Sr. Staff Design Technologist

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Sr. Staff Design Technologist

Company: Kong

Location: San Francisco, California, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design & Engineering Operations

Date Posted: 2026-08-19

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: Remote OK

🚀 Role Summary

• This role operates at the critical intersection of Product Design, Design Systems, and Frontend Implementation, with a strong focus on enhancing operational efficiency within the design and engineering departments.

• Responsibilities include leading AI-enabled design workflows and developing internal tools and scripts to accelerate productivity, directly impacting GTM speed and product quality.

• A key objective is to foster deeper design-to-engineering convergence, reducing friction and improving the consistency and scalability of UI development across Kong's platform.

• The position requires a hybrid skillset, dedicating approximately half the time to design tools and the other half to coding, tooling, and cross-functional collaboration, emphasizing a holistic approach to product development operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a hybrid Design Technologist, focusing on the operational aspects of design systems and frontend implementation. The emphasis on "AI-enabled design workflows," "internal scripts, tools, and workflows," and "design ↔ engineering convergence" clearly indicates a need for operational process improvement and automation within the product development lifecycle. This is not a pure design or pure engineering role, but one that optimizes the interaction and output of both.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead the development, maintenance, and enhancement of AI prototyping starter kits, repositories, and associated conventions to streamline the creative process.

• Design, build, and deploy internal scripts, tools, and custom workflows that significantly accelerate the productivity and efficiency of the Product Design team, directly contributing to GTM operational velocity.

• Actively experiment with MCP Apps (ext-apps) and emerging agent UI patterns to establish and define how Kong designs for AI-native and agent-driven experiences, setting new operational standards for future product development.

• Maintain a proactive stance on emerging AI tooling and best practices, enabling the design team to leverage the latest advancements for enhanced output and innovation.

• Cultivate strong, trusted, and ongoing relationships with frontend engineers to foster seamless collaboration and reduce implementation friction.

• Minimize the drift between design specifications and frontend implementation through robust collaboration and system alignment, optimizing the handoff process and reducing rework.

• Collaborate with fellow design systems specialists, designers, and engineers to identify, design, and implement reusable UI patterns, ensuring platform-wide consistency and reducing technical debt.

• Conduct regular audits of existing UI patterns to identify opportunities for consolidation, standardization, and overall improvement in cross-product cohesion, enhancing the operational efficiency of design asset management.

• Contribute to comprehensive documentation, usage guidelines, and governance frameworks for design systems and AI tooling, ensuring effective team enablement and adoption.

• Uphold and elevate the standard for visual quality, interaction design, and usability across all technical product experiences, ensuring a high level of craft and operational excellence.

• Apply strong judgment in determining when to adhere to established conventions and when to innovate, balancing operational stability with forward-thinking development.

• Partner closely with designers to enhance consistency, polish, and accessibility across all product interfaces, ensuring inclusive and high-quality user experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities listed clearly point to a role focused on operationalizing design and development processes. "AI-enabled design workflows," "internal scripts, tools, and workflows," "design ↔ engineering convergence," and "cross-product cohesion" are all direct indicators of an operational focus. The role is about creating systems and processes that make design and engineering teams more effective and efficient.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design, or a related field is beneficial for understanding technical concepts and design principles.

Experience: 8+ years of progressive experience in Design Engineering, Product Design, Design Systems, or similar hybrid roles, with a proven track record of bridging design and engineering disciplines.

Required Skills:

• Possess strong product and visual design instincts, with a particular aptitude for designing technical or developer-focused products, demonstrating a keen eye for user experience and aesthetic quality.

• Demonstrate technical fluency with modern frontend systems (e.g., React, Vue, Angular), enabling deep collaboration with engineers, meaningful contributions to shared systems, and the ability to build internal tooling.

• Hands-on experience with AI tooling, prototyping workflows, or building design-adjacent scripts and automations, showcasing practical application of these technologies.

• Familiarity with Figma ↔ code workflows, including experience with tools and concepts like CodeConnect, design tokens, component APIs, Storybook, or similar, to facilitate efficient design-to-development handoffs.

