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Director Prototype Design Jobs in Seattle, WA (NOW HIRING)

Director, Product Design

Bellevue, WA · On-site

$205 - $297/hr

As Director of Product Design, you'll lead a talented team in shaping the future of our ... You're an expert in design thinking, prototyping, and user research, with a strong track record of ...

Director of Product Design

Redmond, WA · On-site

$173K - $213K/yr

We are looking for a Director of Product Design to lead and scale a multidisciplinary team of ... Build AI prototypes built on real code to help teams bring their ideas to life faster. User ...

We are looking for an Associate Director, Product Design - Pharmacy, to lead our teams focused on ... fidelity prototypes. * Set a high bar for design quality and ensure it gets into users' hands.

We are looking for an Associate Director, Product Design - Pharmacy, to lead our teams focused on ... fidelity prototypes. * Set a high bar for design quality and ensure it gets into users' hands.

You are energized by small teams, high autonomy, direct customer exposure, and the opportunity to ... Move quickly from customer problem to prototype, design-partner validation, production product, and ...

You are energized by small teams, high autonomy, direct customer exposure, and the opportunity to ... Move quickly from customer problem to prototype, design-partner validation, production product, and ...

... prototypes to detailed, functional designs • Drive rapid concept exploration, iterative ... projects and directing development activities • Experience defining product-level mechanical ...

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Showing results 1-20

Director Prototype Design information

See Seattle, WA salary details

$42.1K

$154.5K

$276.5K

How much do director prototype design jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for director prototype design in Seattle, WA is $154,502.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $124,600.00 and $185,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges faced by a director prototype design when balancing innovation with practical constraints?

A Director of Prototype Design often navigates the challenge of fostering creativity and innovation while ensuring prototypes are feasible within budgetary, technical, and time constraints. Balancing the desire for cutting-edge solutions with the realities of manufacturability and client requirements requires strong communication and prioritization skills. Additionally, this role must align cross-functional teams, including engineering, marketing, and production, to ensure prototypes meet both visionary goals and practical needs. Effective Directors excel at managing stakeholder expectations and iterating quickly based on feedback from both internal teams and clients.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a director prototype design?

To thrive as a Director of Prototype Design, you need extensive experience in product design, engineering principles, and project management, often backed by a degree in industrial design, engineering, or a related field. Mastery of CAD software, rapid prototyping tools, and familiarity with design validation processes are typically required. Exceptional leadership, creative problem-solving, and strong communication skills set outstanding candidates apart in this role. These skills ensure innovative prototypes are developed efficiently and collaboratively, aligning with business goals and market needs.

What does a director prototype design do?

A Director of Prototype Design oversees the creation and development of prototypes for new products or systems within an organization. They lead design teams, collaborate with engineers and product managers, and ensure prototypes meet both functional and aesthetic requirements. Their responsibilities include project management, resource allocation, and maintaining quality standards throughout the design process. By guiding the prototyping phase, they help transform concepts into tangible models that can be tested, refined, and eventually brought to market.

What is the difference between Director Prototype Design vs Product Designer?

AspectDirector Prototype DesignProduct Designer
CredentialsTypically requires extensive experience in design and prototyping, often with leadership skillsRequires design education, portfolio, and proficiency in design tools
Work EnvironmentLeads teams, oversees prototype development, collaborates with cross-functional teamsFocuses on designing user interfaces, user experience, and prototypes
Industry UsageUsed in tech, manufacturing, and product development companies for leadership rolesCommon in tech, digital agencies, and startups for hands-on design work

While both roles involve prototyping, the Director Prototype Design typically leads teams and oversees the entire prototype process, whereas the Product Designer focuses on creating and refining user-centered designs and prototypes. The director role emphasizes leadership and strategic oversight, while the product designer is more hands-on with design execution.

What are the most commonly searched types of Prototype Design jobs in Seattle, WA? The most popular types of Prototype Design jobs in Seattle, WA are:
What are popular job titles related to Director Prototype Design jobs in Seattle, WA? For Director Prototype Design jobs in Seattle, WA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Director Prototype Design jobs in Seattle, WA look for? The top searched job categories for Director Prototype Design jobs in Seattle, WA are:
Infographic showing various Director Prototype Design job openings in Seattle, WA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 86% Full Time, 8% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $154,502 per year, or $74.3 per hour.

Head of Industrial Design, Hardware

AI Foundry

Seattle, WA

$225K - $350K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 18 days ago


Job description

Compensation: $225K - $350K+

Travel Requirement: International travel required to India 8+ times per year

AI Foundry is an AI building and consulting business working with some of the largest companies in the world. AI Foundry is partnered with a major global company operating across finance, consumer, and retail verticals, leading their AI efforts from the ground up.

The team is seeking builders who want to be part of something massive: designing and building multi-agent AI systems that will reshape how hundreds of millions of people interact with financial services, retail, insurance, and consumer products.

AI Foundry is looking for a Head of Industrial Design to define the physical product experience for a hardware business being built from the ground up. This person will lead design vision, user experience, form, materials, ergonomics, prototyping, and the connection between product intent and engineering execution.

If you can create hardware that feels considered, useful, manufacturable, and differentiated, we want to hear from you.

What You'll Do
  • Define the industrial design vision for hardware products from early concept through production.
  • Lead form, materials, ergonomics, interaction touchpoints, CMF direction, prototyping, and design validation.
  • Translate product strategy and user needs into physical design concepts that can be engineered and manufactured.
  • Work closely with mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, manufacturing, product, and leadership.
  • Create sketches, models, prototypes, design systems, presentation materials, and decision-ready artifacts.
  • Hold a high bar for craft, usability, fit, finish, and product coherence.
  • Navigate tradeoffs between design intent, technical constraints, cost, manufacturing, durability, and schedule.
  • Build and lead an industrial design function as the hardware organization scales.
  • Represent design in leadership conversations with clarity, conviction, and practical judgment.
Who You Are
  • You have led industrial design for hardware products that reached production or serious validation.
  • You have strong taste, strong craft, and the ability to make design direction tangible quickly.
  • You understand materials, manufacturing processes, ergonomics, prototyping, and physical product constraints.
  • You can collaborate deeply with engineering and manufacturing without losing the quality of the product experience.
  • You communicate design rationale clearly to executives, engineers, vendors, and operators.
  • You can move from open-ended concept work to practical production decisions.
  • You are comfortable building a design function from scratch.
  • You can hold a high bar without becoming precious or disconnected from execution.
  • You are energized by creating products that feel useful, polished, and memorable.
  • You use modern tools, including AI where useful, to accelerate exploration and communication.
How We Work

We are looking for people who use AI to raise the speed, quality, and ambition of the work while staying grounded in customers, teammates, and measurable outcomes.

  • We are hands-on with AI and technical tools, and we make ideas tangible through prototypes, clear artifacts, and working systems.
  • We move quickly, share work early, and keep refining until the product experience feels useful, polished, and memorable.
  • We focus on the hardest problems and the outcomes that matter, with the judgment to change course when the evidence points somewhere better.
  • We communicate clearly enough that teammates, leaders, and AI-assisted workflows can act on our thinking across time zones.
  • We collaborate with openness and respect, build on other people's ideas, and treat shared ownership as part of doing excellent work.
  • We speak up directly and constructively when something looks wrong, then commit fully once a decision is made.
Benefits & More
  • Medical and Dental benefits
  • 401K
  • Opportunity to shape AI strategy for 500M+ users