> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/1880261-design-systems-specialist](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/1880261-design-systems-specialist). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Design Systems Specialist - **Company:** Grindr - **Location:** San Francisco, CA, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Artificial Intelligence, Systems Engineering, Systems Integration, Figma - **Published:** July 31, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.careerbuilder.com/job-details/senior-design-systems-specialist-san-francisco-ca--b01bcf93-7824-46ab-91cf-42589b8f3f08 ## About the Role * 5+ years of product or visual design experience, with at least 2-3 years of focused design systems ownership - building or significantly evolving a system, not just contributing to one * Demonstrated experience working in smaller or mid-size companies where you built or maintained systems with limited resources and without a dedicated systems team around you * Strong visual design skills - typography, color, iconography, spacing, and motion - with a portfolio that shows craft alongside systems thinking * Proficiency in Figma, including component architecture, variables, auto layout, and design token management * Track record of partnering with engineers to implement design systems in code - comfortable working across the design-to-development handoff * Experience documenting systems clearly for audiences with varying levels of design fluency - product designers, engineers, and non-design stakeholders, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Design Services, Diversity, Documentation, Establish Priorities, Grinding, Human Health, Product Design, Product Engineering, Quality Management, Safety/Work Safety, Small Footprint, Social Work, Startup, System Integration (SI), Systems Engineering, Systems Maintenance, Team Building, Team Lead/Manager, Technical/Engineering Design, Typography ## Description Grindr is an AI-native platform powering how millions of gay people connect globally. With 15M+ monthly users, 130B+ annual messages, and a team of fewer than 200, we move fast, stay lean, and tackle technical problems at a scale few companies ever see. The Design team at Grindr operates with a small footprint and an outsized mandate - owning the visual and interaction language of a product used by millions of people daily. This role sits at the foundation of how the team scales its craft: building and maintaining the design system that powers Grindr's core app and, over time, the broader product surface. There is no sprawling design systems org here, no committee sign-off process, and no inherited system too entrenched to improve. What exists is a real ownership opportunity - the kind where the decisions you make show up in the product within weeks, not quarters. We have a solid foundational design system, and this is a big opportunity to improve quality and visual design, innovate, modernize, and work with AI to accelerate our team. At Grindr, we operate in Grindr Mode. Moderately hardcore day to day, truly hardcore when it counts. It's about doing great work without burning out. Outcomes over outputs. Smart, driven people who raise your bar, with room to live full lives. This is a hybrid role based in our San Francisco office and will require you to be in person Tuesdays and Thursdays. About the Job: * Own the development, documentation, and ongoing refinement of Grindr's core design system - components, tokens, patterns, and the guidelines that govern how they are used * Partner directly with product designers and engineers to ensure the system is adopted consistently and evolves to meet real product needs * Identify and resolve design inconsistencies across the core app, driving toward a more coherent and efficient product experience * Contribute strong visual design craft to the system - not just structural rigor, but considered, polished execution that raises the quality bar for the whole product * Operate with a high degree of autonomy in a lean environment - prioritize effectively, make defensible decisions without heavy process, and move fast without creating debt * Lead the charge on integrating our design system with AI tools ## Related Videos - [Boost Productivity with AI: Figma & Playwright MCP Workflows - Aris Markogiannakis](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1768-boost-productivity-with-ai-figma-playwright-mcp-workflows-aris-markogiannakis) - [Design Systems and how to develop consistent and scalable products with them](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/639-design-systems-and-how-to-develop-consistent-and-scalable-products-with-them) - [Model Based Systems Engineering in an Agile Product Development Process](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/68-model-based-systems-engineering-in-an-agile-product-development-process) - [AI Agents & Agentic AI](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2017-ai-agents-agentic-ai) - [Fireside Chat with Kris Rasmussen, CTO at Figma](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/982-fireside-chat-with-kris-rasmussen-cto-at-figma) - [Designing the Future of Human<>Agent Collaboration](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1447-designing-the-future-of-human-agent-collaboration) ## Related Articles - [Are design and development really just the same thing?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/520-are-design-and-development-really-just-the-same-thing) - [10 Essential Figma Plugins for Frontend Developers in 2023](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/262-10-essential-figma-plugins-for-frontend-developers-in-2023) - [Dev Digest 119 - ❤️ === ❤️](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/454-dev-digest-119) - [Dev Digest 120 - Apple and peers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/455-dev-digest-120-apple-and-peers) - [Navigating the AI Shift](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/629-navigating-the-ai-shift) - [Declarative Design and a fresh take on collaboration with developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/595-declarative-design-and-a-fresh-take-on-collaboration-with-developers)