scalable component architecture, from initial design tokenization in Figma to production-ready code within front-end repositories.

• Establish and govern system logic, prompt criteria, and UX frameworks to guide AI-generated patterns, ensuring cohesive customer journeys in an AI-native environment.

• Act as a technical peer and core design catalyst within cross-functional pods, partnering with engineering and enterprise design systems teams.

• Drive quality assurance through rigorous heuristic evaluations and establish UX metrics to measure system health, adoption, and end-to-end coherence.

• Champion design community leadership by mentoring designers, leading workshops, and coaching on systemic thinking and technical fluency.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a hybrid of traditional Design Systems management and forward-thinking AI governance. The emphasis on "not a traditional Figma-only system role" and "transition from a traditional asset creator to an experience auditor, logic planner, and automation coach" indicates a strategic shift towards designing the rules and data structures that will govern AI-driven interface production. This requires a deep understanding of how systems can be designed to enable and constrain AI outputs effectively.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Build, govern, and maintain scalable UI component libraries and design token schemas, ensuring seamless implementation across design files and front-end repositories.

• Collaborate directly within code repositories with engineering teams, reviewing code for design parity and contributing to foundational front-end updates.

• Define and implement AI-native design guardrails, including playbooks, logic schemas, and constraint models that dictate how automated tooling generates layouts while maintaining brand integrity.

• Conduct thorough gap analyses and develop "North Star" servicing roadmaps that align technical scalability with premium user experiences.

• Create high-fidelity spec sheets, accessibility (A11y) mappings, and clear documentation governing the interaction between human intent and automated agent execution.

• Develop and lead enablement programs, including onboarding materials, contribution guardrails, and workshops, to upskill the design team on advanced tokens, code parity workflows, and AI-assisted design tooling.

• Perform rigorous heuristic evaluations of live digital experiences to identify areas for improvement and ensure adherence to design system standards.

• Establish clear UX metrics and frameworks to measure the adoption, health, and overall coherence of system-driven user journeys.

• Act as a player/coach and technical mentor to the broader design team, fostering a culture of continuous learning and systemic thinking.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on technical ownership and cross-functional collaboration. "Collaborating directly inside the repo with engineering, reviewing code for design parity, and shipping foundational front-end updates" suggests a hands-on approach that goes beyond typical design system management, requiring UI engineering skills and comfort with codebases.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for this level of role.

Experience:

• At least 6 years of experience in a Product Design, Systems Design, or Design Engineering role.

• At least 5 years of experience building and scaling multi-level design systems. Required Skills:

• Proven experience in building and scaling comprehensive design systems.

• Strong understanding of component architecture, design tokens, and their implementation across design and development.

• Proficiency in design tools such as Figma for system development and management.

• Deep code literacy with the ability to navigate, review, and collaborate within front-end code repositories (e.g., React, HTML/CSS).

• Experience in establishing and utilizing design token pipelines.

• Systems thinking capabilities to map complex tech ecosystems and design sophisticated component interactions.

• Experience with heuristic evaluations and defining UX metrics for system performance.

• Strong communication and presentation skills for leading workshops and mentoring designers. Preferred Skills:

• Experience navigating highly regulated, data-heavy, or premium/travel-specific digital ecosystems.

• Experience leveraging AI-assisted development tools to accelerate front-end implementation and prototyping.

• Experience utilizing advanced AI tooling or LLM workflows (e.g., Claude, automated code generation) within design or development pipelines.

• Knowledge of prompt engineering principles and their application in design.

• Familiarity with accessibility (A11y) standards and implementation.

• Experience in developing contribution frameworks and enablement programs for design systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The preferred qualifications strongly indicate a need for candidates who are not only skilled in traditional design systems but are also forward-thinking and adaptable to emerging AI technologies in design and development. The emphasis on "deep code literacy" and "front-end code repositories" is a significant differentiator from typical design system roles.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase examples of multi-level design systems you have built or significantly contributed to, detailing their architecture, scalability, and governance.

• Include case studies demonstrating complex systems problem-solving, highlighting how you addressed challenges in componentization, tokenization, and cross-platform consistency.

• Present UI engineering artifacts, such as code snippets or links to repositories (if public), demonstrating your ability to collaborate with front-end engineers and ensure design parity.

• Document your experience with AI-assisted design or development workflows, outlining the tools used, the process, and the outcomes achieved.

