The role of the Design System Lead has evolved significantly. Today, it's not just about maintaining components in Figma. It's about scaling design across teams, bridging design and development, embedding accessibility, and driving governance.

To better understand what companies expect in these roles, I analyzed several recent job postings from a range of industries and digital product teams. While each role is unique, there are clear patterns across the board.

Here are the most common requirements and expectations for Design System Leads in 2025:

1. Experience building and scaling design systems
Companies are looking for individuals who can create or mature systems across multiple teams. It's not just about maintaining a library, but about making it scalable, flexible, and impactful across platforms.

2. Deep Figma expertise and tooling fluency
Figma remains the dominant tool. Candidates are expected to know how to manage complex component libraries, design tokens, variables, and layout systems. Familiarity with tools like Storybook, Tokens Studio, and Zeroheight also shows up frequently.

3. Strong cross-functional collaboration skills
These roles require working closely with engineers, designers, product managers, and brand teams. The ability to align people, lead discussions, and communicate clearly is essential.

4. Accessibility knowledge and inclusive design mindset
Accessibility is no longer optional. Companies want leaders who understand WCAG guidelines and who embed accessibility principles into every layer of the system — from color tokens to keyboard navigation.

5. Governance and adoption leadership
Many job descriptions emphasize system adoption, contribution models, and quality assurance. It's not enough to build great components. Companies want someone who can manage standards, support teams, and ensure consistent usage.

6. Responsive design across platforms
Experience designing for multiple screen sizes — mobile, tablet, and desktop — is a consistent requirement. Teams expect systems that are flexible and perform well across all devices.

7. Strategic and operational thinking
Design system leads are often responsible for roadmaps, contribution workflows, documentation standards, and system governance. Strategic thinking and strong organizational skills are key.

8. Experience working in Agile teams
Familiarity with Agile ways of working is often expected. This includes participating in sprint cycles, design critiques, backlog refinement, and working iteratively with cross-functional squads.

Whether you're hiring or preparing for a leadership role, these themes reflect where the design systems discipline is headed. It's a space that demands both craft and collaboration, both hands-on skills and strategic thinking.

Open job positions Design System Lead 👇

1. Wise: Design Systems Lead
2. HelloFresh: Head of Design Systems & Enablement
3: PwC: Design System Lead

P.S. At this year’s Into Design Systems Conference (May 28–30, online), we’re diving into the exact topics companies are hiring for — including design tokens, variables, theming, governance, accessibility, and developer handoff.

If you're looking to level up in any of these areas, you won’t want to miss it.