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Design Strategy Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Staff Product Designer

San Francisco, CA · Hybrid

$215K - $258K/yr

As a Staff Product Designer on the Core team, you will lead design strategy and implementation for key product experiences, shaping how intelligent features integrate seamlessly to feel useful and ...

Manager, Product Design

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$203K/yr

You balance strategic vision with operational excellence - shaping design strategy, influencing cross-functional priorities, and ensuring cohesive, high-quality experiences across Carvana's ecosystem.

New

You balance strategic vision with operational excellence -- shaping design strategy, influencing cross-functional priorities, and ensuring cohesive, high-quality experiences across Carvana ...

New

Manager, Product Design

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$203K/yr

You balance strategic vision with operational excellence - shaping design strategy, influencing cross-functional priorities, and ensuring cohesive, high-quality experiences across Carvana's ecosystem.

New

Product Design Manager

Oakland, CA · On-site +1

$217K/yr

Design is embedded in product strategy and company direction. Our open, vibrant culture fosters strong belongingness and DEIB scores as reflected in team engagement surveys. We firmly believe that ...

Product Design Manager

Oakland, CA · On-site

$217K/yr

Design is embedded in product strategy and company direction. Our open, vibrant culture fosters strong belongingness and DEIB scores as reflected in team engagement surveys. We firmly believe that ...

Director of Product Design

Redwood City, CA · On-site

$189K - $233K/yr

Align design strategy with company goals, ensuring meaningful impact on engagement, growth, and retention * Champion design as a strategic partner in shaping the product roadmap * Partner ...

Director, Product Design

San Francisco, CA · Hybrid

$182K - $224K/yr

You'll work in close partnership with PM and Engineering leaders, hold a strong design perspective in product strategy conversations, and be a senior voice in Strava's global Design org, reporting ...

Director of Interior Design

Calabasas, CA · On-site

$160K - $180K/yr

Key Responsibilities Brand Design Strategy & Standards * Lead the development of AmaWaterways design philosophy and supporting design standards. * Document the standards for internal and external ...

A Design Coordinator embodies high standards of design excellence and innovation, integrated within the firm's overall design strategy. Responsibilities include collaborating across disciplines and ...

You'll drive creative strategies that challenge the status quo and push user experience forward through emerging technologies-often in spaces where design hasn't yet established a foothold or set the ...

Director, Product Design

Los Angeles, CA · Hybrid

$167K - $205K/yr

ABOUT THE ROLE As a Director of Product Design at Fox One, you will serve as a strategic partner to the VP of Product Design in shaping and architecting the next‑generation experience, identifying ...

In this role, you will drive physical design strategy for Machine Learning IP across the full implementation flow for custom silicon targeting AR/VR platforms, working at the intersection of ...

You'll drive creative strategies that challenge the status quo and push user experience forward through emerging technologies-often in spaces where design hasn't yet established a foothold or set the ...

You'll drive creative strategies that challenge the status quo and push user experience forward through emerging technologies-often in spaces where design hasn't yet established a foothold or set the ...

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Design Strategy information

See California salary details

$54.8K

$123K

$214.7K

How much do design strategy jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for design strategy in California is $123,026.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $88,800.00 and $155,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How does a Design Strategist typically collaborate with cross-functional teams during a project?

Design Strategists play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between design, business, and technology teams. They often facilitate workshops, lead ideation sessions, and synthesize insights from stakeholders to align project goals. Throughout a project, they work closely with product managers, UX/UI designers, engineers, and marketing professionals to ensure that design solutions address user needs and business objectives. This collaborative approach helps drive innovation and ensures that the final product is both functional and user-centric.

What is the difference between Design Strategy vs UX Designer?

AspectDesign StrategyUX Designer
Primary FocusAligning business goals with design solutions and long-term visionCreating user-centered digital experiences and interfaces
Skills & CredentialsDesign thinking, strategic planning, business acumenUser research, wireframing, prototyping, visual design
Work EnvironmentCollaborates with executives, product teams, and marketingWorks closely with developers, product managers, and users
Industry UsageUsed in strategic planning, branding, and product developmentPrimarily in digital product and app design

Design Strategy focuses on aligning overall business objectives with design initiatives, shaping the long-term vision. UX Designers concentrate on crafting intuitive user experiences for digital products. While both roles require design knowledge, Design Strategists emphasize strategic planning, whereas UX Designers focus on user interface and interaction design.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Design Strategist, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Design Strategist, you need expertise in design thinking, user research, and business analysis, often supported by a degree in design, business, or a related field. Familiarity with tools like Adobe Creative Suite, Miro, and prototyping software, as well as experience with frameworks such as Human-Centered Design, is highly valuable. Strong communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills help you effectively bridge creative and business objectives. These abilities are essential for developing innovative solutions that align user needs with organizational goals, driving sustainable success.