• Provide examples of systemic documentation, including high-fidelity spec sheets, accessibility mapping, and guidelines for interaction between human intent and automated agents. Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate your approach to establishing and maintaining design token pipelines, from conceptualization to implementation across design and code.

• Illustrate your methodology for defining and implementing AI-native design guardrails, including logic schemas and constraint models.

• Showcase your process for conducting heuristic evaluations and defining key UX metrics to measure the health and adoption of design systems.

• Provide examples of how you've led workshops or developed enablement programs to upskill teams on design system best practices and new technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are heavily weighted towards technical execution and forward-thinking application of design systems. Candidates must be able to demonstrate not just the design of systems but also their implementation, governance, and evolution, particularly in the context of emerging AI technologies. This implies a need for tangible proof of code collaboration and AI integration.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• New York, NY: $179,700 - $205,100 annually

• McLean, VA: $164,800 - $188,100 annually

• Richmond, VA: $149,800 - $171,000 annually

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance plans.

• Financial benefits and well-being support.

• Performance-based incentive compensation, potentially including cash bonuses and long-term incentives (LTI).

• Access to Capital One's extensive benefits package, which may include retirement savings plans, employee assistance programs, and more, subject to eligibility based on employment status. Working Hours:

• Standard full-time working hours are implied (approximately 40 hours per week), with potential for flexibility depending on project needs and team collaboration. The role is on-site, suggesting a structured office-based schedule.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary ranges provided are specific to the listed locations and reflect a "Manager, Design" title, which aligns with an Individual Contributor (IC) Manager role. These ranges are competitive for experienced design leaders in these respective markets. The mention of "performance based incentive compensation" and "long term incentives" indicates a total compensation package beyond base salary.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services, Technology. Capital One is a leading technology company that offers credit card, banking, and loan products. Their focus on innovation and digital transformation is key.

Company Size: Large Enterprise (typically 10,000+ employees). This size offers opportunities for broad impact, complex system challenges, and robust internal resources.

Founded: 1994. Capital One has a history of leveraging technology and data to disrupt the financial industry and is known for its forward-thinking approach.

Team Structure:

• The role is within the "Premium Products and Travel Design team," suggesting a focus on high-value customer segments and experiences.

• You will operate within a "cross-functional pod," acting as the "core design catalyst" and "technical peer to engineers," indicating a highly collaborative, integrated team structure.

• Partnership with "Enterprise Design Systems teams" is required, implying a matrixed reporting or collaboration structure where local/portfolio systems must align with or intentionally deviate from broader organizational standards. Methodology:

• Emphasis on "advanced system logic, human-centered design, and front-end engineering."

• Focus on "end-to-end lifecycle of our component architecture—from initial tokenization in Figma to production-ready code."

• Strategic shift towards "experience auditing, logic planning, and automation coaching" in the context of generative AI.

• Rigorous "heuristic evaluations of live experiences" and establishing "UX metrics to measure the health, adoption, and end-to-end coherence of system journeys."

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Capital One's culture is heavily influenced by its tech-forward approach. This role is situated within a specialized product area (Premium Products and Travel) but requires collaboration with broader enterprise design systems. The emphasis on AI governance and code integration signals a culture that embraces cutting-edge technology and requires designers to be technically adept and strategic.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Manager (IC) - This signifies a senior individual contributor role with significant leadership and technical influence, but without direct people management responsibilities. The focus is on deep expertise and strategic impact within a specific domain (Design Systems and AI Governance).

Reporting Structure: You will likely report into a Design Lead or Director within the Premium Products and Travel organization. You will also collaborate closely with Engineering counterparts within your cross-functional pod and with the Enterprise Design Systems team.

Operations Impact: The role's impact is critical for ensuring scalability, consistency, and a premium customer experience across digital products. By governing component architecture and AI-generated interfaces, you directly influence the efficiency of design and development teams and the quality of customer interactions, ultimately impacting brand perception and user satisfaction in high-value product lines.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven design, advanced system logic, and front-end engineering integration for design systems.

• Leadership: Evolve into a recognized leader and technical mentor within the design community, influencing best practices and driving adoption of new methodologies.

• Strategic Influence: Contribute to the strategic direction of design systems and AI implementation at an enterprise level, potentially influencing future tooling and processes.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain extensive experience working across product design, engineering, and enterprise-level design system initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "IC Manager" title indicates a path for deep technical and strategic experts who wish to lead through influence and expertise rather than direct management. The growth opportunities are geared towards becoming a thought leader in the specialized field of AI-governed design systems.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site. This role requires regular presence in the office for collaboration and team integration.

