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Executive Design Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Virio

Founding Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150K - $250K/yr

Design Engineer Location: San Francisco (in-person, in-office, full-time ONLY) Compensation: $150k ... Fortune 500 executives and founders running $100M+ companies won't put their name on content they ...

Snap, Inc.

Design Engineer, Core Snapchat

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$139K - $167K/yr

Our Design Engineers work closely with the CEO and various cross functional leaders to create a design led roadmap to build products and experiences that bring our community together in new and ...

Snapchat

Design Engineer, Core Snapchat

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$139K - $167K/yr

Our Design Engineers work closely with the CEO and various cross functional leaders to create a design led roadmap to build products and experiences that bring our community together in new and ...

Eridu Corporation

Physical Design Engineer

Saratoga, CA · On-site

$150K - $154K/yr

Eridu is led by a veteran team of Silicon Valley executives who have delivered multiple billion ... Work with a multi‑functional engineering team to implement and validate physical design by ...

Snap, Inc.

Design Engineer, Core Snapchat

Los Angeles, CA

$139K - $167K/yr

Our Design Engineers work closely with the CEO and various cross functional leaders to create a design led roadmap to build products and experiences that bring our community together in new and ...

Eridu AI

Physical Design Engineer

Saratoga, CA · On-site

$210K - $250K/yr

Eridu is led by a veteran team of Silicon Valley executives who have delivered multiple billion ... Work with a multi-functional engineering team to implement and validate physical design by running ...

Mondrio

Founding Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

This role sits at the intersection of design and engineering: you'll work directly with the executive team, pricing architects and engineers to ship new features that feel crafted, consistent, and ...

Worky

Founding Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

This role sits at the intersection of design and engineering: you'll work directly with the executive team, pricing architects and engineers to ship new features that feel crafted, consistent, and ...

Astera Labs

Principal Electrical Design Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$162K - $199K/yr

Principal Electrical Design Engineer Board Hardware Engineering Department: Hardware Engineering ... Represent the hardware engineering organization in executive reviews, customer engagements, and ...

Rhoda AI

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$106K - $146K/yr

In this role, you are the CEO of your components. You will navigate a diverse landscape of ... Define design criteria and lead engineering studies for subsystem compatibility. Perform ...

Meta

Product Design Engineer, AI Glasses

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$208K/yr

Represent mechanical engineering in executive-level design reviews, communicating trade-offs and technical decisions to cross-functional leadership * Define and evolve the multi-year mechanical ...

Quiet Capital

Founding Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

As Orchard's Founding Design Engineer, you will establish the design function and own design across ... You will work directly with our CEO and leaders across the company to move from ambiguous problems ...

Orchard Robotics

Founding Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$125K - $225K/yr

As Orchard's Founding Design Engineer, you will establish the design function and own design across ... You will work directly with our CEO and leaders across the company to move from ambiguous problems ...

Orchard Robotics

Founding Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$125K - $225K/yr

As Orchard's Founding Design Engineer, you will establish the design function and own design across ... You will work directly with our CEO and leaders across the company to move from ambiguous problems ...

Meta

Product Design Engineer, AI Glasses

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$208K - $289K/yr

... executive-level design reviews, communicating trade-offs and technical decisions to cross-functional leadership • Define and evolve the multi-year mechanical engineering roadmap for AI glasses and ...

Samsara

Staff Product Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA · Hybrid

$152K - $182K/yr

... engineering teams, and executive leadership mapping technical decision making to business ... Design, build, and ship impactful products that address customer needs and expand the scope and ...

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Executive Design Engineer information

What is an executive design engineer?

Executive Design Engineers are senior professionals responsible for leading the design and development of new products, systems, or components within an organization. They oversee technical teams, manage complex engineering projects, and ensure that designs meet both client requirements and regulatory standards. In addition to hands-on engineering work, they often contribute to strategic decision-making, budgeting, and collaboration with other departments. Their expertise helps drive innovation and maintain high-quality standards throughout the design process.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an executive design engineer?

To thrive as an Executive Design Engineer, you need a strong background in engineering principles, product design, and project management, typically supported by a relevant engineering degree and substantial industry experience. Proficiency with CAD software, simulation tools, and familiarity with industry standards or certifications like Six Sigma is commonly required. Outstanding problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills help in managing teams and driving innovative solutions. These competencies are vital for delivering high-quality, market-ready designs that align with business objectives and client requirements.

How does an executive design engineer typically collaborate with cross-functional teams during product development?

