A16z Design Systems Lead at a16z responsible for owning and evolving the firm's design systems infrastructure. Translate brand guidelines into component libraries, AI-powered tools, and self-serve templates to scale design across the company.
Responsibilities
We're hiring a Design Systems Lead to own and evolve that infrastructure. This is a clear ownership role: you're the person accountable for the quality, consistency, and reach of our design systems, and for what gets built next.
The work itself is equal parts brand design and systems building: half deep, intuitive command of the a16z visual language, half thinking in components, workflows, and repeatable outputs. You'll translate our brand into component libraries, AI skills, AI-powered tools, and self-serve templates the whole firm can use. That means writing clean markdown files, building high-functioning AI skills from scratch, and vibe-coding lightweight apps purpose-built for design use cases. What you're building is the invisible design framework for the firm. The work it produces shouldn't be.
We are open to candidates based in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA or New York City, NY.
To join our team, you should be excited to:
Take clear ownership of the a16z design systems function: setting the direction, maintaining the standards, and being accountable for what gets built and how well it works
Translate a16z brand systems into scalable templates, components, and modular frameworks across Krea, Figma, Google Workspace, Claude, Codex, Gamma, and many other core platforms with enough command of the brand to make those systems feel designed, not just functional
Build repeatable systems for high-volume design needs (presentations, social assets, event materials, charts) so these don't require a designer every time
Write and maintain markdown-based brand documentation, style references, and skill instruction files that serve as the source of truth for AI-generated outputs
Build high-functioning AI skills from scratch: structured prompts, reference frameworks, and training inputs that produce design work that's distinctly and consistently a16z
Vibe-code lightweight apps and custom tools purpose-built for design use cases (generators, formatters, asset builders, etc.) using whatever combination of AI models, APIs, and front-end code gets the job done
Create tools and templates that let non-designers produce polished, on-brand work independently, without the output looking like it came from a template
Partner with designers to distill complex visual systems into usable building blocks, and keep those systems current as the brand evolves
Qualification
4+ years of experience in brand designA deep command of visual identityStrong Figma skillsFluent in typographyComfortable vibe-codingAI is already part of how you workYou see the forest and the tree(s)
Required
4+ years of experience in brand design, design systems, product design, or a related field
A deep command of visual identity: quick to sense when something’s off, and able to diagnose and resolve it systematically
Strong Figma skills, including building and maintaining design systems, libraries, and component structures others actually use
Fluent in typography, layout, and the details that separate considered design from competent design
Experience writing and scaling AI skills, not just prompting, but structuring reference frameworks, markdown files, and instruction sets that produce reliably on-brand outputs
Comfortable vibe-coding: you've built lightweight apps, generators, or custom tools for design use cases, and you know where the edges are
AI is already part of how you work, not something you're experimenting with; you've used tools like Claude, Codex, Krea, Midjourney, or similar and you’re curious about what’s next.
You see the forest and the tree(s): if given a recurring design problem, your instinct is to build something comprehensive, not just solve it once
A natural collaborator with low ego and high empathy: you work well across teams and can translate between design thinking and the needs of people who don't speak it
The anticipated salary range for this role is between $210,000 - $245,000, actual starting pay may vary based on a range of factors which can include experience, skills, and scope.
This role is eligible to participate in the a16z carry program and various discretionary bonus programs as well as benefit and perquisite plans including health, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, 401K plan, vacation, and sick leave.
We do only first class business and only in a first class way
