Design Engineer Jobs in Palo Alto, CA
Design Engineer jobs in Palo Alto are concentrated in the Stanford Research Park, downtown Palo Alto, and the East Meadow Drive corridor, with strong demand across semiconductor, medical device, and clean energy hardware companies. Employers actively hiring include Tesla, Rivian, and Ford Motor Company. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 882+ Design Engineer jobs
Overview
At Ford, you’ll work on ideas that matter, alongside passionate people who want to make a global impact. Together, we’re shaping the next era of transportation—grounded in purpose, driven by progress. Make your move.
- Job Type: Full time
- Work Type: Hybrid
We made history and now we work to transform the future – for our customers, our communities and our families. You'll see your work on the road every day, helping people move freely and pursue their dreams. At Ford, you can build more than vehicles. Come build what matters.
Ford’s Electric Vehicles, Digital and Design (EVDD) team is charged with delivering the company’s vision of a fully electric transportation future. EVDD is customer-obsessed, entrepreneurial, and data-driven and is dedicated to delivering industry-leading customer experience for electric vehicle buyers and owners. You’ll join an agile team of doers pioneering our EV future by working collaboratively, staying focused on only what matters, and delivering excellence day in and day out. Join us to make positive change by helping build a better world where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams.
In this position...
Advanced EV’s Design Concept Engineering team is looking for an EE Senior Hardware Engineer to join our fast-paced development, working on cutting-edge features with complex hardware, sensors and software. You would be responsible for architecting, implementing and designing boards for our upcoming product platform, including both on-vehicle and off-vehicle components. This work focuses on product-differentiating, customer-facing designs and circuits for new products features and development. A good candidate would have a strong background in printed circuit board design, schematics and layout, and a portfolio of shipping products in which they crafted the specifications, did schematic design, layout, bring up, and testing for. They would have knowledge of DC-to-DC converters, high speed digital signaling, common data buses (I2C, SPI…) and analog circuit design. Experience with working with oversea CMs and production processes are preferred.
What you'll do...
Electrical Design – This would include schematic and layout of key electrical boards as well as providing guidance to JDM/OEMs on executing designs.
Bring Up and validation – Bring up designs done in-house and at JDM/OEM. Test designs for reliability and validity. Implement changes to address issues found.
Rapid Prototyping – Create quick, simple designs to execute design vision of the studio team using off the shelf parts. Understand tradeoffs being made for velocity and mitigate risks that impact team progress.
System Integration – Work with other engineering teams to integrate electrical designs into our vehicles.
Influence design decisions - Help define electrical architecture and execution.
You'll have...
Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
5+ years of experience with board design
Experience working with Altium eCAD tools
Experience working with contract manufacturers and OEMs
Knowledge of DC/DC converters, transmission lines, common Data buses, analog circuits, board design and layout best practices
Even better, you may have...
5+ years of experience with Systems/HW architectures experience
Python scripting experience
C/C++ coding experience
Design experience using microprocessors and digital logic
Knowledge in display, audio and camera technologies
Experience in motors and encoders
Experience using SI tools such as hyperlink
Experience in ethernet networking
Experience in automotive design (AECxxx, CAN, LIN, T1S)
Experience with validation testing and production design processes
You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!
- Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
- Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
- Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
- Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
- Tuition assistance
- Established and active employee resource groups
- Paid time off for individual and team community service
- A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
- Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.
Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope, responsibility and competitive market value.
For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSR
Visa sponsorship is available for this position.
Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660.
This position is hybrid. Candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location may be required to be onsite four or more days per week. #LI-Hybrid #LI-SE1 #UEV
Overview
At Ford, you’ll work on ideas that matter, alongside passionate people who want to make a global impact. Together, we’re shaping the next era of transportation—grounded in purpose, driven by progress. Make your move.
- Job Type: Full time
- Work Type: Hybrid
We made history and now we work to transform the future – for our customers, our communities and our families. You'll see your work on the road every day, helping people move freely and pursue their dreams. At Ford, you can build more than vehicles. Come build what matters.
Ford’s Electric Vehicles, Digital and Design (EVDD) team is charged with delivering the company’s vision of a fully electric transportation future. EVDD is customer-obsessed, entrepreneurial, and data-driven and is dedicated to delivering industry-leading customer experience for electric vehicle buyers and owners. You’ll join an agile team of doers pioneering our EV future by working collaboratively, staying focused on only what matters, and delivering excellence day in and day out. Join us to make positive change by helping build a better world where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams.
In this position...