• Proven experience working collaboratively with both designers and frontend engineers as a trusted partner, facilitating effective communication and workflow integration.

• Genuine excitement and initiative to explore and champion new AI technologies and their application in product development processes.

• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to build trust and foster effective working relationships across diverse disciplines.

• Strong systems thinking capabilities, with the ability to balance immediate pragmatic needs with long-term scalability and maintainability requirements. Preferred Skills:

• Experience contributing to or managing a mature design system, including component libraries, documentation, and governance.

• Familiarity with API design principles and developer experience (DX) considerations.

• Experience with accessibility standards (WCAG) and implementing inclusive design practices.

• Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and their integration with design and development workflows.

• Experience in performance optimization for web applications and design systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "8+ years of experience," "technical fluency with modern frontend systems," "hands-on experience with AI tooling," and "Figma ↔ code workflows" indicates a senior-level role requiring deep practical expertise. The distinction between required and preferred skills helps candidates understand where to focus their application. The inclusion of "Accessibility" and "performance optimization" as preferred skills suggests a focus on operational quality and best practices.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio, website, or public code repository is mandatory, showcasing a blend of design craft and technical execution.

• Demonstrations of strong visual and interaction design skills, particularly within the context of technical products or developer tools.

• Evidence of AI prototyping, tooling development, or technical experimentation that has led to tangible improvements or innovative solutions.

• Work examples illustrating successful design systems implementation and effective collaboration with frontend engineering teams.

• Multiple case studies detailing the process undertaken to drive meaningful impact, supported by clearly articulated methodologies and outcomes. Process Documentation:

• Showcase projects where you have documented and optimized design and development workflows, highlighting efficiency gains.

• Provide examples of how you have implemented or improved processes for design system adoption, component usage, and code consistency.

• Include case studies that demonstrate your ability to measure and report on the impact of your process improvements, using relevant metrics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a portfolio with specific demonstrations of "AI Prototyping, tooling, and technical experimentation" and "Design systems and frontend collaboration work" underscores the operational focus of this role. It's not just about showcasing final designs, but the processes and systems developed to achieve them efficiently and effectively. The emphasis on "driving meaningful impact backed by an effective process" is a direct call for operational excellence.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $150,000 - $250,000 USD per year.

Explanation for Estimate: This range is based on industry benchmarks for Sr. Staff level Design Technologists in San Francisco, California, considering the company's size, industry (Technology/SaaS), and the specialized hybrid skillset required. The upper end reflects the senior nature of the role and the demand for expertise in AI, design systems, and frontend implementation.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Healthcare Benefits: Including medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• 401(k) Plan: Retirement savings plan with potential company match.

• Short and Long-Term Disability Benefits: Income protection in case of extended illness or injury.

• Basic Life Insurance & AD&D Insurance: Financial support for beneficiaries.

• Equity: Stock options or grants, offering participation in the company's growth.

• Bonus: Potential for performance-based annual bonuses.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, typically around 40 hours per week, with flexibility for remote work. Occasional overtime may be required to meet project deadlines or critical operational needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is within the typical spectrum for a senior-level, specialized technical role in a high-cost-of-living area like San Francisco. The benefits listed are standard for a tech company of Kong's stature and are designed to attract and retain top talent in operations and technical roles.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: API and AI Connectivity Technologies (SaaS/Infrastructure). Kong operates in a dynamic sector that requires continuous innovation and operational agility to stay ahead of evolving market demands and technological advancements.

Company Size: Kong is a mid-to-large sized tech company (likely 200-1000 employees based on typical hiring volume for such roles), indicating established processes but still retaining a degree of agility. This size often means opportunities for significant impact and cross-functional exposure within operations.

Founded: Kong was founded in 2010, suggesting a mature company with established product lines and operational frameworks, yet still likely in a growth phase, especially with its focus on AI.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team is approximately 20 people, with this role being the second specialist focused on design systems, indicating a growing investment in this operational area.

• The role reports to the VP of Design, signifying a high level of visibility and strategic influence within the design organization.

