Fractional Design Systems Lead

Kindred is a members-only home swapping platform that unlocks the ability to live a travel-rich lifestyle through the power of community. By exchanging primary residences with trusted peers, renters and owners alike can match with Kindred spirits and explore new destinations without breaking the bank.

Kindred is revolutionizing the “third option” of travel accommodation, compared to short-term rentals and hotels. Since launching in 2022, Kindred has grown to a global community of 300,000 members across 150+ cities and puts home swapping on the map as a radically more affordable, responsible, and connected way to travel.

To support that momentum, Kindred has raised over $150M in capital from some of the most credible investors in Silicon Valley, including Index Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, New Enterprise Associates, Bessemer Venture Partners, Caffeinated Capital, Elad Gil, and founders of companies like Opendoor, Figma, ClassPass, and more.

Kindred’s co-founders are proven leaders from the early team at Opendoor ($15B+ exit), who have each built and scaled products that today generate $1B+ annual revenue combined.

We’re looking for the world’s top builders, executors, and believers to help us make travel more meaningful.

You can learn more about us in Forbes and The New York Times.

Kindred is seeking a Fractional Design Systems Lead to architect and execute our Design System 2.0. We are currently undergoing a significant Rebrand and need a systems-thinker to translate this new visual identity into a scalable, high-performance product ecosystem.

This isn't a maintenance role. You will be responsible for building the foundation of how Kindred ships product, ensuring our design language is inseparable from our codebase.

Please note: This role is a part-time (~20 hours per week), contract engagement expected to last approximately three months, with no guaranteed extension.

• System 2.0 Architecture: Lead the end-to-end creation of a modular system, defining the logic for tokens, components, and patterns that serve both web and mobile.

• The Rebrand Translation: Partner with stakeholders to codify new identity guidelines into a functional, multi-platform UI kit.

• Technical Orchestration: Implement a "Single Source of Truth" workflow. You will be responsible for ensuring that when a design changes, the code follows.

• Process Automation: Leverage AI-driven tools and automation to reduce manual handoff, audit component health, and streamline documentation.

• Systems Leadership: 5+ years of experience, ideally leading Design Systems at design-forward companies or high-growth startups where you’ve built systems from the ground up.

• Systems Orchestration: Deep expertise with platforms like Knapsack or Supernova to bridge the gap between Figma and production code.

• Dev-Ops for Design: Experience building or managing custom Figma-to-GitHub actions (or similar CI/CD integrations) to automate token transforms and component updates.

• Modern Figma Mastery: Expert-level use of Figma Variables, Advanced Prototyping, and Code Connect.

• Development Literacy: Fluency in JSON/style dictionaries, React component structures, and the ability to speak the same language as our Engineering team.

• You treat a design system as a product, not a library.

• You are an "AI-First" designer, constantly looking for ways to use LLMs and automation to eliminate the "grunt work" of systems management.

• You have a portfolio that showcases complex system logic, naming conventions, and documentation—not just beautiful screens.

You will have total ownership over Kindred’s Design System 2.0. You’ll be working with a team that values technical excellence and is eager to implement a "Best in Class" workflow from day one.

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. Kindred does not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic, including race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, medical condition, genetic information, family care or medical leave status, marital status, domestic partner status, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by US federal, state or local laws, or the laws of the country or jurisdiction where you work. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.