Principal Designer, Design System

Principal Designer, Design System (24 months) – Contract Application deadline: November 28, 2025 Position Overview As a key member of the Customer Experience Centre of Excellence (CX COE), the Principal Designer, Design System plays a pivotal role in the evolution of a global design system. You’ll lead the creation and evolution of EDC’s global design system, consolidating multiple custom design kits into a unified library. This is a senior individual‑contributor role, working hands‑on within the Design Operations team and collaborating with cross‑functional product design and development teams to scale quality, consistent, and accessible experiences. You’ll also play a key role in establishing governance practices that enable fast, effective, and reusable design and development at scale through common design tools and frameworks that ensures human‑centred design, and a customer‑centric approach to delivery. Responsibilities Build and manage the design system: Create and maintain a scalable, component‑based design library (primarily in Figma), ensuring consistency, accessibility, and brand alignment across platforms, working collaboratively across product delivery teams. Governance and collaboration: Establish clear guidelines, documentation, processes and workflows for design system adoption. Facilitate component review workshops and promote best practices. Establish baseline measures for success including key results and key performance indicators. Cross‑functional partnership: Work closely with digital product teams to ensure design system components are compatible across tech stacks (e.g., React, Angular) and align with development standards. Champion accessibility and inclusion: Ensure all components meet WCAG 2.2 AA and CAN/ASC EN 301 549 standards. Collaborate with accessibility specialists to validate accessible design and code. Enable and mentor: Support onboarding and training for designers and developers. Act as a mentor, promoting quality design and user‑centered thinking. Foster shared understanding through clear communication and champion adoption of change across teams. Advocate and evangelize: Drive adoption of the design system across teams, foster a culture of collaboration, and facilitate co‑creation workshops. Industry trends and best practices: Monitor evolving design trends and emerging best practices to ensure the design system remains relevant, well‑maintained, and continuously evaluated for improvement. Qualifications 7+ years in UX/UI design, with at least 2 years managing or contributing to a design system. Deep proficiency with Figma and experience building scalable design libraries. Solid understanding of front‑end technologies (HTML, CSS, design tokens, React/Angular). Experience collaborating across diverse teams and product environments. Excellent facilitation, collaboration, and communication skills. Experience in B2B or enterprise environments with accessibility and compliance requirements. Ability to lead through ambiguity. Strong systems thinking and strategic mindset. Empathetic and curious mindset, driven to understand team dynamics and user needs through active listening and thoughtful inquiry. What Will Make You Stand Out Knowledge of analytics and UX metrics. Familiarity with Figma plugins, REST APIs, and developer handoff workflows. Experience with tools like Storybook, Zeroheight, or Tokens Studio. Accessibility or UX design certification (e.g., CPACC, WAS). Bilingual in English and French. Eligibility EdC is committed to Fair Employment Practices and preferences will be given to candidates who can work legally in Canada at the time of application (Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents). Candidates must meet the requisite government security screening requirements. The position is open to those who meet all of the essential requirements stated above and whose applications are received by the closing date. Compensation Details UX / UI Designer 19: Salaries typically range from $109,810 to $146,413 annually, based on qualifications and experiences. Location Export Development Canada operates in a hybrid work environment, currently requiring employees to work in the office 2 days per week. (subject to change)This role can be performed from EDC’s headquarters in Ottawa or any of the regional hubs and offices in Toronto, Mississauga, Montreal, Brossard, Laval, Calgary, Vancouver, Halifax, Quebec City, Edmonton, Windsor, Kitchener, Winnipeg, Regina or Moncton. Benefits Comprehensive benefits package with competitive compensation and work‑life balance. Hybrid work options, 3 to 4 weeks paid vacation, corporate closure period, summer early Fridays and no meeting Fridays. Professional development opportunities and continuous learning. Inclusive culture with employment equity. Wellness programs with mental health support and fitness initiatives. Community engagement and volunteer opportunities. Commitment to Employment Equity Export Development Canada is dedicated to fostering employment equity and building a diverse workforce. We are committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment that respects people from all cultures, backgrounds, and abilities. We actively encourage applications from women, Indigenous peoples, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, and members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community. Your application must clearly demonstrate how you meet all the requirements. Qualified candidates may be considered for similar roles. For accommodations, please contact Apply Ready to make a difference? This is your chance to join a dynamic, growing team and leave your mark on our organization, development finance, and the world. Apply today For more information, visit EDC website . #J-18808-Ljbffr