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Lead Designer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Punch Agency

Lead Designer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

As Lead Designer, you will be involved in every aspect of the product development process, from brainstorming the next great product innovation to tweaking pixels right before launch. You will be ...

Hive

Lead Designer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$90K - $160K/yr

Lead Designer Role As a Lead Designer at Hive, you will be responsible for overseeing all UI/UX design processes and ensuring that projects are being executed both excellently and efficiently. You ...

Hive

Lead Designer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$90K - $160K/yr

Lead Designer Role As a Lead Designer at Hive, you will be responsible for overseeing all UI/UX design processes and ensuring that projects are being executed both excellently and efficiently. You ...

Starpath

Lead Designer

Hawthorne, CA · On-site

$100K - $160K/yr

Lead Designer Position Details Location: Los Angeles (Hawthorne), CA Employment Type: Full-time Department: Design / Starlight Solar Travel: Occasional About Starpath Starpath develops and ...

Albertsons

Lead Designer

Pleasanton, CA · On-site

Experience leading creative workstreams or acting as a design lead on key projects , with increasing ownership of outcomes * Demonstrated ability to mentor, guide, or informally manage designers ...

Albertsons

Lead Designer

Pleasanton, CA · On-site

Experience leading creative workstreams or acting as a design lead on key projects , with increasing ownership of outcomes * Demonstrated ability to mentor, guide, or informally manage designers ...

Foundation

Lead Designer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Introduction Foundation is hiring a lead designer to accelerate our core business, modernize homebuilding, and transform the experience of buying, selling, and owning homes. About Foundation Backed ...

Albertsons

Lead Designer

Pleasanton, CA · On-site

$105K - $137K/yr

Experience leading creative workstreams or acting as a design lead on key projects , with increasing ownership of outcomes * Demonstrated ability to mentor, guide, or informally manage designers ...

Albertsons

Lead Designer

Pleasanton, CA · On-site

Experience leading creative workstreams or acting as a design lead on key projects , with increasing ownership of outcomes * Demonstrated ability to mentor, guide, or informally manage designers ...

Deckers

Lead Designer - Teva

Goleta, CA · Hybrid

Lead Designer - Teva Reports to: Sr. Manager, Product Line - Outdoor Performance Location: Goleta, CA - Hybrid Typically 3 times per week in office, Tuesday - Thursday The Role As Lead Designer ...

Deckers Brands

Lead Designer - Teva

Goleta, CA · On-site

Lead Designer - Teva Reports to: Sr. Manager, Product Line - Outdoor Performance Location: Goleta, CA - Hybrid Typically 3 times per week in office, Tuesday - Thursday The Role As Lead Designer ...

Kaminskiy Design and Remodeling

Be Seen First

Part-Time Lead Interior Designer

San Diego, CA · On-site

$35 - $45/hr

Part-Time Lead interior Designer Hourly, Variable Project-Based Schedule | Potential to Grow into Full-Time Compensation: $35 to $45 per hour, depending on experience Kaminskiy Design & Remodeling is ...

Ascent

Lead Urban Designer

Sacramento, CA · On-site

$135K - $189K/yr

Job Type Full-time Description Ascent is looking for a Lead Urban Designer to join our Urban Design + Planning Studio. Our ideal candidate is a seasoned urban designer with deep California experience ...

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All JobsLead Designer JobsLead Designer Jobs in California

Lead Designer information

See California salary details

$41.5K

$90K

$154.9K

How much do lead designer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for lead designer in California is $89,967.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $65,600.00 and $108,100.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Lead Designer vs Senior Designer?

AspectLead DesignerSenior Designer
ResponsibilitiesOversees design projects, manages design team, sets creative directionExecutes design tasks, develops concepts, and contributes to projects independently
Required SkillsStrong leadership, project management, advanced design skillsAdvanced design skills, creativity, problem-solving
Work EnvironmentCollaborative, team leadership, client interactionFocused on individual contribution, team collaboration
Common UsageUsed in agencies, tech companies, large organizationsUsed across similar industries, often as a senior individual contributor

The main difference between a Lead Designer and a Senior Designer lies in their scope of responsibilities. Lead Designers typically manage teams and oversee projects, while Senior Designers focus on executing complex design tasks independently. Both roles require advanced design skills, but Lead Designers also need leadership and project management abilities.

