Senior UX Designer - Focus Design Systems

This role is part of our Experience & Engineering team based in the Netherlands. We combine our skills in developing future-ready technical solutions with our expertise in creating beautiful designs to deliver exceptional and engaging digital experiences that build lasting relationships with our clients like Bol.com, Lufthansa, Inter Milan, Tikkie and Thuisbezorgd.

JOB PURPOSE

As a Senior UX Designer with a focus on Design Systems, you bring systems thinking into action – creating the foundations for scalable, consistent, and human-centered digital experiences across brands, products, and teams.

You don’t just design components, patterns and guidelines, you enable people. You help product teams align on a shared vision, foster collaboration between design and development, and nurture a community of practice around design systems.

You’ll work closely with UI designers, developers, brand teams, and product owners to ensure cohesion, efficiency, and a human-centered experience at scale. You thrive on complex challenges and love turning them into smart, elegant solutions that make a real difference – all while working in a dynamic environment with the most talented (and fun) people the industry has to offer.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design, build and maintain scalable design systems that empower teams to create consistent, high-quality user experiences
• Translate UX principles, accessibility standards and brand guidelines into usable, flexible components and patterns
• Collaborate with UI designers, developers, product owners and brand teams to align design and tech, and ensure efficient implementation
• Facilitate workshops, onboarding sessions, and design reviews to foster adoption and shared ownership across teams
• Support product teams in applying the system effectively, and evolve the system based on real usage, feedback and business needs
• Advocate for human-centered design in every part of the system
• Co-shape governance models and community structures to scale the impact of the system across products and teams
• Stay on top of trends in tooling, tokens, accessibility and front-end tech and translate them into system evolution

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• 5+ years of experience as UX designer at an agency or renown brand, with a strong track record in building and scaling design systems;
• Experience with digital projects for A-brands, demonstrated through a portfolio;
• Deep knowledge of Figma (components, variants, tokens) and how to connect design with development workflows;
• Experience with working in agile, cross-functional teams, ideally in complex product environments;
• Assertiveness; you’re an independent thinker that is able to go beyond backlogs items and client briefs by challenging the status quo and provide new ideas and perspectives.
• A passion for enabling others, facilitating collaboration, and building a design culture across teams;
• Working proficiency in English

WE OFFER

• A flexible, hybrid working policy (2-3 days from the office, depending on location) and the opportunity to work from abroad for 13 weeks a year.
• 24 vacation days per year and the possibility to buy an unlimited number of extra vacation days.
• DEPT®/YOU Learning Menu and DEPT®/YOU Special Programs. Develop your skills with courses and programs tailored to your needs.
• Stay happy and healthy with a contribution to your health through the OpenUp platform, gym and wellness discounts, and healthy lunches at the office.
• Get a discount on your lease bike and ride in style. You can also enjoy hassle free-commutes with an NS Business Card.
• A reputation for doing good. DEPT® has been a Certified B Corp® since 2021, has been named a Great Place To Work since 2022 in the Netherlands and named ‘Agency of the Year’ at both The Lovies and The Webby Awards.
• Awesome clients. Whether big, small, local or global — at DEPT® you’ll get the opportunity to work with all of them. And we celebrate all of our successes together!

WHO ARE WE?

We are pioneers at heart. What does that mean? We are always looking forward, thinking of what we can create tomorrow that does not exist today. We were born digital and we are a new model of agency, with a deep skillset in tech and marketing. That’s why we hire curious, self-driven, talented people who never stop innovating.

Our culture is big enough to cope and small enough to care. Meaning, that with people across 30+ countries, we’re big enough to provide you with the best tools, global opportunities, and benefits that help you thrive. While acting small by investing in you, your growth, your team, and giving you the autonomy to solve our clients problems, no matter where you are in the world.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

At DEPT®, we take pride in creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. We actively seek to recruit, develop, nurture, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, with varying skills and perspectives.

Not sure you meet all qualifications? Apply, and let us decide! Research shows that women and members of underrepresented groups tend not to apply for jobs when they think they may not meet every requirement, when in fact they do. We believe in giving everyone a fair chance to shine.

We also encourage you to reach out to us and discuss any reasonable adjustments we can make to support you throughout the recruitment process and your time with us.