Engineering Design Manager Jobs in California
Engineering Design Manager jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in aerospace and defense, semiconductor manufacturing, clean energy, and consumer electronics across seniority levels from lead engineer through principal design manager. The largest hiring metros are the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where anchor employers such as Apple, Northrop Grumman, and Qualcomm maintain significant engineering leadership headcount. Product development, systems integration, and hardware design management are the most consistently sought specialties in California listings. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Mechanical Designers on the Optimus Battery Design Team won’t just design batteries—we must make them. We seek individuals passionate about designing and building safe, reliable, and high-performance battery systems for Tesla’s mass-produced humanoid robots. This role demands solving unprecedented challenges, such as innovating cooling systems and designing for high speed automation, while delivering what will be the highest-volume production battery pack in Tesla’s history.
Success in this role requires collaboration with cross-functional teams, resilience in the face of shifting priorities, and the ability to thrive under tight deadlines. Strong mechanical fundamentals are essential to push the boundaries of physical possibility and shape the future of humanoid robotics. Join our growing team to pioneer groundbreaking solutions and leave a lasting impact on the evolution of battery technology.
What You'll Do
- Full product design responsibility, from concept through production launch and ramp
- Complete 3D design of complex parts and assemblies
- Advance product performance while driving down cost and mass through part and process improvements
- Develop new technologies, supported with early process development
- Build scrappy hands-on prototypes
- Define specifications for parts, tests, suppliers, and in-house manufacturing
- Draft and release 2D part and assembly drawings
- Own basic testing and analysis while supporting system level testing and analysis
- Root cause test failures and production problems
- Travel to support production launch and ramp (supplier visits, on-site at Tesla factories)
What You'll Bring
- Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience
- Any level of experience from new grad to seasoned engineer
- Engineering fundamentals in heat transfer, mechanics, statistics, fluids, and basic electronics
- Sharp 3D CAD skills with 3DX experience being a plus
- A detail-oriented personality with solid documentation and reporting skills
- Willingness to try things quickly and learn fast to iterate at max speed
Benefits
Along with competitive pay, as a full-time Tesla employee, you are eligible for the following benefits at day 1 of hire:
- Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction
- Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
- Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans, both have options with a $0 paycheck contribution
- Company Paid (Health Savings Accounts) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High-Deductible medical plan with HSA
- Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- 401(k) with employer match, Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
- Company paid Basic Life, AD&D
- Short-term and long-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)
- Employee Assistance Program
- Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions, Accrued hours for Hourly positions), and Paid Holidays
- Back-up childcare and parenting support resources
- Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance
- Weight Loss and Tobacco Cessation Programs
- Tesla Babies program
- Commuter benefits
- Employee discounts and perks program
- Earned Wage Access: Real-time pay access paid daily, subject to eligibility and schedule (applicable for below Sr. Managers levels)
Expected Compensation
Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.
Tesla is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
Tesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.
Mechanical Designers on the Optimus Battery Design Team won’t just design batteries—we must make them. We seek individuals passionate about designing and building safe, reliable, and high-performance battery systems for Tesla’s mass-produced humanoid robots. This role demands solving unprecedented challenges, such as innovating cooling systems and designing for high speed automation, while delivering what will be the highest-volume production battery pack in Tesla’s history.
Success in this role requires collaboration with cross-functional teams, resilience in the face of shifting priorities, and the ability to thrive under tight deadlines. Strong mechanical fundamentals are essential to push the boundaries of physical possibility and shape the future of humanoid robotics. Join our growing team to pioneer groundbreaking solutions and leave a lasting impact on the evolution of battery technology.