Advanced EV’s Design Concept Engineering team is looking for an EE Senior Hardware Engineer to join our fast-paced development, working on cutting-edge features with complex hardware, sensors and software. You would be responsible for architecting, implementing and designing boards for our upcoming product platform, including both on-vehicle and off-vehicle components. This work focuses on product-differentiating, customer-facing designs and circuits for new products features and development. A good candidate would have a strong background in printed circuit board design, schematics and layout, and a portfolio of shipping products in which they crafted the specifications, did schematic design, layout, bring up, and testing for. They would have knowledge of DC-to-DC converters, high speed digital signaling, common data buses (I2C, SPI…) and analog circuit design. Experience with working with oversea CMs and production processes are preferred.
What you'll do...
Electrical Design – This would include schematic and layout of key electrical boards as well as providing guidance to JDM/OEMs on executing designs.
Bring Up and validation – Bring up designs done in-house and at JDM/OEM. Test designs for reliability and validity. Implement changes to address issues found.
Rapid Prototyping – Create quick, simple designs to execute design vision of the studio team using off the shelf parts. Understand tradeoffs being made for velocity and mitigate risks that impact team progress.
System Integration – Work with other engineering teams to integrate electrical designs into our vehicles.
Influence design decisions - Help define electrical architecture and execution.
You'll have...
Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
5+ years of experience with board design
Experience working with Altium eCAD tools
Experience working with contract manufacturers and OEMs
Knowledge of DC/DC converters, transmission lines, common Data buses, analog circuits, board design and layout best practices
Even better, you may have...
5+ years of experience with Systems/HW architectures experience
Python scripting experience
C/C++ coding experience
Design experience using microprocessors and digital logic
Knowledge in display, audio and camera technologies
Experience in motors and encoders
Experience using SI tools such as hyperlink
Experience in ethernet networking
Experience in automotive design (AECxxx, CAN, LIN, T1S)
Experience with validation testing and production design processes
You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!
- Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
- Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
- Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
- Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
- Tuition assistance
- Established and active employee resource groups
- Paid time off for individual and team community service
- A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
- Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.
Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope, responsibility and competitive market value.
For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSR
Visa sponsorship is available for this position.
Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660.
This position is hybrid. Candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location may be required to be onsite four or more days per week. #LI-Hybrid #LI-SE1 #UEV
See All 882+ Design Engineer Jobs in Palo Alto
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Find Design Engineer JobsDesign Engineer Job Market in Palo Alto
Who's Hiring
- Tesla635
- Rivian71
- Ford Motor Company71
- SpaceX53
- Also35
Top Industries Hiring
- Manufacturing229
- Automotive18
- Technology & Software18
Design Engineer Jobs in Palo Alto: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a design engineer job in Palo Alto?
The most direct path is targeting Palo Alto's hardware-heavy employer base: semiconductor firms in the Stanford Research Park, medical device companies along the El Camino Real corridor, and deep-tech startups east of downtown. Candidates with hands-on CAD experience, exposure to ASIC or PCB design, or a portfolio showing physical product work stand out. Networking through Stanford-affiliated events and local IEEE chapter meetings also opens doors that cold applications rarely do.
Which companies hire design engineers in Palo Alto?
Companies currently hiring design engineers in Palo Alto include Tesla, Rivian, and Ford Motor Company, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Palo Alto's employer mix leans toward established technology hardware firms, venture-backed deep-tech startups, and research-adjacent companies spun out of nearby university programs.
Are there remote design engineer jobs in Palo Alto?
Yes, though remote availability is limited for roles that require hands-on lab work, prototype testing, or hardware iteration. About 17% of design engineer openings tied to Palo Alto are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, with most flexibility found in digital design, VLSI, and verification roles rather than mechanical or hardware-integration positions.
How can I get a design engineer job in Palo Alto with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in Palo Alto is targeting hardware startups and mid-size semiconductor firms that regularly bring on junior engineers for defined project roles. Contract-to-hire positions at Palo Alto-area electronics companies are common and often convert to full-time. Internship programs tied to Stanford's engineering departments feed directly into local hiring pipelines, and entry-level roles in verification, test engineering, or CAD drafting frequently serve as the first step toward a full design engineer title.
Which industries hire the most design engineers in Palo Alto?
The sectors hiring the most design engineers in Palo Alto are Manufacturing, Automotive, and Technology & Software, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Palo Alto's concentration of semiconductor companies, medical hardware developers, and clean energy technology firms drives sustained local demand for design engineering talent across product and R&D functions.
Related Jobs in California
See All 882+ Design Engineer Jobs in Palo Alto
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