Executive Design Engineers play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between design, engineering, and management teams. They regularly facilitate communication between departments such as R&D, manufacturing, and marketing to ensure that technical specifications align with business objectives. This collaboration often involves leading design reviews, integrating feedback from multiple stakeholders, and resolving technical challenges to keep projects on schedule. Effective teamwork and leadership skills are essential, as these engineers frequently mentor junior staff and champion best practices throughout the product lifecycle.

What is the difference between Executive Design Engineer vs Design Engineer?

AspectExecutive Design EngineerDesign Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Engineering, often with leadership experienceBachelor's or Master's in Engineering or related field
Work EnvironmentLeads projects, oversees teams, interacts with managementDesigns products, collaborates with teams, focuses on technical tasks
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in manufacturing, aerospace, automotive sectors with leadership rolesCommon across engineering firms, product development, R&D

The Executive Design Engineer typically holds a leadership role, overseeing design projects and teams, requiring additional experience and often managerial skills. In contrast, a Design Engineer primarily focuses on technical design tasks. Both roles require strong engineering credentials, but the Executive Design Engineer combines technical expertise with project management and strategic responsibilities.

What are the most commonly searched types of Design Engineer jobs in California?

The most popular types of Design Engineer jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Executive Design Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Executive Design Engineer job openings:

Executive Design Engineer jobs near you

Founding Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Virio
See more jobs at Virioexternal

$150K - $250K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement

Re-posted 5 hours ago

Job description

Design Engineer
Location: San Francisco (in-person, in-office, full-time ONLY)
Compensation: $150k-$250k base + top of market equity
About Virio
Virio is solving an unsolved problem: how do you produce perfect content? The best human strategist researches the space, finds the angle, and knows your goals and constraints - but they're capped by the hours in a day and one human career's worth of expertise. An agent isn't.
But reasoning this good is only as valuable as it is legible. Fortune 500 executives and founders running $100M+ companies won't put their name on content they can't see, steer, and trust - so the product has to be an interactive surface where they can watch the agents work, shape the strategy, and feel why each choice was made. The interface is what gives companies the trust to deploy non-deterministic content across hundreds of employees.
We're backed by operators from LinkedIn, YouTube, HubSpot, Rippling, and Google. The team is almost 100% ex-founders and VCs from Yale, UC Berkeley, Stripe, and more. And we've consecutively added $1M ARR/mo because everyone and their co-founder wants what we're selling.
This problem doesn't have a playbook. We're looking for a Design Engineer to own the interface end to end - to design and implement the canvas through which complex agent reasoning becomes something humans can see, steer, and trust.
What You'll Do
  • Design generative interfaces that rethink what's possible-not incremental tweaks, but genuinely imaginative approaches to how people interact with AI-driven products
  • Lead with product intuition: understand what users need before they ask, and imagine interfaces that make complex interactions feel natural and delightful
  • Own features end-to-end: from design concept through implementation to launch-you're the keeper of the vision through every stage
  • Build frontend components and systems that scale: write clean, maintainable code that doesn't constrain future ambition
  • Collaborate seamlessly with engineers and users: make design and implementation work together, not against each other
  • Read between the lines to imagine 10x better solutions: your taste and judgment are core to what we ship
  • Contribute to the core product roadmap and help define what gets built next
What Success Looks Like
  • You ship interfaces that users don't just use-they choose to use, and they're surprised by how natural they feel
  • You identify friction in the product experience and solve it with imaginative design and thoughtful implementation
  • You balance speed with quality-you ship fast without compromising on the details that matter
  • Your code is clean and intentional; your design pushes thinking forward while remaining accessible
  • You take full ownership-you don't wait for someone else to solve problems you see

Traits That Thrive at Virio
  • High agency & self-direction - Acts without waiting for requirements or detailed instructions
  • Small-team intensity comfort - Comfortable working intensely and closely with a small, high-output team
  • Unorthodox problem solving - Sees non-obvious paths forward and challenges conventional approaches
  • Quality-driven execution - Detail-oriented with high standards for correctness and quality
  • Low ego & accountability - Takes full ownership and accountability for outcomes

Benefits
  • Competitive total compensation aligned to impact and ownership
  • Meaningful equity upside as part of the founding team
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • 401(k) plan
  • All working meals covered
  • Relocation support for San Francisco
  • Company-wide annual off-site
  • Direct access to founders and leadership
  • High ownership, high trust, and fast career progression alongside world-class client partners
  • In-person culture with deep commitment to excellence

This is a full-time, on-site role based in San Francisco with the team coming in 6 days/week. We do not offer hybrid or remote positions.

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