Office Location(s): New York, NY; McLean, VA; Richmond, VA. Candidates can be based in any of these locations.

Workspace Context:

• Highly collaborative environment within a dedicated cross-functional pod, working directly alongside engineers.

• Access to enterprise-level design systems resources and collaboration with broader design system teams.

• Expectation of a tech-forward workspace equipped with necessary design and development tools.

• Opportunities for mentorship and knowledge sharing within the design team and with product teams.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time schedule is expected, likely around 40 hours per week. As an on-site role, it will adhere to typical office operating hours, with potential for project-driven flexibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement suggests a preference for in-person collaboration, which is often crucial for complex system design and close-knit cross-functional team dynamics. It also implies a structured work environment with defined office hours.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screen: Likely a brief call with a recruiter to assess basic qualifications and career interests.

• Portfolio Review: A dedicated session to present your design systems work, focusing on your contributions to architecture, governance, AI integration, and technical collaboration. Be prepared to discuss specific case studies.

• Technical/System Design Interview: Deep dive into your understanding of design systems, component libraries, design tokens, front-end code (React, HTML/CSS), and your approach to AI-driven design governance. This may involve scenario-based questions or a whiteboard exercise.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration Interview: Assess your ability to work with engineering, product managers, and other designers, focusing on your "player/coach" mentorship style and ability to lead within a pod.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion around your strategic vision for design systems, leadership philosophy, and how you align with Capital One's culture and values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight AI Integration: Clearly showcase any work related to AI-assisted design, prompt engineering, or designing for automated interfaces. Explain the "why" and "how" behind your approach.

• Demonstrate Code Parity: Provide tangible evidence of your ability to collaborate with engineers, review code, and understand front-end implementation. Links to relevant repositories or detailed case studies are crucial.

• Showcase Systemic Thinking: Present complex problems you've solved with design systems, emphasizing scalability, maintainability, and impact on user experience and development efficiency.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your design system initiatives (e.g., adoption rates, reduction in design/dev time, consistency improvements).

• Structure for Clarity: Organize your portfolio logically, perhaps by project type or by demonstrating the full lifecycle of a component or system.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be ready to discuss how you would establish AI guardrails for a new product feature.

• Prepare to explain how you would onboard a new product team to an existing design system, including technical aspects.

• Think about how you would measure the "health" of a design system and its adoption.

• Practice articulating the trade-offs between enterprise-level standards and portfolio-specific needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to rigorously assess both design system expertise and technical fluency, with a strong emphasis on practical application and forward-thinking capabilities related to AI. A robust portfolio that demonstrates hands-on technical collaboration and AI-relevant work will be key to success.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (for component architecture, tokenization, and system development).

• Front-End Development: React, HTML/CSS (for collaborating with engineers, reviewing code, and understanding implementation).

• Design Token Management: Tools and pipelines for managing design tokens (specific tools may vary, but understanding the concept and implementation is key).

• AI/LLM Tools: Experience with tools like Claude, or other AI-assisted development/design platforms is highly valued.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Tools for tracking design system adoption, component usage, and UX metrics (specific tools not mentioned, but proficiency in data analysis and reporting is implied).

• Heuristic evaluation frameworks. CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how design systems integrate with broader product development workflows and potentially customer-facing applications is relevant.

• Automation tools for front-end implementation and prototyping.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack emphasizes a deep integration between design and development. Proficiency in Figma is a given, but the critical differentiator for this role is "deep code literacy" and experience with front-end technologies like React, HTML/CSS, and modern AI development tools. This isn't just about designing assets; it's about understanding and influencing the code that brings them to life.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Technology Forward: A strong drive to leverage cutting-edge technologies, including generative AI, to shape the future of digital experiences.

• Customer Centricity: A commitment to delivering premium customer journeys, ensuring that system-level decisions directly benefit the end-user.

• Collaboration & Partnership: A culture of working closely across disciplines (design, engineering, product) within cross-functional pods and with broader enterprise teams.

• Excellence & Craftsmanship: An uncompromising standard for quality, from design execution and code parity to documentation and user experience metrics.

• Continuous Learning & Growth: Encouraging designers to expand their technical fluency, systemic thinking, and adapt to evolving industry trends.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Pods: Expect close, daily collaboration with engineers and other pod members, acting as a technical peer.

