Lead Designer, Design Systems (VP)

About this role

At BlackRock, design is how millions of people connect with their financial future. We’re seeking a VP Design Systems Lead to shape and scale our multi-branded design system across BlackRock, iShares, and Aladdin.

This is a high-impact role at the intersection of design, technology, and brand. You’ll guide the strategic vision of our design system, while staying close enough to the work to influence hands-on design, audits, and component development when needed. Based in London, you’ll lead a small but powerful team of designers, collaborating with product, engineering, and brand partners to ensure consistency, flexibility, and innovation across our public sites and client facing applications.

What you'll do:

Set the Vision & Strategy

• Define and drive the roadmap for a scalable, multi-brand design system that serves global audiences across web, mobile, and applications.
• Balance cohesion with brands to support BlackRock, iShares, and Aladdin.

Lead Through Doing

• Guide and review design work, while remaining hands-on with components, audits, and evolving patterns where needed.
• Partner with engineers to ensure design intent is faithfully implemented in production.

Empower & Mentor

• Lead, inspire, and grow a team of designers, embedding a culture of collaboration, creativity, and continuous learning.
• Champion accessibility, inclusivity, and performance as non-negotiable foundations of our system.
• Collaborate & Govern
• Partner with product owners, engineers, brand, and compliance teams to align system standards with business and regulatory needs.
• Establish governance for versioning, documentation, and adoption of design system components.
• Measure & Evolve
• Use data, research, and analytics to measure system adoption, identify opportunities, and demonstrate impact on user experience and business outcomes.
• Stay current with emerging technologies, workflows, and tools (e.g., Figma, prototyping platforms, automation, AI in design).

Who you are:

• A systems thinker with deep experience building and scaling design systems in complex, multi-brand ecosystems.
• A leader and mentor who empowers designers while engaging confidently with senior stakeholders.

• Proficient in modern design tools and workflows (Figma, component libraries, prototyping, design-to-code pipelines), as well as emerging technologies (AI in design).
• Experienced in aligning design with engineering, product management, and compliance at scale.
• Able to demonstrate measurable impact of design work through metrics, research, and outcomes.
• Passionate about creating experiences that deliver clarity, trust, and inclusivity to millions of users.
• A good communicator: you can take feedback, present ideas, work with stakeholders and partner teams to ensure designs are practical and well implemented.

Our benefits

To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of employee benefits including: retirement investment and tools designed to help you in building a sound financial future; access to education reimbursement; comprehensive resources to support your physical health and emotional well-being; family support programs; and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about.

Our hybrid work model

BlackRock’s hybrid work model is designed to enable a culture of collaboration and apprenticeship that enriches the experience of our employees, while supporting flexibility for all. Employees are currently required to work at least 4 days in the office per week, with the flexibility to work from home 1 day a week. Some business groups may require more time in the office due to their roles and responsibilities. We remain focused on increasing the impactful moments that arise when we work together in person – aligned with our commitment to performance and innovation. As a new joiner, you can count on this hybrid model to accelerate your learning and onboarding experience here at BlackRock.

About BlackRock

At BlackRock, we are all connected by one mission: to help more and more people experience financial well-being.  Our clients, and the people they serve, are saving for retirement, paying for their children’s educations, buying homes and starting businesses. Their investments also help to strengthen the global economy: support businesses small and large; finance infrastructure projects that connect and power cities; and facilitate innovations that drive progress.

This mission would not be possible without our smartest investment – the one we make in our employees. It’s why we’re dedicated to creating an environment where our colleagues feel welcomed, valued and supported with networks, benefits and development opportunities to help them thrive.

For additional information on BlackRock, please visit @blackrock | Twitter: @blackrock | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/blackrock

BlackRock is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to age, disability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation and other protected characteristics at law.