Sr. Staff Product Designer, Motion

Company Description
Etsy is the global marketplace for unique and creative goods. We build, power, and evolve the tools and technologies that connect millions of entrepreneurs with millions of buyers around the world. As an Etsy Inc. employee, whether a team member of Etsy or Depop, you will tackle unique, meaningful, and large-scale problems alongside passionate coworkers, all the while making a rewarding impact and Keeping Commerce Human.

Salary Range:

What’s the role?

Motion design is a crucial part of how Etsy expresses clarity, craft, and personality across every product surface. As a Sr. Staff Motion Designer on Etsy’s Studio team within UX Foundations, you will define and lead the motion language that supports Etsy’s product and enhances the buyer and seller branded experience across all platforms. As a design leader, you’ll directly influence how motion is integrated into the product design process.

In this role, you will build the systems, tools, and frameworks that shape how motion functions across Etsy—from micro-interactions and spatial patterns to transitions, prototypes, and dynamic states. You will partner deeply with Brand, Product Design, Design Systems, and Engineering to develop a cohesive motion voice that is expressive, accessible, performant, and unmistakably Etsy. You will work directly with systems and product teams to directly inject motion into our product experience. Your work will impact every part of our ecosystem, including web, Android, and iOS, elevating motion as a strategic pillar in our development process.

This is a full-time position reporting to the Director of Product Design for User Experience Foundations. In addition to salary, you will also be eligible for an equity package, an annual performance bonus, and our competitive benefits that support you and your family as part of your total rewards package at Etsy.

For this role, we are considering candidates based in the United States. Candidates living within commutable distance of Etsy’s Brooklyn Office Hub or in the San Francisco Bay Area may be the first to be considered. For candidates within commutable distance, Etsy requires in-office attendance once or twice per week depending on your proximity to the office. Etsy offers different work modes to meet the variety of needs and preferences of our team. Learn more details about our work modes and workplace safety policies here.

What's this team like at Etsy?

The Studio team sits within UX Foundations, partnering across product and brand to elevate craft and create shared systems that accelerate high-quality experiences. We collaborate with Design Systems to build scalable frameworks and with Brand to codify our expressive language. We are a collaborative, curious, and craft-driven group that values rigor and partnership. If you enjoy building systems that empower others and raising the bar for motion across an entire ecosystem, you will thrive here.

What does the day-to-day look like?

• Develop Motion Systems: Build a multi-layered motion system ranging from icons and illustrations to component behavior and full-page transitions.

• Shape Brand Voice: Partner with the Brand team to codify a motion language that serves product and marketing, crafting a universal "voice" for Etsy.

• System Integration: Collaborate with Design Systems to develop durable motion tokens and apply them across stateful components.

• Cross-Platform Collaboration: Work with iOS, Android, and Web teams to identify opportunities for motion that improve clarity and usability.

• Engineering Partnership: Engage with engineers to ensure all animations are high-quality, feasible, and performant.

• Lead through Craft: Set the standard for motion craft across the design organization and influence how it is integrated into the design process.

• Build Artifacts: Create easy-to-consume motion studies, interaction flows, and implementation-ready specifications.

• Establish Guidelines: Contribute clear guidelines ensuring motion is accessible, purposeful, and consistent.

• Of course, this is just a sample of the kinds of work this role will require! You should assume that your role will encompass other tasks, too, and that your job duties and responsibilities may change from time to time at Etsy's discretion, or otherwise applicable with local law.

Qualities that will help you thrive in this role are:

• Systems Portfolio: A deep portfolio demonstrating systematic motion design, including motion principles and expressive interactions.

• Brand-to-Product Experience: Experience turning brand foundations into product-ready motion systems.

• Platform Expertise: Expertise designing motion across native (iOS, Android) and web surfaces.

• Framework Creation: Ability to create semantic frameworks and tokens that translate conceptual motion into implementable code.

• Tool Proficiency: Comfort with prototyping tools (e.g., After Effects, Principle, Lottie, Framer) at both low and high fidelity.

• Human-Centered Design: A strong understanding of how motion impacts accessibility, clarity, and hierarchy.

• Communication: Excellent storytelling skills with the ability to align stakeholders and lead inclusive critiques.

• Systems Thinking: A mindset capable of diagnosing complex behavior patterns and producing scalable solutions.

Additional Information
 

What's Next
If you're interested in joining the team at Etsy, please share your resume with us and feel free to include a cover letter if you'd like. As we hope you've seen already, Etsy is a place that values individuality and variety. We don't want you to be like everyone else -- we want you to be like you! So tell us what you're all about.
 
Our Promise
At Etsy, we believe that a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace furthers relevance, resilience, and longevity. We encourage people from all backgrounds, ages, abilities, and experiences to apply. Etsy is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If, due to a disability, you need an accommodation during any part of the application or interview process, please let your recruiter know. While Etsy supports visa sponsorship, sponsorship opportunities may be limited to certain roles and skills.