Design Technologist (Hybrid - Onsite in NYC)

Design Technologist (Hybrid - Onsite in NYC)

Application Deadline: 16 April 2025

Department: Digital

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

Reporting To: Kathy Lac

Compensation: $120,000 - $125,000 / year

Description

This is not a remote role; 3 days onsite in NYC is required.

Overview
The New York Public Library (the Library) is looking for a Design Technologist to help shape the Library's digital experiences by managing and evolving a versatile and accessible design system and creating prototypes to explore new types of interactions to advance and support the mission of the Library.

We are looking for someone we can count on to:

Own:

• The definition and implementation of our design system across platforms/products
• The journey for Product Designers and Front-End Engineers in creating robust solutions that work in a variety of scenarios.
• The prototype explorations of new front-end technologies and design and architect UI/UX features
• The partnership with Product designers on the development of designs for new and existing experiences to maintain consistency in our design system
• The partnership with Product Managers to ensure design system requirements are met across all portfolios

Teach:

• Best practices for accessibility focused design systems and new product/UX features for front end technologies and design
• Other designers on front end engineering and prototyping
• Colleagues about the importance and necessity of the Library's accessibility-first design system

Learn:

• About NYPL - our culture, goals and strategy and the environment in which we work
• About the evolution of our design system and our strategic goal to scale and integrate with our products
• About the specific challenges and opportunities that digital technology introduces for our patrons, the Library in general and the work of our staff, vendors, and partners
• About the wide variety of patrons and staff who use NYPL as well as the large array of tools and collections NYPL offers

Improve:

• The ideation and collaboration between Product Management and Design and Engineers
• Our ability to create scalable and cohesive experiences while improving the users experience

Some expectations for this role are that within:

1 month, this person will:

• Learn NYPL's Design System methodology and general process, including our accessibility standards
• Learn the multi-year NYPL Digital strategy
• Start to build cooperative relationships with designers and engineers
• Craft personal goals
• Learn Product design process and best practices for file management

3 months, this person will:

• Contribute to the definition of a forward-thinking strategy for our design system
• Learn unique Product needs across portfolios and how they may relate to our design system
• Contribute and help shape our design system including: components, patterns, composition, and scalability
• Begin ideation and exploration of new features and design system components
• Contribute to the ongoing refinement of components in our design system

6 months and beyond, this person will:

• Develop prototypes to explore new types of interactions for the Product Design team
• Identify new opportunities for our design system implementation
• Create documentation such as roadmaps that represent the priority of work for upcoming fiscal years
• Contribute to product decisions and strategies

Responsibilities:

• Owns the strategy, vision and roadmap of the design system
• Evangelize and promote the Library's accessibility first design system
• Collaborate with product managers, product designers and engineers to deliver meaningful user experience improvements
• Lead a cross functional team with component requirements and direction to deliver consistent updates to design system
• Explores prototyping new, more efficient tools and ways of working
  Be the knowledgeable bridge between design and engineering
• Familiar with accessibility standards, responsive web design, core UI development and modern front end frameworks
• Commitment to inclusive and accessible design

Required Education, Experience & Skills

Required Education and Certifications

• Bachelor's degree and 2 to 4 years of experience - OR - 3 to 5 years of experience designing and working with design systems

Required Experience

• Experience or understanding of how to design and engineer products for library systems
• Experience working with design and prototyping programs like Figma
• Experience with Chakra or similar CSS-in-JS design systems, general component-based design systems, and React

Required Skills

• Experience working within and contributing to a structured design system
• Strong skills in visual design, interaction design, typography, and information hierarchy
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Experience with presenting designs and workflows to team members and stakeholders
• Highly detail-oriented and developed organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines
• Deep understanding of how to create usable, accessible, and modular designs that can scalable to a range of users
• A portfolio that features your past design work on data-dense software or websites
• Understanding of evidence-based, user-centered design, and user engagement principles
• Fluency in HTML, CSS and Javascript (React)
• Experience working and collaborating with diverse teams in a dynamic, rapid-growth environment
• Detail-oriented and developed organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines

Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities:

• N/A

More...

Core ValuesAll team members are expected and encouraged to embody the NYPL Core Values:

• Be Helpful to patrons and colleagues
• Be Resourceful in solving problems
• Be Curious in all aspects of your work
• Be Welcoming and Inclusive

Work Environment

• Hybrid Work Environment; 3 days onsite in NYC
• Office Environment

Physical Duties

• Some light moving/lifting may be required

Pre-Placement Physical Required?

• No

Union/Non Union

• Non-Union

FLSA Status

• Exempt

Schedule

• Monday - Friday; 9-5
• 3 days onsite in NYC required

This job description represents the types and levels of responsibilities that will be required of the position and shall not be construed as a declaration of all of the specific duties and responsibilities for the role. Job duties may change if Library priorities change. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description as needed.

The New York Public Library Salary Statement

At the Library, we believe that pay transparency and pay equity are important to ensuring we source the best candidates and keep the best employees. When making a determination as to the appropriate salary for a candidate, we consider a variety of factors such, including, but not limited to, the position requirements, the skills, prior experience, and educational background required or preferred for the job, the scope and impact of the role within the organization, internal peer equity, and the candidate's specific training, experience, education level, and skills. No single factor is conclusive; the Library reserves the right to consider any and all relevant factors and make a decision consistent with its policies.

Union Salaries are determined by collective bargaining agreement(s).