Program Manager

Program ManagerWe are seeking a contractor to act as the Design System Lead for the IOP UX team. This role is critical to the success of the Ohio Design System and our migration of all IOP websites to Content full.The contractor will report to IOP leadership and manage day-to-day design system operations, including design meetings and product roadmap priorities. The design system directly affects how usable our websites are — getting this right matters.Duties include:Leading and evolving the design system: Manage Design Operations meetings and processes to oversee the addition and enhancement of the design system through a structured process. Manage the product roadmap.Establishing, documenting, and communicating: Define design guidelines, patterns, and standards. Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation.Managing stakeholders: Collaborate with designers, developers, and executives to understand needs and drive alignment.Community building: Foster a healthy design system community through feedback loops and regular communicationEnsuring accessibility and inclusivity: Advocate for inclusive design practices, ensuring that the system adheres to accessibility standards and meets the needs of diverse users.Governance & quality: Develop processes for component reviews, documentation standards, and quality assurance to ensure the system remains reliableRequired/Desired Skills:Design System Lead, Product Manager, or similarDeep understanding of design systems, component-based architecture, and design tokensExperience collaborating effectively with design and engineering teamsStrong communication and cross-functional leadership skills; ability to influence without authorityComfortable with ambiguity and driving clarity in complex, fast-moving environmentsTrack record of shipping products and learning from user feedbackFamiliarity with design system tools (Figma, Storybook)Background in UX/UI design, frontend engineering, or design leadershipExperience scaling design systems across multiple product teams