Senior Product Design Manager, Design Systems

Senior Product Design Manager, Design Systems at Etsy

Company Overview

Etsy is the global marketplace for unique and creative goods, empowering millions of entrepreneurs and connecting them with buyers worldwide. As an Etsy Inc. employee, whether with Etsy or Depop, you will engage with meaningful, large-scale challenges alongside passionate coworkers, making a rewarding impact and Keeping Commerce Human.

About the Role

As Etsy's marketplace continues to evolve, our Design System is a critical foundation enabling teams to build cohesive, high-quality experiences at scale. The Senior Product Design Manager, Design Systems will lead the team responsible for evolving and maintaining this system, ensuring it empowers designers and engineers to create high-craft, cohesive, and accessible user experiences.

You will oversee the development and evolution of the design system, establish design quality standards, and build a foundation that enables all product teams to create cohesive experiences aligned with Etsy's brand and values.

This is a full-time position reporting to the Director of Product Design for User Experience Foundations. In addition to salary, you will be eligible for an equity package, an annual performance bonus, and competitive benefits that support you and your family as part of your total rewards package at Etsy.

For this role, Etsy is considering candidates based in the United States. Candidates living within commutable distance of Etsy’s Brooklyn Office Hub or in the San Francisco Bay Area may be the first to be considered. For candidates within commutable distance, Etsy requires in-office attendance once or twice per week depending on your proximity to the office. Etsy offers different work modes to meet the variety of needs and preferences of our team. Learn more details about our work modes and workplace safety policies on the Etsy careers site.

What's this team like at Etsy?

The Design Systems team is a core part of our design organization. You will build and nurture a team of exceptional designers who create the systems, components, and patterns that power our platform's user experience. Your work will directly contribute to Etsy's mission of Keeping Commerce Human by enabling product teams to focus on solving customer problems while maintaining the unique, human-centered experience that defines Etsy.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Vision And Strategy: Partner with Product and Engineering leads to shape the vision, strategy, and roadmap for the design system. Work hand in hand with the brand team to translate brand voice into actionable tools and guidance for product designers, making the Etsy marketplace feel distinctly human. Define the strategy for adoption across Etsy surfaces, working directly with initiative and squad leads to craft a supported path to adoption and adherence.
• Design Quality And Standards: Uphold a high bar for quality, craft, and rigor on the design systems team. Champion and define Etsy's design quality standards across the organization. Ensure the effective utilization of the design system by advocating for customers and guiding teams to deliver holistic, on-brand experiences. Lead design reviews, critiques, and ideation sessions to ensure high-quality, consistent, and well-documented components and patterns.
• Culture And Advocacy: Foster a culture of design excellence, craftsmanship, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Advocate for user-centered design methodologies and accessibility best practices. Represent design in executive-level discussions, articulating the value and impact of design decisions.
• Process And Collaboration: Establish and refine processes and workflows to enhance cross-functional collaboration and design efficiency for both contributors and consumers of the design system. Empower designers to craft consistent ways of working through documentation and shared process.
• Team Management And Development: Build, nurture, and retain a diverse team of design talent. Manage, mentor, and guide a team of 5-7 product designers, creating growth opportunities and supporting their professional development. Recruit, hire, and onboard outstanding design talent for the Design Systems team.

Of course, this is just a sample of the kinds of work this role will require! You should assume that your role will encompass other tasks, too, and that your job duties and responsibilities may change from time to time at Etsy's discretion, or otherwise applicable with local law.

What will help you thrive in this role?

• 6+ years of product design experience with a strong portfolio showcasing your work on complex digital products.
• 2+ years of experience in a people management role, mentoring and developing designers.
• Proven experience driving design system and platform design for complex organizations.
• A keen eye for visual design craft and detail.
• Experience leading design teams on consumer-facing products. Bonus if the experience touches the marketplace and e-commerce.
• A strong understanding of user-centered design principles, accessibility best practices, and platform conventions.
• Demonstrated ability to balance business goals, user needs, and technical constraints when making decisions.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to partner effectively with product, engineering, and research teams to influence the product roadmap.
• History of successful strategic leadership and organizational influence.
• Comfortable with ambiguity; you enjoy figuring out what needs to be done—and then doing it.

Key skills/competency

• Design Systems Leadership
• Product Design Strategy
• User Experience UX
• People Management
• Cross-functional Collaboration
• Design Quality Standards
• Accessibility Best Practices
• E-commerce Platform Experience
• Vision & Roadmap Development
• User-Centered Design