Careem is hiring a Design System Lead to own the design system that underpins its super app across rides, food, groceries and payments. This hands-on senior IC role governs token architecture, component library and documentation, and evolves the system to serve AI agents alongside designers and engineers.
What you'll do
- Own the lifecycle of tokens, components and patterns from inception to deprecation
- Define and enforce standards for colour, type, spacing and interaction across platforms and locales
- Resolve ambiguity in ownership by maintaining intentional token architecture
- Establish and maintain comprehensive documentation for cross-component consistency
- Champion accessibility as a system-level guarantee and manage the backlog with partners
- Structure tokens and components so agentic design-to-code workflows produce on-system output
- Build and maintain Code Connect mappings, MCP integrations and component metadata
- Implement AI-assisted audits and linting to catch off-system usage
- Use AI to keep documentation verified and versioned alongside components
- Prototype Figma plugins and agent workflows to remove repetitive tasks
- Articulate the system's value in efficiency and quality to stakeholders
- Facilitate design system guilds and critiques and synthesise cross-vertical feedback
- Raise the organisation's AI proficiency through workshops and training material
- Work with engineering to translate design patterns into deployable components
- Apply judgment to manage component bloat and architecture decisions
- Collaborate with stakeholders to align on design system goals and product strategy
What we're looking for
- 5+ years in product design, 3+ years in design systems at scale
- Advanced knowledge of variables, token architecture, component APIs, library management and branching
- Demonstrated experience building workflows with LLMs and agentic tools
- Ability to prototype in JavaScript/TypeScript, JSON and manage design token pipelines
- Ability to distinguish semantic intent from value coincidence and manage complexity
- Excellent English writing and presentation skills
Nice to have
- Experience with RTL/Arabic-first products or the Middle East market
- Experience with production design-to-code pipelines
- Active participation in the AI x design community