Design Team Lead Jobs
Design team lead jobs are open across tech, e-commerce, fintech, healthcare, and agencies, from mid-level to senior and director, with specializations in product design, brand identity, and UX leadership. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
Find Design Team Lead JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 22+ Design Team Lead jobs
What We're Looking For
The time is right to join HNTB’s growing Design Build (DB) Organization! We are seeking candidates for a Design Build Project Engineer Team Lead, with demonstrated experience on fast-paced transportation infrastructure projects.This role entails being responsible for the production and modification of design calculations, technical reports, engineering plans and specifications for assigned projects. This position consults with the project manager to perform research, development, calculations, design and delivery. Applies engineering techniques, procedures and design criteria for complex alternative delivery projects. Leverages technical knowledge and experience to address design related issues or concerns, working closely with the design manager through creative problem solving, interactions with clients and by completing tasks to meet the project schedule. Develops conceptual and detailed designs and calculations to support the project completion using current drawing and technical tools, programs and software. May mentor, train and review work of junior engineer staff and provide constructive feedback. As a member of the team, you will contribute to the successful project delivery for a diverse range of projects for HNTB’s clients. This position is a lead role to direct, mentor and train junior staff.
What You'll Do:
- Responsible for the planning and distribution of discipline-specific work, and adherence to the schedule and budget on projects.
- Assists in marketing responsibilities, including proposal generation.
- Assists with the development of scope of work and level of effort for projects and/or assignments within discipline.
- Oversees completeness and accuracy of project team’s work within the technical discipline. Guides and mentors team to overall project objectives.
- Coordinates technical aspects of project with client counterpart and teaming partners at staff level for work within the discipline.
- Works closely with other disciplines on multi-discipline projects.
- Recruits, hires, develops and retains staff, including development of plan for staff reporting, performance and compensation reviews, and succession. Coordinates schedules and approves timecards.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
What You'll Need:
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and 6 years of relevant experience, or
- Master’s degree in Engineering and 5 years of relevant experience, or
- PhD in Engineering and 4 years of relevant experience
What You'll Bring:
- Coordinates work planning and design effectively within their technical discipline.
- Shows excellent technical knowledge and quality work on multi-discipline projects.
- Prioritizes tasks and displays accountability to the project team to deliver projects that are of high quality, on-time, and within budget and scope.
- Demonstrates vision beyond the task at hand and anticipates risks and effects of their actions.
- Understands and supports the objectives that are responsible for successful project delivery, recognizing how multiple disciplines influence project development
- Applies an accrued knowledge base to innovate project efficiencies.
- Uses refined technical skills to identify problems, develop appropriate solutions, and make good decisions, knowing what tools to use for effective solutions and optimal outcomes on projects.
- Interfacing with your client-level peer during a pursuit or a project
What We Prefer:
- Master’s degree in Engineering
- 8 years relevant experience
- Professional Engineer (PE) certification
- American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification (depending on discipline)
Additional Information
Click here for benefits information: HNTB Total Rewards
Click here to learn more about Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran
#RN.
Locations:
Arlington, VA, Charlotte, NC, Detroit, MI, East Lansing, MI (Lansing), Indianapolis, IN, Kansas City, MO, Los Angeles, CA (Figueroa Street), Milwaukee, WI (East Wisconsin Avenue), New York, NY, Salt Lake City, UT.
The approximate pay range for Los Angeles Metro Area and Orange County, CA is $110,390.23 - $172,661.65. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state..
.
.
.
.
.
The approximate pay range for New York is $119,989.38 - $187,675.71. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position based on all selected locations within the state at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The approximate pay range for Virginia is $110,390.23 - $172,661.65. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position based on all selected locations within the state at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state..
.
.
.
.
.
.
NOTICE TO THIRD-PARTY AGENCIES:
HNTB does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or agencies. Any staffing/employment agency, person or entity that submits an unsolicited resume to this site does so with the understanding that the applicant's resume will become the property of HNTB. HNTB will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion and without any fee owed to the submitting staffing/employment agency, person or entity. Staffing/employment agencies who have fee agreements with HNTB must submit applicants to the designated HNTB recruiter to be eligible for placement fees.
What We're Looking For
The time is right to join HNTB’s growing Design Build (DB) Organization! We are seeking candidates for a Design Build Project Engineer Team Lead, with demonstrated experience on fast-paced transportation infrastructure projects.This role entails being responsible for the production and modification of design calculations, technical reports, engineering plans and specifications for assigned projects. This position consults with the project manager to perform research, development, calculations, design and delivery. Applies engineering techniques, procedures and design criteria for complex alternative delivery projects. Leverages technical knowledge and experience to address design related issues or concerns, working closely with the design manager through creative problem solving, interactions with clients and by completing tasks to meet the project schedule. Develops conceptual and detailed designs and calculations to support the project completion using current drawing and technical tools, programs and software. May mentor, train and review work of junior engineer staff and provide constructive feedback. As a member of the team, you will contribute to the successful project delivery for a diverse range of projects for HNTB’s clients. This position is a lead role to direct, mentor and train junior staff.
What You'll Do:
- Responsible for the planning and distribution of discipline-specific work, and adherence to the schedule and budget on projects.
- Assists in marketing responsibilities, including proposal generation.
- Assists with the development of scope of work and level of effort for projects and/or assignments within discipline.
- Oversees completeness and accuracy of project team’s work within the technical discipline. Guides and mentors team to overall project objectives.
- Coordinates technical aspects of project with client counterpart and teaming partners at staff level for work within the discipline.
- Works closely with other disciplines on multi-discipline projects.
