Ascendum Solutions
Design System Architect Level 3 (Cincinnati)
Ascendum Solutions, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45208
We are seeking a Design System Architect to build, scale, and maintain a unified system of reusable UI components that empower product teams to deliver consistent, accessible, and high-quality experiences across platforms.
About the Role This role blends visual design excellence, system-level thinking, and cross-functional collaboration. The ideal candidate is a hands-on systems designer who can translate complex interaction patterns into scalable libraries, ensuring the design system evolves alongside user needs, technology advancements, and brand direction.
Responsibilities Core Responsibilities Build & Maintain Design System Libraries Maintain and evolve design system libraries across Web, iOS, Android, and foundational design layers. Oversee and manage a system of 100+ UI components, including variants and interaction states that require updates and refinements. Evaluate and intake new component requests, collaborating with product designers and engineers to ensure alignment with visual language and usability standards. Extrapolate component proposals to include all states, grid layouts, and accessibility requirements. Partner closely with developers to ensure components are implemented with design parity, performance, and accessibility in mind. Component Documentation Create and maintain clear, accessible documentation that serves as the single source of truth for KDS (or organization-specific) components. Explain complex component logic and interaction models in an approachable way for designers and developers of all experience levels. Continuously iterate documentation based on component updates, team feedback, and evolving standards. Collaborate with engineering partners to align design documentation with development frameworks and naming conventions. Modernization & System Evolution Modernize and optimize design libraries using advanced Figma capabilities (e.g., component properties, design tokens, variables, and auto-layout). Develop and maintain design tokens to support rapid updates, theming, and scalable design changes across platforms. Reconfigure libraries to align with next-generation design system structures and emerging UX/UI patterns. Support and govern community libraries, extension kits, and shared resources to foster adoption and consistency across teams.
Qualifications Design System Architecture: Proven experience building and maintaining large-scale, reusable UI component libraries for multiple platforms (Web, iOS, Android). Design Tool Mastery: Expert-level proficiency in Figma, including component creation, variant management, and advanced auto-layout techniques. Scalable System Design: Strong understanding of system architecture, modular design patterns, and scalable content structures. Accessibility & Inclusivity: Deep understanding of WCAG standards, accessibility principles, and inclusive design practices. Component Design & Documentation: Ability to extrapolate and document component states, variations, and usage patterns with clarity and precision. Visual Design Consistency: Commitment to maintaining brand alignment and visual cohesion across all digital experiences. Interaction Design Understanding: Awareness of user flows and how components fit into broader interaction systems. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Skilled in communicating and collaborating with developers, product designers, accessibility experts, and stakeholders. Continuous Improvement Mindset: Ability to adapt to evolving tools, technologies, and organizational needs while maintaining system integrity. Soft Skills: Strong communication, documentation, and influencing skills
capable of driving consensus and championing design best practices.
Preferred Skills 5+ years of experience in UX/UI design, design systems, or digital product design. Previous experience contributing to or leading enterprise-level design systems. Familiarity with design-to-development handoff processes and tools (e.g., Figma, Storybook, ZeroHeight). Experience partnering with front-end engineers and understanding component implementation frameworks (React, SwiftUI, Jetpack Compose, etc.).
About the Role This role blends visual design excellence, system-level thinking, and cross-functional collaboration. The ideal candidate is a hands-on systems designer who can translate complex interaction patterns into scalable libraries, ensuring the design system evolves alongside user needs, technology advancements, and brand direction.
Responsibilities Core Responsibilities Build & Maintain Design System Libraries Maintain and evolve design system libraries across Web, iOS, Android, and foundational design layers. Oversee and manage a system of 100+ UI components, including variants and interaction states that require updates and refinements. Evaluate and intake new component requests, collaborating with product designers and engineers to ensure alignment with visual language and usability standards. Extrapolate component proposals to include all states, grid layouts, and accessibility requirements. Partner closely with developers to ensure components are implemented with design parity, performance, and accessibility in mind. Component Documentation Create and maintain clear, accessible documentation that serves as the single source of truth for KDS (or organization-specific) components. Explain complex component logic and interaction models in an approachable way for designers and developers of all experience levels. Continuously iterate documentation based on component updates, team feedback, and evolving standards. Collaborate with engineering partners to align design documentation with development frameworks and naming conventions. Modernization & System Evolution Modernize and optimize design libraries using advanced Figma capabilities (e.g., component properties, design tokens, variables, and auto-layout). Develop and maintain design tokens to support rapid updates, theming, and scalable design changes across platforms. Reconfigure libraries to align with next-generation design system structures and emerging UX/UI patterns. Support and govern community libraries, extension kits, and shared resources to foster adoption and consistency across teams.
Qualifications Design System Architecture: Proven experience building and maintaining large-scale, reusable UI component libraries for multiple platforms (Web, iOS, Android). Design Tool Mastery: Expert-level proficiency in Figma, including component creation, variant management, and advanced auto-layout techniques. Scalable System Design: Strong understanding of system architecture, modular design patterns, and scalable content structures. Accessibility & Inclusivity: Deep understanding of WCAG standards, accessibility principles, and inclusive design practices. Component Design & Documentation: Ability to extrapolate and document component states, variations, and usage patterns with clarity and precision. Visual Design Consistency: Commitment to maintaining brand alignment and visual cohesion across all digital experiences. Interaction Design Understanding: Awareness of user flows and how components fit into broader interaction systems. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Skilled in communicating and collaborating with developers, product designers, accessibility experts, and stakeholders. Continuous Improvement Mindset: Ability to adapt to evolving tools, technologies, and organizational needs while maintaining system integrity. Soft Skills: Strong communication, documentation, and influencing skills
capable of driving consensus and championing design best practices.
Preferred Skills 5+ years of experience in UX/UI design, design systems, or digital product design. Previous experience contributing to or leading enterprise-level design systems. Familiarity with design-to-development handoff processes and tools (e.g., Figma, Storybook, ZeroHeight). Experience partnering with front-end engineers and understanding component implementation frameworks (React, SwiftUI, Jetpack Compose, etc.).