What You'll Do
- Full product design responsibility, from concept through production launch and ramp
- Complete 3D design of complex parts and assemblies
- Advance product performance while driving down cost and mass through part and process improvements
- Develop new technologies, supported with early process development
- Build scrappy hands-on prototypes
- Define specifications for parts, tests, suppliers, and in-house manufacturing
- Draft and release 2D part and assembly drawings
- Own basic testing and analysis while supporting system level testing and analysis
- Root cause test failures and production problems
- Travel to support production launch and ramp (supplier visits, on-site at Tesla factories)
What You'll Bring
- Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience
- Any level of experience from new grad to seasoned engineer
- Engineering fundamentals in heat transfer, mechanics, statistics, fluids, and basic electronics
- Sharp 3D CAD skills with 3DX experience being a plus
- A detail-oriented personality with solid documentation and reporting skills
- Willingness to try things quickly and learn fast to iterate at max speed
Benefits
Along with competitive pay, as a full-time Tesla employee, you are eligible for the following benefits at day 1 of hire:
- Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction
- Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
- Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans, both have options with a $0 paycheck contribution
- Company Paid (Health Savings Accounts) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High-Deductible medical plan with HSA
- Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- 401(k) with employer match, Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
- Company paid Basic Life, AD&D
- Short-term and long-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)
- Employee Assistance Program
- Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions, Accrued hours for Hourly positions), and Paid Holidays
- Back-up childcare and parenting support resources
- Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance
- Weight Loss and Tobacco Cessation Programs
- Tesla Babies program
- Commuter benefits
- Employee discounts and perks program
- Earned Wage Access: Real-time pay access paid daily, subject to eligibility and schedule (applicable for below Sr. Managers levels)
Expected Compensation
Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.
Tesla is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
Tesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.
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Find JobsEngineering Design Manager Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Engineering Design Manager Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Tesla18
- Apple11
- Meta5
- General Atomics5
- Cisco4
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Electronics & Hardware
- Aerospace & Defense
- Education
- Automotive
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in engineering design manager jobs across California.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in mechanical, electrical, or systems engineering from an accredited institution
- Professional Engineer (PE) license issued or recognized by the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists
- Seven or more years of progressive engineering experience including people management or team leadership
- Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional product development programs in a regulated California industry such as aerospace, defense, or semiconductor
- Proficiency with CAD, PLM, or EDA tools commonly used across California's hardware engineering environments
- Strong communication skills and experience partnering with product, program, and manufacturing teams in matrixed organizations
Engineering Design Manager Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a engineering design manager in California?
The most direct path is earning an accredited engineering degree, gaining several years of hands-on design experience, and then moving into a team lead or senior engineer role before stepping up to management. In California, holding or pursuing a Professional Engineer license through the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists strengthens your candidacy, particularly in aerospace, defense, and civil-adjacent disciplines. Employers in the Bay Area and Southern California typically promote internally from senior individual contributor roles.
Which companies hire engineering design managers in California?
Employers hiring engineering design managers in California right now include Tesla, Apple, and Meta, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. California's concentration of aerospace primes, semiconductor firms, and consumer electronics headquarters means engineering design manager openings appear across a wide range of product categories and company sizes.
Which California cities have the most engineering design manager jobs?
San Jose, Palo Alto, and San Diego have the most engineering design manager openings in California. The Bay Area's density of semiconductor, software-hardware, and clean energy companies drives the volume there, while Los Angeles and San Diego are anchored by a mix of aerospace and defense primes, medical device firms, and consumer electronics operations that maintain large engineering leadership teams.
Are there remote engineering design manager jobs in California?
Yes, but they're less common than in purely digital roles because engineering design management often requires on-site collaboration with lab teams, hardware prototypes, and manufacturing partners. About 38% of engineering design manager openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, and the remote-eligible share tends to skew toward program oversight, systems architecture review, and vendor coordination responsibilities rather than hands-on lab or build work.
How can I get hired as a engineering design manager in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry point is securing a senior individual contributor role first, then transitioning into management. Large California employers such as aerospace primes in El Segundo and Seal Beach and semiconductor companies in San Jose and San Diego regularly hire new graduates into rotational engineering programs that develop the cross-functional exposure managers need. Building a PE license application, contributing to product launches, and taking on informal lead responsibilities on a project team are the credentials and experiences that open engineering design manager doors in this state.
Where can I find and apply to engineering design manager jobs in California?
You can find and apply to engineering design manager jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings updated regularly. Find the roles that fit your background and apply directly to the employers posting them.
See All 124+ Engineering Design Manager Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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