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

To thrive as a Lead Designer, you need advanced design skills, a strong portfolio, and experience with design principles and team leadership, often supported by a degree in design or a related field. Mastery of industry-standard tools like Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, or Sketch, and familiarity with project management systems are essential. Exceptional communication, creative problem-solving, and leadership abilities help you guide teams and collaborate with stakeholders. These skills ensure the delivery of innovative, cohesive designs that align with business goals and drive project success.

How does a lead designer typically collaborate with other departments during a project?

A Lead Designer frequently works cross-functionally, coordinating closely with product managers, developers, and marketing teams to ensure design solutions align with business objectives and technical constraints. They often participate in strategy meetings, provide design direction, and facilitate feedback sessions to harmonize the visual and functional aspects of a project. This collaboration helps maintain consistency in user experience and brand identity while ensuring that deliverables meet deadlines and stakeholder expectations.

What is a lead designer?

A lead designer is in charge of the creative aspects of a project. As a lead designer, you may work with a creative director to oversee design of a video game, a multimedia project, or website. Your job duties in this career include meeting with clients to assess their needs, creating a framework for the project, and working with an art team to execute the plan according to specifications. Qualifications vary, depending on the employer, but lead designers typically need a bachelor’s degree and several years of industry experience.

More about Lead Designer jobs
What are popular job titles related to Lead Designer jobs in California? For Lead Designer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Lead Designer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Lead Designer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Lead Designer jobs? Cities in California with the most Lead Designer job openings:
What are popular job titles related to Lead Designer jobs in CA? For Lead Designer jobs in CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Lead Designer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Lead Designer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 87% Full Time, 10% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $89,967 per year, or $43.3 per hour.

Lead Designer

Punch Agency

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 14 days ago

Job description

Company Description

Punch is a full service digital agency based out of New York, Silicon Valley, LA, Boston, Stockholm and Phuket, Thailand. Here at Punch, we take pride in tackling our clients' most challenging tasks. Founded by a group of former Google Engineers and now with over 75 staff, Punch is now leading the way in creating new cutting-edge technology.

We're looking for innovative thinkers with a hunger to expand their knowledge!
We are building a more technical world.Go ahead and check out some of our work here: www.punch-agency.com


Job Description

We have large multi-year contracts with the nation's largest utility providers. We are

backed by top Silicon Valley venture capital firms and led by visionary computer

scientists and entrepreneurs. Come be part of a team of designers passionate about

creating the very best product for the new age world. As Lead Designer, you will be

involved in every aspect of the product development process, from brainstorming the

next great product innovation to tweaking pixels right before launch. You will be

expected to utilize your full range of interaction design, visual design, and technical

front end implementation skills.

This position is full-time and based in SoMa, San Francisco.


Responsibilities

Take broad, conceptual ideas and turn them into functional and beautiful designs for our

users and customers

Quickly & iteratively Design lo-fi and hi-res flows and experiences that are simple and

elegant

Contribution to technical implementation of UX

Contribute to high-level strategic decisions with the rest of the product and executive

teams

Give and solicit feedback from team in order to continually raise our bar for quality

Partner with PMs, engineers, researchers and content strategists to oversee the user

experience of a product from conception until launch (and then some)

Manage Design Assets

Conduct usability research and design validation experiments.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification

You possess excellent communication skills (you should be able to clearly articulate your

design decisions along with final specifications)

Experience with front-end programming (you should be able to code up a somewhat

complex web site and/or front end of an application-- HTML5, CSS3, JSON & some

Android Material Design).

The ability to think at a high level about product strategy and vision (not just 'how it

should look' but 'what we should build')

Experience in building and shipping applications or software

Must have a portfolio featuring examples of interaction design work & graphics that you

specifically have produced

3+ Experience with usability and interaction design research.

2+ years experience with b2b / enterprise application design.

3+ Experience with current Mobile (specifically Android) and Web design patterns.

Advanced in the following tools: Sketch, Illustrator, Invision, Mixpanel, Jira and Github

Additional Information

We are a team of former Google Engineers and Designers based in Silicon Valley, New York and Phuket, Thailand.

All of our core engineers are paid in the $150,000 range or greater and we also provide our engineers the opportunity to work, all expenses paid, from our Phuket, Thailand office one month a year as a creative outlet to work and enjoy life to the fullest.

In this role you will work with some of the most exciting projects in the industry today with a team of fast moving engineers and designers who have a passion for building disruptive products. 


Apply