Senior Manager, Design Systems & Foundations

Overview

The Instacart Design System (IDS) is a dynamic and evolving foundation that enables cohesive, accessible, and scalable product experiences across our 4-sided marketplace. From consumer-facing applications to shopper experiences, retailer platforms, CPG tools, and connected store solutions, IDS lies at the heart of everything we design and build.

We’re seeking a Sr. Manager, Design Systems & Foundations to lead the strategy, evolution, and delivery of IDS. This role calls for a visionary and hands-on leader who can balance delivering consistent, high-quality design systems today while evolving IDS to anticipate and meet the future needs of both internal teams and the customers we serve.

You will collaborate closely with Product, Engineering, Brand, and Research teams to align our design systems with organizational priorities and product goals, enabling great user experiences at scale. As part of a highly collaborative and close-knit Design & Research organization, you will guide and grow a team of talented designers and design technologists, fostering a culture of craft, curiosity, and inclusion. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of systems design at Instacart, ensuring our tools, components, and design standards not only adapt to emerging challenges but also elevate the craft of design across the company.

About the Job

• Shape the future of IDS: Own the end-to-end strategy, roadmap, and vision for the Instacart Design System across web, iOS, and Android, ensuring a scalable, accessible, and brand-aligned experience everywhere.
• Lead and inspire a high-performing, multidisciplinary team: Lead, mentor, and grow a team of 8 designers and design technologists, fostering a culture of craft, inclusion, learning, and operational excellence.
• Continuously evolve the system: Anticipate trends and proactively adapt IDS to meet emerging business, technology, and user needs while ensuring the system remains robust, engaging, and aligned with Instacart’s brand identity.
• Refine and iterate on scalable systems and processes: Continuously improve established frameworks for governance, contribution, and adoption, ensuring they are robust, efficient, and aligned with the current and future needs of teams across Instacart.
• Collaborate across disciplines: Build deep partnerships with Product, Engineering, and Brand teams to ensure IDS integrates seamlessly into workflows, tools, and design approaches across the company.
• Elevate design craft and consistency: Champion design excellence and ensure IDS is a foundation for accessible, cutting-edge, and user-first experiences that align with Instacart’s broader mission.
• Communicate and support adoption: Provide transparency and education to stakeholders and teams through office hours, release notes, and community engagements that encourage broad adoption and trust in IDS.

About You
Minimum Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in digital product design, with a track record of delivering user-first solutions, differentiated design language, and strong utility for engineering organizations.
• 3+ years of experience leading teams, with demonstrated success managing both design systems designers and design technologists.
• A proven track record of evolving design systems at scale, ensuring adaptability to both user and organizational needs.
• Expertise in Figma, design tokens, multi-platform systems, and governance processes that facilitate reliable and scalable design operations.
• Strong understanding of accessibility standards (WCAG) and experience building inclusive systems by default.
• Exceptional collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to influence across disciplines and clearly articulate the value of systems design within a larger organizational context.
• Ability to balance functional design with visionary thinking, inspiring teams to explore bold new approaches while driving measurable business value.
• Passion for fostering a community of practice and elevating design culture within an organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep curiosity and comfort identifying and pursuing opportunities to work with emerging tools, technologies, and workflows that advance design system capabilities.
• Experience defining and implementing motion design principles, with a track record of creating animations that enhance digital interfaces and align with system guidelines.
• Knowledge of how to integrate motion patterns into a design system while balancing brand identity, usability, and performance considerations.

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