• Collaboration will be deeply integrated with frontend engineering teams, highlighting a cross-functional operational model focused on seamless handoffs and shared ownership. Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: The role requires leveraging data to identify UI pattern inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement, informing design system evolution and AI tool development.

• Workflow Planning & Optimization: A core function is to design, build, and refine internal tools and workflows to enhance the efficiency and speed of the Product Design team.

• Automation & Efficiency Practices: Emphasis is placed on scripting, tooling, and AI to automate repetitive tasks, reduce manual effort, and accelerate the design and development lifecycle.

Company Website: https://konghq.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company context suggests an environment where operational efficiency in product development is valued, especially as Kong expands into AI. The reporting structure to the VP of Design and the team size indicate an opportunity to influence strategic operational decisions within the design organization and contribute to its growth.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Sr. Staff level position, signifying a senior individual contributor role with significant scope and influence. It's a role for seasoned professionals who can operate autonomously, drive strategic initiatives, and mentor others, particularly in the operational aspects of design and engineering.

Reporting Structure: Reporting directly to the VP of Design, this role has a direct line to executive leadership, allowing for high-level strategic input and visibility into design operations. It also implies close collaboration with engineering leadership.

Operations Impact: The Design Technologist will have a direct impact on the speed and quality of product development by optimizing workflows, improving design-to-code fidelity, and enabling the team with advanced AI tooling. This operational efficiency directly translates to faster time-to-market and a more cohesive, high-quality user experience, which are critical for business success.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Deepen expertise in design systems, AI-driven workflows, and frontend implementation patterns, becoming a recognized authority in these specialized operational areas.

• Leadership in Design Operations: Potential to grow into a lead or principal role within design systems or product operations, guiding strategy and managing initiatives.

• Cross-functional Leadership: Develop leadership capabilities in driving change and adoption across design and engineering departments, influencing how teams collaborate and operate.

• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior designers and engineers on design system best practices, AI tooling, and efficient workflow methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Sr. Staff designation highlights the expectation of significant autonomy and strategic contribution. The growth opportunities focus on deepening specialized operational skills and moving into leadership roles that influence broader product development processes, aligning with typical career trajectories for senior operations professionals in tech.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Kong offers a "TELECOMMUTE" (remote) work arrangement, indicating a distributed workforce model where employees can work from anywhere within the United States. This provides maximum flexibility for operations professionals.

Office Location(s): While the job is remote, the derived location is San Francisco, California, suggesting this is a key operational hub or headquarters. Employees are expected to be based in the United States.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Despite being remote, the role emphasizes building trusted relationships and collaborating deeply with frontend engineers and fellow designers, suggesting a culture that supports virtual collaboration tools and practices.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to modern design tools (Figma), development environments, and potentially specialized AI/ML platforms will be crucial for executing the role's responsibilities effectively.

• Team Interaction: Regular virtual meetings, code reviews, design critiques, and documentation efforts will facilitate ongoing interaction and knowledge sharing within the design and engineering teams.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time work schedule with flexibility inherent in a remote role. Operations professionals will need to manage their time effectively to meet project deadlines and collaborative needs across different time zones, ensuring continuous operational support.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote-first nature of the role necessitates strong self-management and communication skills, crucial for any operations professional in a distributed team. The emphasis on collaboration implies robust virtual communication and project management tools will be in place.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application, resume, and portfolio to assess foundational skills and experience alignment with the role's operational and technical requirements.

• Portfolio Deep Dive: A dedicated session where you will present your portfolio, focusing on specific case studies that demonstrate your experience in AI-enabled workflows, design systems, frontend collaboration, and process optimization. Be prepared to articulate your process, challenges, and the impact of your work.

• Technical & Design Collaboration Interview: This will involve discussions with frontend engineers and fellow design system specialists. Expect questions about your approach to bridging design and code, your experience with specific tools (Figma, Storybook, etc.), and how you handle technical challenges in design implementation.

• VP of Design Interview: A strategic conversation with the VP of Design, likely focusing on your vision for design operations, your approach to AI in design, your leadership potential, and how you align with Kong's company culture and operational goals.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Process, Not Just Pixels: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your process (including any tools or scripts you developed), the challenges you faced, and the quantifiable impact or outcomes achieved. Highlight your operational methodology.