• Mentorship & Coaching: A player/coach model where senior members actively mentor and upskill others in design systems and technical practices.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Proactive engagement with Enterprise Design Systems teams to ensure consistency and strategic alignment, while also advocating for specific portfolio needs.

• Open Dialogue: A culture that encourages feedback, constructive critique, and the sharing of best practices to evolve the design system and related processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: Capital One's culture, especially within its technology and design organizations, is often characterized by a blend of innovation, data-driven decision-making, and strong collaboration. For this role, the emphasis on "player/coach" and "technical peer" indicates a culture that values hands-on contribution and shared ownership.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Enterprise vs. Portfolio Needs: Navigating the inherent tension between adhering to broad enterprise design system standards and addressing the unique requirements of premium products and travel experiences.

• AI Governance Complexity: Establishing robust and scalable logic, rules, and guardrails for AI-generated interfaces that maintain brand integrity and user experience coherence in a rapidly evolving AI landscape.

• Bridging Design & Code: Ensuring seamless integration and parity between design artifacts (Figma) and production-ready code, requiring ongoing collaboration and technical oversight.

• Scaling Systemic Thinking: Educating and upskilling traditional product designers to adopt systemic thinking, leverage advanced tokens, and work with code-parity workflows.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Leadership: Become a leader in designing for and governing AI-native interfaces, a highly sought-after skill.

• Advanced Design Systems Expertise: Deepen knowledge in complex component architectures, tokenization strategies, and cross-platform system scaling.

• Front-End Development Acumen: Enhance understanding and practical application of front-end technologies (React, HTML/CSS) through direct collaboration and code review.

• Strategic Influence: Contribute to the strategic roadmap of design systems and AI implementation within a major financial institution.

• Mentorship & Community Building: Develop leadership skills by mentoring junior designers and fostering a strong design systems community.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are directly tied to the innovative nature of the role, particularly the focus on AI governance and deep technical integration. The growth opportunities are significant for individuals looking to become pioneers in the emerging field of AI-assisted design and development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance enterprise-level design system standards with specific product needs. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your negotiation, alignment, and documentation skills.)

• "How would you design a system of rules or guardrails for an AI that generates UI components? What are the key considerations for ensuring brand consistency and user experience?" (Prepare to discuss data schemas, prompt criteria, and auditing processes.)

• "Walk us through your process for ensuring design-code parity for a complex component. What tools and collaboration methods do you use?" (Be ready to discuss code review, token implementation, and engineering partnerships.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Capital One's approach to technology and design, especially concerning AI?" (Research their recent tech initiatives and design philosophy.)

• "How do you see yourself contributing to a cross-functional design pod and acting as a technical peer to engineers?" (Emphasize collaboration, communication, and a shared sense of ownership.)

• "How would you go about measuring the success and adoption of a design system within a large organization?" (Discuss frameworks, metrics, and stakeholder buy-in strategies.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your unique approach (especially regarding systems and AI), the solution, and the measurable impact.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: For code-related aspects, consider showing snippets of code, your review comments, or how you've structured token files. For AI, demonstrate the prompts used or the logic applied.

• Highlight Technical Fluency: Explicitly call out your contributions to code repositories, your understanding of front-end implementation, and your AI tooling experience.

• Focus on Governance: Detail how you've established rules, best practices, and contribution models to ensure the long-term health and scalability of the system.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your process, decisions, and technical understanding.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should heavily emphasize the unique aspects of this role: design systems at scale, deep technical collaboration with engineering, and the strategic governance of AI-generated interfaces. Your portfolio and interview responses must clearly demonstrate expertise in these areas.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Capital One careers portal.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select case studies that best showcase your experience in building and scaling design systems, particularly those involving technical integration with front-end code (React, HTML/CSS) and any applications of AI in design or development workflows. Ensure it highlights your systemic thinking and governance approach.

• Tailor Your Resume: Optimize your resume with keywords from the job description, such as "Design Systems," "Product Design," "Front-end Engineering," "Design Tokens," "AI Governance," "Systems Thinking," "React," "HTML/CSS," and "Heuristic Evaluation." Quantify your achievements with metrics where possible.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio with clarity and conciseness, focusing on the "why," "how," and "what" of your contributions. Be ready to discuss your technical collaboration with engineering and your strategic vision for AI in design.

• Research Capital One: Understand their company values, their focus on technology and innovation, and their approach to customer experience, especially within premium products. Prepare thoughtful questions about the team's current challenges and future direction.

⚠️ 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.