NewMCP: Let an AI agent help you find your next job
All jobs

Design Lead, Design Systems - Freelance

AKQA🌍 Remote·San Francisco, USA·$3,600–$4,000 / week
Apply on AKQA

AKQA (part of WPP) is hiring a Freelance Design Lead, Design Systems to support a globally recognized consumer brand. The role is remote (United States only), ASAP through March 30, 2027, at 40 hours/week, with regularly scheduled onsite client visits and Seattle-based candidates especially welcome. The Design Lead will provide hands-on leadership, guide designers, and lead the evolution of complex design systems to ensure creative excellence across a flagship digital product experience.

What you'll do

  • Provide hands-on leadership and creative direction, guiding a team of designers to produce world-class digital product experiences
  • Oversee the creation, maintenance, and evolution of complex design systems, ensuring scalability, consistency, and craft
  • Shape the creative vision for digital platforms and products, aligning with client goals and user needs
  • Collaborate closely with UX, strategy, and development teams to deliver cohesive, high-quality solutions
  • Present creative concepts and design solutions to clients
  • Actively mentor and support junior and mid-level designers
  • Contribute to a culture of creative excellence and push for distinctive and effective solutions

What they're looking for

  • 6+ years of experience in UI design, art direction, or a related field, with a strong portfolio showcasing digital platforms and products
  • Proven ability to lead and inspire teams, with a track record of mentoring designers
  • Deep expertise in creating and evolving design systems, with a focus on scalability, consistency, and innovation
  • Strong working knowledge of user interface, application, mobile, and responsive design principles
  • Expert proficiency in Figma, including advanced component and library management
  • Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to present and defend creative work to clients and stakeholders
  • Experience collaborating with cross-disciplinary teams, including UX and development
  • A proactive mindset and the ability to adapt to changing technology and design

Am I a fit for this role?

Let your own agent answer that. Connect this board once with the command below and the agent reads this posting in full instead of guessing from the title.

claude mcp add --transport http ids-jobs https://jobs.intodesignsystems.com/mcp

Then paste this and add your background

Use the ids-jobs MCP server and read the job "akqa-design-lead-design-systems-freelance-aa5wnv". Tell me which requirements I already meet and which ones I am missing. My background:

How the MCP server works

Learn the skills this role asks for

Into Design Systems is the conference on Claude Code and Figma MCP and design system automation, taught by the teams who run them in production.

Learn these skills

Summary written by Into Design Systems from the public job posting, without guarantee of accuracy or completeness. Always verify the details and apply on the company's official page.

Related Design System roles