• Highlight AI & Automation: Dedicate specific sections or projects to your work with AI tooling, scripting, or workflow automation. Explain how these innovations improved efficiency or quality for the design team.

• Demonstrate Collaboration: Include examples of projects where you worked closely with engineers or other stakeholders. Detail how you managed communication, resolved conflicts, and ensured alignment.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your projects. This could include time savings from automation, reduction in UI inconsistencies, or improvements in design-to-code fidelity.

• Tailor to Kong: Research Kong's products and technology stack. Frame your portfolio examples to show how your skills and experience are directly relevant to their operational needs, particularly in API management and AI connectivity.

Challenge Preparation:

• Process Optimization Challenge: You may be given a hypothetical scenario or a real-world problem related to design-to-code workflows or design system adoption. Be prepared to outline a structured approach to analyze the problem, propose solutions, and detail the implementation steps, focusing on operational efficiency.

• Tooling/Scripting Exercise: A small coding exercise related to building a script, a Figma plugin, or a small internal tool might be presented to assess your technical proficiency and problem-solving skills in a development context.

• Design System Audit: You might be asked to critique an existing UI or propose improvements to a design system based on given criteria, demonstrating your systems thinking and ability to identify operational gaps.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process strongly emphasizes the portfolio and practical application of skills. Candidates should prepare to discuss their operational methodologies, the impact of their work, and their ability to collaborate across disciplines, especially concerning AI and design systems.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design tool, requiring advanced proficiency for UI design, prototyping, and system component creation.

• Code Editors: Such as VS Code, for writing internal scripts, tooling, and contributing to frontend codebases.

• Version Control Systems: Git and platforms like GitHub or GitLab for managing code and collaborative development workflows.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Figma Analytics/Plugins: Tools within Figma or third-party plugins for analyzing design system usage or identifying pattern inconsistencies.

• Frontend Performance Tools: Browser developer tools and performance monitoring platforms to assess UI efficiency.

• Internal Scripting/Reporting: Custom scripts or simple dashboards to track the usage and impact of developed tools and workflows.

CRM & Automation:

• Design System Management Tools: Storybook for component documentation and development, potentially other tools for design token management and design system governance.

• Scripting Languages: JavaScript (Node.js), Python, or similar for building internal automation scripts and tools.

• AI Prototyping Tools: Familiarity with current AI tools for design generation, content creation, or workflow acceleration.

• MCP Apps / Ext-Apps: Experience or willingness to learn about building extensions or applications within existing platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section highlights the blend of design and development tools expected. Proficiency in Figma is a given, but the emphasis on coding, scripting, version control, and AI tools clearly defines the operational and technical breadth required for this hybrid role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Efficiency & Automation: A strong drive to identify opportunities for process automation, streamline workflows, and reduce manual effort across design and engineering.

• Collaboration & Partnership: A commitment to building strong cross-functional relationships, fostering open communication, and working collaboratively to achieve shared goals.

• Craftsmanship & Quality: A dedication to maintaining high standards of visual design, interaction design, and implementation quality, ensuring polished and user-friendly products.

• Innovation & Continuous Learning: An enthusiasm for exploring new technologies, particularly in AI, and a proactive approach to learning and applying emerging best practices to improve operations.

• Systems Thinking: An ability to understand complex systems, balance immediate needs with long-term scalability, and contribute to cohesive and maintainable design and engineering ecosystems.

Collaboration Style:

• Proactive Communication: Regularly sharing updates, insights, and potential roadblocks with design and engineering teams through appropriate channels (e.g., Slack, virtual meetings, documentation).

• Iterative Development: Embracing an iterative approach to building tools, workflows, and design system components, seeking feedback early and often from stakeholders.

• Knowledge Sharing: Actively contributing to internal documentation, running workshops, and mentoring colleagues to disseminate knowledge about design systems, AI tooling, and best practices.

• Data-Informed Decision Making: Using data and user feedback to inform decisions about process improvements, tool development, and design system evolution.

