Bumble is hiring: Director, Design Systems in San Francisco

Job description

Inclusion at Bumble Inc.



Bumble Inc.

is an equal opportunity employer and we strongly encourage people of all ages, colour, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and non-binary people, veterans, parents, people with disabilities, and neurodivergent people to apply.

We're happy to make any reasonable adjustments that will help you feel more confident throughout the process, please don't hesitate to let us know how we can help.



In your application, please feel free to note which pronouns you use (For example: she/her, he/him, they/them, etc).



We're hiring a Product Design Director to lead our Design Systems team - the architects behind the building blocks of every Bumble product experience.

This role will drive the vision, execution, and adoption of our cross-platform design system, partnering with stakeholders across Design, Engineering, and Brand to build an elegant, inclusive, and scalable foundation that empowers teams to ship high-quality, cohesive experiences faster.

As a senior leader, you'll guide the evolution of our system's architecture, champion accessibility and inclusive design, and ensure every component we build reflects the thoughtfulness, consistency, and charm Bumble is known for.



Key Responsibilities

• Own the Design Systems Vision: Define and lead the long-term roadmap for Bumble's design system across mobile and web, ensuring it supports brand expression, UX consistency, and product velocity.



• Lead and Grow the Team: Manage and mentor a team of talented systems designers, fostering a culture of rigor, collaboration, and innovation.



• Drive Adoption and Alignment: Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of the design system into workflows, tools, and codebases.



• Ensure Craft and Consistency: Maintain a high bar for design quality, accessibility, and engineering partnership across every component, token, and documentation artifact.



• Build Bridges Across Teams: Partner with Brand, Product Design, Engineering, and Research to ensure the system meets evolving product and user needs while remaining flexible and scalable.



• Enable Product Velocity: Reduce duplication and fragmentation by delivering a stable, well-documented system that helps teams move faster and smarter.



• Champion Inclusivity: Bake accessibility and inclusive design principles into every layer of the system - from color and typography to motion and interaction patterns.



Why This Role is Critical

At Bumble's scale and pace, a strong design system is not just a toolkit - it's a strategic capability.

The Product Design Director, Design Systems plays a pivotal role in:

• Amplifying Product Teams: A well-maintained system enables designers and engineers to spend less time reinventing and more time innovating.



• Protecting Brand Integrity: As we scale and localize our products globally, the design system ensures our brand shows up consistently and beautifully across every touchpoint.



• Driving Inclusive Experiences: With accessibility embedded into the system's DNA, we can ensure every user - regardless of ability or context - experiences Bumble as welcoming and empowering.



• Accelerating Time to Market: Systematized components and interactions allow teams to deliver polished features faster, with less risk and greater alignment.



This role directly shapes the craft, coherence, and performance of design across every Bumble product - and by extension, how millions of people experience connection every day.



What We're Looking For:

• 10+ years of experience in product design, with 4+ years focused on systems or platform design leadership.
  
  
• Proven success leading large-scale, multi-platform design systems in consumer tech environments.
  
  
• Deep understanding of systems architecture, component libraries, accessibility standards, and design tooling (especially Figma and design tokens).
  
  
• Experience partnering closely with engineers, including familiarity with frontend frameworks and system governance models.
  
  
• Strong mentorship and team development skills; you've grown high-performing design systems teams and built inclusive team cultures.
  
  
• Strategic thinker and systems-oriented problem solver who can balance near-term needs with long-term scalability.
  
  
• Excellent communication and influencing skills - able to advocate for design and build alignment across diverse stakeholders.
  
  
• Passionate about Bumble's mission and committed to building safe, inclusive, and joyful experiences at scale.
  
  
>

Bonus Points

• Experience contributing to open-source design systems or cross-functional tooling.
  
  
• Background in accessibility-first or internationalized product environments.
  
  
• Familiarity with analytics, usage tracking, or measuring system adoption.
  
  

$240,000 - $257,000 a year

For base compensation, we set standard ranges for all roles based on function, level, and geographic location.

This position is also typically eligible to participate in our short- and long-term incentive programs.

Benefits include Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k) match, Unlimited Paid Time Off Policy.



Why Join Us?

• You'll own one of Bumble's highest-potential growth areas, shaping how millions of people build real-life friendships.



• You'll lead a talented, mission-driven team at a company known for challenging norms and designing for good.



• You'll be building more than features-you'll be building belonging at scale.



About Us

Bumble Inc.

is the parent company of Bumble, Badoo, Bumble For Friends, and Geneva.

The Bumble platform enables people to build healthy and equitable relationships, through Kind Connections.

Founded by Whitney Wolfe Herd in 2014, Bumble was one of the first dating apps built with women at the center and connects people across dating (Bumble Date), friendship (Bumble For Friends) and professional networking (Bumble Bizz).

Badoo, which was founded in 2006, is one of the pioneers of web and mobile dating products.

Bumble For Friends is a friendship app where people in all stages of life can meet people nearby and create meaningful platonic connections.

Geneva is a group and community app for people to connect based on shared interests.



AI in Bumble Hiring

At Bumble, we may use AI tools to support parts of our recruitment process - such as helping us record, transcribe, and summarize conversations, and supporting job alignment by comparing resumes and job descriptions to highlight skills and potential roles that may be a good match.

These tools help us work more efficiently and stay focused on you during our conversations.

Importantly, all hiring decisions are made by people.

AI is used only to support our team's efficiency and improve the candidate experience - not to evaluate or decide on your candidacy.

Participation in AI-supported interviews and conversations is completely voluntary and will not impact your candidacy.

If you'd prefer to opt out, simply let your recruiter or interviewer know at the start of a call, or anytime during the interview or conversation.

Summaries and related data are retained only as long as needed in line with our internal data retention policies.

If at any point you'd like a transcription or summary deleted, please contact your recruiter directly.

Required Skill Profession

Engineers