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Chief Design Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

THE ROLE As Founding Design Engineer , you'll work directly with our CEO, CTO, and customers to build magical user interfaces for our AI Agents. Your mission is to make the complex intuitive ...

The Chief Engineer reports to the Advanced Systems Program Area Chief Engineer (PACE) and oversees ... Leverage product design engineering experience, with demonstrated ability to establish a strong ...

Founding Design Engineer

New York, NY · On-site

$170 - $230/day

... design system. The rules, components, patterns, and principles that allow our engineering team to ... Onsite to meet our team and CEO. * References (we check references on everyone at Credal to make ...

Staff Design Engineer Clerk Chat | Full-time About Clerk Chat Clerk Chat is a conversational AI ... Work directly with the CTO and engineering team to develop UI/UX for complex multi-channel ...

The Design Engineer will report to the Chief Engineer and indirectly to the Director of Advanced Programs. You will work closely with Program Managers, R&D, and NPD teams to drive efforts on current ...

Structural Design Engineer

Tullahoma, TN · On-site

$109K - $170K/yr

Posting/External Job Title Structural Design Engineer Location Arnold AFB, TN 37388 US (Primary ... From company communication through Company-wide information meetings led by our President and CEO, ...

Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$175K - $225K/yr

Learn more about Delphi and this position by calling the CEO's digital mind here Who You Are * Code-first builder with exceptional design taste - You're a front-end engineer who happens to have a ...

Showing results 41-60

Chief Design Engineer information

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$90.5K

$166.5K

$225K

How much do chief design engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 15, 2026, the average yearly pay for chief design engineer in the United States is $166,542.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $140,000.00 and $190,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the main challenges a chief design engineer faces when leading multidisciplinary design teams?

A Chief Design Engineer often manages teams with diverse expertise, such as mechanical, electrical, and software engineers, which can present challenges in aligning differing technical perspectives and priorities. Ensuring effective communication and collaboration across these specialties is essential to deliver cohesive design solutions on schedule. Additionally, balancing innovative design concepts with practical constraints like budget, manufacturability, and regulatory compliance requires strong leadership and problem-solving skills. Building trust and clarity within the team helps facilitate smooth project execution and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.

What is a chief design engineer?

Chief Design Engineers are senior professionals responsible for overseeing the design and development of products, systems, or components within an organization. They lead design teams, set technical standards, and ensure that projects meet quality, safety, and performance requirements. Their role often involves coordinating with other departments, managing budgets, and providing technical guidance throughout the product development lifecycle. Chief Design Engineers play a critical role in innovation and ensuring that engineering solutions align with company goals.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a chief design engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Chief Design Engineer, you need advanced engineering knowledge, leadership abilities, and a relevant degree (often in mechanical, electrical, or civil engineering), plus extensive design experience. Proficiency with CAD software, PLM systems, and familiarity with relevant industry standards and certifications (such as PE or chartered status) is typically required. Exceptional problem-solving, communication, and project management skills help you lead teams and collaborate across departments. These skills ensure innovative, technically sound solutions that meet project goals and drive organizational success.

Who are the top companies hiring for Chief Design Engineer jobs?

The top employers for Chief Design Engineer jobs are:

Infographic showing various Chief Design Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 88% Full Time, 6% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 84% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $166,542 per year, or $80.1 per hour.

Founding Design Engineer

Dryft, Inc

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 9 days ago


Job description

DRYFT
Dryft builds intelligent systems that automate complex human decisions in manufacturing operations
We're a small, talent-dense team with modest roots and a love for the physical world - cars, machines, planes. Our team includes graduates from Stanford, Berkeley, CDTM, TUM, winners of Stanford TreeHacks, recipients of Fulbright & Haniel scholarships, and builders of everything from robots and race cars to software with millions of downloads.
We're backed by the founders and leaders behind Amazon, Facebook, Stripe, Applied Intuition, & others; General Catalyst & Neo, and board members of global industrial companies.
Today, we're already saving customers millions. But this is only the beginning. ERPs ran the physical world for half a century. Dryft is powering the next.
THE ROLE
As Founding Design Engineer, you'll work directly with our CEO, CTO, and customers to build magical user interfaces for our AI Agents. Your mission is to make the complex intuitive, transforming dense industrial data and decision logic into transparent, high-trust experiences that empower users to act with confidence and speed.
YOU
  • Are an engineer turned designer, or vice versa, or always have been the one on the team understanding the value of easy-to-use interfaces.
  • Shipped production features end-to-end. While stronger in FE, you can handle BE too.
  • Have a strong product sense and enjoy working directly with customers
  • You obsess over design, pay attention to details and are always the first to explore best-in-class products
  • Are ready to work onsite in SF (we support relocation & visa)

TECH STACK
  • FE (TypeScript): React, Chakra UI v3, TanStack Router, TanStack Query, Vite
  • BE (Python): FastAPI with Pydantic v2, SQLModel, PostgreSQL with pgvector, dagster
  • AI: Pydantic AI, Langfuse