Design Systems & Operations LeadAt PNC, our people are our greatest differentiator and competitive advantage in the markets we serve. We are all united in delivering the best experience for our customers. We work together each day to foster an inclusive workplace culture where all of our employees feel respected, valued, and have an opportunity to contribute to the company's success. As a Design Systems & Operations Lead within PNC's Treasury Management Digital organization, you will be based in Pittsburgh, PA, Hamilton, NJ, or Houston, TX. This role sits at the intersection of Design Operations, Product Design, and Design Systems, partnering across Product, Research, Experience Design, UI, and Engineering teams to scale design quality, consistency, and delivery effectiveness. This role operates horizontally across teams, ensuring that: Design systems are adopted and evolved based on real product needs. Design workflows are consistent, efficient, and scalable. Cross-crew alignment is strong between Design, Product, Research, and Engineering. This role owns the effectiveness of the design delivery system, ensuring work is properly shaped, routed, governed, and delivered across Research, Experience Design, and Design System teams. You will partner closely with Design Leadership to define DesignOps strategy while driving execution as a key operator and change agent across the organization. This is a hands-on senior individual contributor role that blends: Design delivery orchestration and operational leadership. Design System governance and adoption. Product design expertise and selective hands-on execution. This role is ideal for a senior individual contributor who has experienced the challenges of scaling design organizations and has successfully built systems, processes, and operating models that improve delivery outcomes.
Core Responsibilities:- Design Operations & Cross-Crew Orchestration Design Delivery System Ownership
- Intake, Work Shaping & Prioritization
- Stage Gates, Dependencies & Delivery Readiness
- Visibility, Metrics & Continuous Improvement
- Design System Ownership & Activation
- Product Design Leadership & Strategic Execution
Technical Skills
Must-Have:
Advanced Figma systems expertise (Components, Variants, Variables, Tokens, Libraries). Deep experience scaling and governing Design Systems. Strong UX and Product Design fundamentals across the end-to-end product lifecycle. Proven experience establishing or improving DesignOps functions, workflows, or operating models. Strong understanding of: Front-end architecture, Component-based systems, Responsive design principles, Design-to-development workflows. Experience working within Agile product delivery environments. Experience supporting cross-functional delivery models at scale. Accessibility (WCAG) expertise integrated into design practice. Experience defining metrics, performance indicators, and operational measures for design organizations.
Nice-to-Have:
Storybook and Design System tooling ecosystems. Design maturity assessment and organizational transformation experience. Process optimization, service design, or operating model design experience. Analytics and measurement frameworks for adoption, efficiency, and quality. Soft Skills:
Must-Have:
Operator mindset (not strategist-only, not designer-only). Systems thinker who identifies patterns across teams and addresses root causes. Strong organizational and operational leadership skills without direct people management. Ability to influence peers, leaders, and cross-functional partners. Bias toward action, simplification, and continuous improvement. Ability to establish standards and governance without creating unnecessary bureaucracy. Strong facilitation and alignment-building capabilities. Ability to navigate ambiguity and build structure where it does not yet exist.
Nice-to-Have:
High emotional intelligence and organizational awareness. Coaching and mentorship mindset. Executive communication and stakeholder management experience. Change management and organizational design experience. PNC is an in-office company that fosters a supportive culture where employees can thrive and achieve balance. We encourage candidates to connect with their recruiter and hiring manager to understand workplace expectations and ensure the role aligns with their goals. PNC will not provide sponsorship for employment visas or participate in STEM OPT for this position.
