Lead Design Technologist, Design Systems

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Alabama, +42 more locations.

📋 Description

• Develop and enhance the technical infrastructure to ensure consistent digital and AI experiences throughout CSAA.

• Establish and uphold the technical architecture of the enterprise design system, which encompasses components, tokens, patterns, shared packages, capabilities, and reference implementations.

• Transform sanctioned UX patterns, templates, and design choices into scalable code frameworks.

• Sustain links between design tools and production code.

• Specify the organization, composition, governance, versioning, contribution, updating, and deprecation of design-system assets.

• Ascertain how design standards and technical resources are adapted for third-party platforms like Pega and Guidewire.

• Define the technical foundations for AI models and agents, including prompts, capabilities, MCP servers, interfaces, contracts, patterns, evaluations, and observability.

• Ensure that system assets are easily discoverable and comprehensible for both individuals and AI agents.

• Establish guardrails and governance for AI capabilities in collaboration with AI governance and the AI Council.

• Create tools and technical connections between design and code prior to the commencement of development.

• Diagnose delivery challenges related to design specifications, component code, connection tools, packages, tokens, or platform limitations.

• Collaborate with Engineering and Architecture on feasibility, dependencies, sequencing, estimates, integration, and ownership.

• Develop prototypes and proofs of concept to evaluate structural decisions and mitigate risks.

• Prepare documentation, examples, and enablement materials for self-service adoption.

• Monitor adoption, reuse, and duplication to enhance the system based on data insights.

• Assist engineers and designers utilizing the system while integrating their feedback.

• Collaborate with UX, Architecture, CX, Engineering, platform teams, Workflow and Systems Design, business partners, and AI governance.

• Contribute technical methodologies, standards, implementation templates, onboarding resources, and domain guidance to CSAA's Enterprise Systems Design practice.

• Stay updated on design systems for AI and AI-agent applications, bringing relevant practices to the team.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.

• Over 8 years of progressive experience in design systems, front-end engineering, design technology, or experience architecture.

• Technical ownership or stewardship of a design system implemented in code.

• Strong practical front-end engineering experience with a modern component framework.

• Proficiency in component structure, composition, and API design.

• Experience in implementing and governing design tokens and component libraries at an enterprise level.

• Practical experience with design-to-code workflows and tools that connect design assets to production components.

• Working proficiency with AI-assisted development tools.

• Practical understanding of how AI models utilize context, skills, and tool definitions.

• Ability to establish the structure and technical direction of a shared system while collaborating with Engineering and Architecture.

• Excellent written communication skills.

• Proven ability to influence design and engineering teams without formal authority.

• Comfort in navigating ambiguity.

• Capacity to translate concepts between design and engineering audiences.

• Relevant training or certification in front-end engineering, design systems, accessibility, or AI-related fields is a plus.

• Experience in developing or managing AI- and agent-facing capabilities such as skills, tool definitions, MCP servers, or governed context sources is a plus.

• Familiarity with evaluation and observability practices for AI systems is a plus.

• Background in insurance, financial services, or other regulated industries is a plus.

• Experience in supporting employee-facing and customer-facing products or experiences is a plus.

• Experience in adapting enterprise design-system standards to third-party or vendor-controlled platforms is a plus.

• Experience in creating adoption models, contribution models, or federated governance is a plus.

• Experience in coaching engineers or designers is a plus.

• Familiarity with accessibility standards is a plus.

• Willingness to travel as required for divisional, team, and other in-person meetings.

• Applicants must have the authorization to work indefinitely in the United States.

• CSAA does not offer visa sponsorship; applicants must not require immigration support now or in the future.

🏝️ Benefits

• Eligibility for an annual bonus for most positions.

• 401(k) plan with company matching.

• Opportunities for career advancement.

• Support for leadership and mentorship.

• Flexible workplace with a remote-first culture.

• Home-Flex roles that primarily allow working from home.

• Flexibility to work from various locations, including CSAA offices.

• An inclusive and welcoming workplace environment.

• Reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities or other limitations.

• Company-wide annual discretionary bonus through the Annual Incentive Plan (AIP), up to 12% of eligible pay.