What is design strategy?

Design strategy is a discipline that connects a company's business objectives with creative design solutions. It involves understanding user needs, market trends, and organizational goals to develop a roadmap for how design can drive business success. Professionals in design strategy analyze data, collaborate with stakeholders, and create frameworks to ensure that products, services, or experiences are both effective and meaningful. This approach helps organizations stay competitive and innovative in their industries.
What are popular job titles related to Design Strategy jobs in California? For Design Strategy jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Design Strategy jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Design Strategy jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Design Strategy jobs? Cities in California with the most Design Strategy job openings:
Infographic showing various Design Strategy job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 42% Full Time, 30% Part Time, and 28% Contract. Highlights an 74% In-person, and 26% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $123,026 per year, or $59.1 per hour.
Staff Product Designer

Staff Product Designer

GlossGenius

San Francisco, CA • Hybrid

$215K - $258K/yr

Other

Medical, Dental, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 6 days ago


Job description

About GlossGenius

GlossGenius is the AI-powered system behind the world's most meaningful appointments, helping 100,000+ service businesses earn more revenue and free up time for the work they love. Our agentic workforce gets more clients in the door, grows profit per appointment, and keeps clients coming back - doing the jobs owners never had time for and couldn't justify hiring to fill. Businesses on GlossGenius process billions in annual payment volume, and see 65% more revenue using GlossGenius Payments by growing ticket size, rebooking clients at checkout, and saving on processing fees.

About the Role

GlossGenius's core product: scheduling, client management, payments, team tools, is the daily operating system for 120,000+ service businesses, and it's being rebuilt around AI. As a Staff Product Designer on the Core team, you will lead design strategy and implementation for key product experiences, shaping how intelligent features integrate seamlessly to feel useful and native, rather than tacked on. This is a high-ownership role: you'll work directly with Product and Engineering counterparts from early strategy through shipped product, and your design decisions will shape the experience that hundreds of thousands of business owners rely on every day. The bar is high, and the pace is real; we expect you to move fast, hold craft, and actively push the product forward.

You must be commutable to our NYC headquarters and will operate in a hybrid environment. We default to being in-office 3-4 days per week with required attendance on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

What You'll Do

  • Own the end-to-end design process for your product area; from strategy and early ideation through user testing, refinement, and production, with full accountability for what ships
  • Define how AI-powered experiences show up in the Core product: thoughtfully, usefully, and in a way that reduces real friction for the service businesses we serve rather than adding complexity
  • Use AI throughout your design workflow for rapid concepting, prototype generation, and research synthesis, and hold a higher output bar because of it
  • Build user flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity prototypes that communicate design intent clearly enough for engineering to build from without losing the detail
  • Lead user interviews and shape product design strategy from direct customer insight, not secondhand summaries
  • Collaborate with Product, Engineering, and Marketing to deliver experiences that are recognized as the best in the category, not just functional, but genuinely excellent
  • Identify net-new interaction patterns and proactively bring them to the roadmap rather than waiting for a brief

What We're Looking For

  • 7+ years of product design experience, with a portfolio that demonstrates ownership of complex, high-impact product areas, prior experience with scheduling, booking, team management, or payments products is a strong plus
  • You use AI to accelerate concepting, prototype faster, and shape design strategy, and you have a track record of shipping AI-driven product experiences that actually work for users
  • Move fast and make decisions; you don't need a fully defined brief to start exploring, you'd rather put something real in front of users and iterate than spend weeks in abstract concepting
  • Expert command of Figma and advanced prototyping tools (Principle, Framer, or similar), with demonstrated ability to prototype at the fidelity engineers can build from
  • Deep empathy for the service businesses we serve, you understand their daily reality well enough to design for what they actually need, not just what they say they want
  • Thrives in ambiguous, high-growth environments, energized by open-ended problems and capable of bringing structure to them without waiting for someone else to do it first

Benefits & Perks

  • Competitive health & dental insurance options, effective on your first day of employment
  • Flexible PTO
  • In-office lunch twice per week for NYC and SF employees, plus late night dinner stipends
  • Access to Wellhub, a corporate wellness platform with discounted gym memberships, fitness classes, and mental health resources
  • Annual stipend for professional development and continued learning
  • High performers at 5 years receive a generous stipend to use however you recharge best
  • 401k benefit: employees are eligible to contribute starting day 1 of employment
  • Dependent Care FSA
  • Paid parental leave
  • Fertility and adoption benefits via Carrot and Kindbody

The starting base salary for this role in San Francisco is between $215,000-$258,000 + target equity + benefits. The base salary offered is dependent upon many factors including skills, experience, location, and education. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. 

At GlossGenius, we celebrate our differences and are committed to creating a workplace where all employees feel supported and empowered to do their best work. We believe this benefits not only our employees but our product, customers, and community as well. GlossGenius is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.