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Lead Designer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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

$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 ...

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 ...

Umusic

Lead Motion Designer

Santa Monica, CA

The Lead Motion Designer is responsible for advancing the motion design capabilities of the organization while ensuring motion remains a meaningful and integrated part of the creative process. How ...

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 14, 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

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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:

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Cities in California with the most Lead Designer job openings:

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Lead Designer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Lead Designer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 86% Full Time, 10% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 2% 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

Starpath

Hawthorne, CA • On-site

$100K - $160K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO

Posted 15 days ago

Job description

Lead Designer
Position Details
Location: Los Angeles (Hawthorne), CA
Employment Type: Full-time
Department: Design / Starlight Solar
Travel: Occasional
About Starpath
Starpath develops and manufactures the technologies that will enable humans to live on the Moon and Mars. Today, we are building robotic systems that locally produce the essential commodities a lunar civilization will require at extreme scale: water, power, and oxygen. Our ultimate goal is to build and operate a self-sustaining city on Mars.
The Role
Starpath is building a growing portfolio of hardware - space solar arrays, lunar surface robotics, factory equipment, and the systems that will one day operate on the Moon and Mars. As our Lead Designer, you will own how our hardware looks, feels, and reads as a coherent family of products. Your work will define Starpath's design language, and set the aesthetic and formal standards that carry across every product we build.
This is a hands-on senior IC role. You'll live in CAD, generate concepts, iterate fast, and partner deeply with engineering to translate design intent into buildable hardware. The right person combines strong industrial design instincts with the engineering fluency to work directly with mechanical, structures, and manufacturing teams without translation loss.
Responsibilities
  • Develop and steward Starpath's industrial design language across all products - form, surfacing, proportions, materiality, and detail
  • Generate concept designs in CAD for new products and product refreshes, from early ideation through refined design intent
  • Partner with mechanical, structures, and manufacturing engineering to translate design concepts into buildable hardware while preserving design intent
  • Establish and evolve design standards, guidelines, and libraries that support consistency as the product portfolio grows
  • Lead design reviews and act as the design voice in cross-functional product decisions
  • Produce renderings, visualizations, and design deliverables that communicate design vision internally and externally (investor materials, customer presentations, marketing)
  • Own the visual and formal cohesion of Starpath's hardware - ensuring products from different teams read as part of the same family
  • Push back on unnecessary complexity - simplify forms, reduce visual noise, and cut detail wherever it doesn't add value

Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, or a related discipline
  • 6+ years of industrial design experience with a portfolio demonstrating hardware product design, ideally in aerospace, robotics, consumer electronics, automotive, or comparable domains
  • Strong CAD proficiency (SolidWorks, Alias, Rhino, or similar) with the ability to model and iterate concepts directly
  • Demonstrated ability to define and maintain design language across a family of hardware products
  • Portfolio required for consideration

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience at a hardware company with a strong design reputation (Apple, Tesla, Rivian, Anduril, Nike, Frog Design, IDEO, or comparable)
  • Background bridging industrial design and mechanical engineering - comfort with GD&T, DFM, and engineering-driven design constraints
  • Proficiency with visualization and rendering tools (KeyShot, Blender, Cinema 4D, or similar)
  • Experience designing hardware for extreme environments, high-reliability applications, or complex mechanical systems
  • Sketching skills for early ideation and communication
  • Experience partnering with brand and marketing teams on visual identity and product photography
  • Prior experience as the sole designer or first design hire at a growing hardware company

Compensation & Benefits
  • Location: Los Angeles (Hawthorne), CA
  • Competitive salary plus equity package; compensation scales with candidate experience
  • PTO & health/dental/vision coverage included

EAR REQUIREMENTS:
  • To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Equal Opportunity
Starpath is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

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