📝 Enhancement Note: The listed values and collaboration styles emphasize a proactive, collaborative, and technically adept individual who can drive operational improvements within the product development lifecycle. The focus on "Efficiency & Automation" and "Systems Thinking" are key indicators of the operational mindset sought.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Bridging Design and Engineering Gaps: Effectively translating complex design concepts into robust, implementable code and ensuring consistency across rapidly evolving products requires strong technical and communication skills.

• Rapidly Evolving AI Landscape: Staying current with the fast-paced advancements in AI tooling and integrating them effectively into design workflows presents an ongoing challenge that requires continuous learning.

• Balancing Pragmatism and Scalability: Finding the right balance between delivering quick solutions for immediate needs and building scalable, maintainable systems and tools for long-term efficiency.

• Driving Adoption of New Workflows: Successfully introducing and gaining buy-in for new AI-enabled workflows and design system updates across diverse teams requires strong change management and influence.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized AI in Design Training: Opportunities to deepen expertise in AI applications for design, prototyping, and workflow automation through courses, conferences, or internal projects.

• Advanced Design Systems Architecture: Further development in designing and scaling complex design systems, including governance, accessibility, and performance optimization strategies.

• Frontend Engineering Skill Enhancement: Opportunities to expand knowledge in modern frontend frameworks and best practices, reinforcing the ability to collaborate effectively with engineers.

• Leadership and Mentorship Programs: Potential to take on more strategic operational leadership roles and mentor junior team members in specialized areas.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight areas where candidates can demonstrate problem-solving skills and adaptability, while the growth opportunities point to a supportive environment for continuous professional development in specialized operational domains.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you built a tool or script to improve a design or engineering process. What was the problem, your solution, and the impact?" (Focus on process optimization, automation, and quantifiable results.)

• "How do you approach bridging the gap between design and frontend implementation? What strategies do you use to minimize drift and ensure fidelity?" (Emphasize collaboration, communication, and system alignment.)

• "Imagine Kong wants to integrate a new AI generative tool into our design workflow. How would you assess its potential, pilot it, and ensure its effective adoption?" (Demonstrate strategic thinking, risk assessment, and change management in an operational context.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you most about Kong's mission in API and AI connectivity, and how do you see your role contributing to that?" (Show research into the company's business and its operational implications.)

• "How do you foster trust and build strong working relationships with engineers when you come from a design background, or vice versa?" (Highlight collaboration skills and cross-functional empathy.)

• "Describe your approach to maintaining design system health and driving adoption. What metrics do you use to measure success?" (Focus on operational governance, impact measurement, and scalability.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each portfolio piece, clearly define the problem, your role and process, the specific tools/technologies used (especially AI and automation), the challenges overcome, and the quantifiable outcomes.

• Demonstrate Technical Depth: Be ready to walk through code snippets, explain architectural decisions for tools you've built, and discuss your experience with Figma-to-code workflows.

• Highlight Operational Impact: Clearly articulate how your work improved efficiency, reduced costs, increased speed-to-market, or enhanced product quality. Use metrics to back up your claims.

• Engage Your Audience: Be prepared for interactive questions. Explain your thought process and be open to discussing alternative approaches. Show enthusiasm for the role and Kong's mission.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on showcasing operational impact, technical proficiency in a hybrid design/dev context, and strategic thinking regarding AI and design systems. Candidates should be ready to articulate their process and quantify results.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight experiences in design systems, frontend implementation, AI tooling, workflow automation, and cross-functional collaboration. Use keywords from the job description to demonstrate alignment.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best showcase your unique blend of design and technical skills, with a particular emphasis on AI-enabled workflows, design system contributions, and collaborative impact. Ensure each project clearly articulates the problem, your process, and quantifiable results.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio with clarity and conciseness, focusing on your operational methodology, problem-solving approach, and the impact of your contributions. Be ready to answer technical and strategic questions.

• Research Kong: Understand Kong's products, their focus on API and AI connectivity, and their company culture. This will help you tailor your answers and demonstrate genuine interest in how your operational skills can benefit their specific business objectives.

⚠️ 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.