- Recruits, hires, develops and retains staff, including development of plan for staff reporting, performance and compensation reviews, and succession. Coordinates schedules and approves timecards.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
What You'll Need:
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and 6 years of relevant experience, or
- Master’s degree in Engineering and 5 years of relevant experience, or
- PhD in Engineering and 4 years of relevant experience
What You'll Bring:
- Coordinates work planning and design effectively within their technical discipline.
- Shows excellent technical knowledge and quality work on multi-discipline projects.
- Prioritizes tasks and displays accountability to the project team to deliver projects that are of high quality, on-time, and within budget and scope.
- Demonstrates vision beyond the task at hand and anticipates risks and effects of their actions.
- Understands and supports the objectives that are responsible for successful project delivery, recognizing how multiple disciplines influence project development
- Applies an accrued knowledge base to innovate project efficiencies.
- Uses refined technical skills to identify problems, develop appropriate solutions, and make good decisions, knowing what tools to use for effective solutions and optimal outcomes on projects.
- Interfacing with your client-level peer during a pursuit or a project
What We Prefer:
- Master’s degree in Engineering
- 8 years relevant experience
- Professional Engineer (PE) certification
- American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification (depending on discipline)
Additional Information
Click here for benefits information: HNTB Total Rewards
Click here to learn more about Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran
#RN.
Locations:
Arlington, VA, Charlotte, NC, Detroit, MI, East Lansing, MI (Lansing), Indianapolis, IN, Kansas City, MO, Los Angeles, CA (Figueroa Street), Milwaukee, WI (East Wisconsin Avenue), New York, NY, Salt Lake City, UT.
The approximate pay range for Los Angeles Metro Area and Orange County, CA is $110,390.23 - $172,661.65. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state..
.
.
.
.
.
The approximate pay range for New York is $119,989.38 - $187,675.71. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position based on all selected locations within the state at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The approximate pay range for Virginia is $110,390.23 - $172,661.65. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position based on all selected locations within the state at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state..
.
.
.
.
.
.
NOTICE TO THIRD-PARTY AGENCIES:
HNTB does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or agencies. Any staffing/employment agency, person or entity that submits an unsolicited resume to this site does so with the understanding that the applicant's resume will become the property of HNTB. HNTB will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion and without any fee owed to the submitting staffing/employment agency, person or entity. Staffing/employment agencies who have fee agreements with HNTB must submit applicants to the designated HNTB recruiter to be eligible for placement fees.
See All 22 Design Team Lead Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Design Team Lead JobsDesign Team Lead Job Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Manufacturing
- Electronics & Hardware
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in design team lead jobs.
- 5 or more years of experience in product, UX, or brand design
- Proven experience managing or mentoring a team of designers
- Proficiency in Figma, with working knowledge of prototyping and design systems
- Experience collaborating with product managers and engineers in agile workflows
- Portfolio demonstrating end-to-end design projects with measurable outcomes
- Bachelor's degree in graphic design, interaction design, or a related field
Tips for Your Design Team Lead Job Search
Show leadership impact in your portfolio
Hiring managers for design team lead roles want to see how you shaped a team's output, not just your individual craft. Add a case study that walks through how you gave feedback, resolved design disagreements, or raised the quality bar for a project.
Tailor your resume to leadership signals
Design team lead postings screen for people management and cross-functional collaboration, not just design tools. Reframe your bullets to show how many designers you led, how you partnered with product and engineering, and what process improvements you drove.
Target postings that match your team size
A lead role at a 10-person startup means something very different than one at a 500-person company. Read each listing for team size and reporting structure before you apply, so you're not over- or under-scoped for the role.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists design team lead openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Prepare a design critique for your interview
Many design team lead interviews include a live critique exercise where you review another designer's work on the spot. Practice giving structured, constructive feedback that balances business goals, user needs, and visual quality without rewriting the whole design.
Negotiate scope alongside compensation
When you receive an offer, clarify what direct reports you'll have from day one, what tools and budget you control, and whether the team is growing or in a holding pattern. These factors affect your day-to-day far more than title alone.
Design Team Lead Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most design team leads?
The most active employers for design team leads right now are HNTB Corporation, American Honda Motor, and HDR, and the most openings are in Texas, Ohio, and New York, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Tech companies, e-commerce platforms, and digital agencies tend to post the highest volume of these roles.
How many design team lead jobs are remote?
About 86% of design team lead openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting strong demand for distributed design leadership. UX and product design lead roles tend to have the highest remote availability, while brand and in-house creative lead positions more often require on-site presence.
How do you become a design team lead?
Start by building a strong individual contributor record, then actively take on mentorship responsibilities before the title changes. Volunteer to run design critiques, own a component of a design system, or coordinate handoffs with engineering. When you apply for lead roles, your portfolio should include at least one project where you directed other designers' work, not just your own.
Can I get hired as a design team lead without prior management experience?
Yes, especially at smaller companies or startups where you'd be the first or only senior designer. Employers in those contexts care more about your ability to set direction and raise quality than your formal management history. Frame any mentorship, freelance team coordination, or project leadership you've done as evidence you can step into the role, and be upfront that you're making the move from individual contributor.
What does the design team lead interview process look like?
Most processes run three to four rounds. A recruiter screen is followed by a portfolio review with the hiring manager, where you'll walk through two or three projects in depth. A cross-functional panel round often includes a product manager and an engineer asking how you collaborate. Some companies add a live design critique or a take-home exercise focused on team process rather than pixel-level craft.
Where can I find and apply to design team lead jobs?
You can find and apply to design team lead jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Find roles that fit your experience and location preference, then apply directly to each listing from the page.
See All 22 Design Team Lead Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Design Team Lead Jobs