Lead Industrial Designer Jobs
Lead Industrial Designer jobs are open across consumer electronics, automotive, medical devices, and consumer goods, from senior contributor to director, with specializations in product development, human factors, and CMF design. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 148+ Lead Industrial Designer jobs
About Hark
Hark is an artificial intelligence company building advanced, personalized intelligence. One that is proactive, multimodal, and capable of interacting with the world through speech, text, vision, and persistent memory.
We're pairing that intelligence with next-generation hardware to create a universal interface between humans and machines. While today's AI largely operates through chat boxes and decade-old devices, Hark is focused on what comes next: agentic systems that interact naturally with people and the real world.
To get there, we're developing multimodal models and next-generation AI hardware together - designed from the ground up as a single, unified interface for a new era of intelligent systems.
About the Role
We're hiring an Industrial Designer to join Hark's design team, reporting to our Head of Design. You'll help bring the look, feel, and physical experience of our devices to life, taking concepts from sketch to production within the design direction set by the team. You'll work hands-on every day, sketching, modeling, prototyping, and partnering closely with product design, electrical, and acoustic engineers to make sure what ships matches the design intent.
This role sits where design meets engineering: you'll spend as much time with engineers at the bench and at builds as you do at your desk, turning concepts into products that can actually be made.
Responsibilities
- Develop industrial design concepts for Hark hardware and accessories through sketches, renderings, 3D surface models, and physical mockups
- Carry design direction from the Head of Design into detailed, production-ready surfaces and design specifications
- Build rapid prototypes in-house (foam, 3D print, CNC) to test scale, ergonomics, feel, and proportion
- Support color, material, and finish (CMF) development, including researching materials and reviewing supplier samples
- Design physical interaction details: buttons, haptics, light, charging, and how devices are held, worn, or placed
- Work side by side with Product Design, Mechanical, Electrical, Acoustics, and Thermals engineers from first concept through mass production, co-owning the trade-offs that turn a design into a manufacturable product
- Prepare clear design presentations, renderings, and documentation for team and leadership reviews
- Travel to suppliers and manufacturing partners as needed to review builds and cosmetic quality
- Contribute to Hark's evolving hardware design language across a growing family of products
Requirements
- Bachelor's in Industrial Design or a related field
- 3+ years of industrial design experience in consumer products, with hands-on involvement in at least one hardware product that reached production
- A track record of partnering closely with mechanical and electrical engineers to take designs through engineering builds and into mass production
- A portfolio that shows strong form, detail, and craft, plus the thinking behind your decisions
- Strong 3D surfacing skills (Alias, Rhino, or similar) and fluency in rendering tools (KeyShot or similar)
- Fast, expressive sketching and visual communication skills
- Working knowledge of high-volume manufacturing processes (injection molding, die casting, CNC, finishing) and how they shape design
- Comfortable taking direction and feedback, iterating quickly, and working through ambiguity
- Collaborative and low-ego, with a high bar for detail
Bonus Qualifications
- Experience designing wearables, audio products, or other compact devices with integrated sensors, microphones, cameras, or displays
- Experience with CMF development and supplier sampling
- Experience with lighting, haptics, or other physical feedback as part of a product's interaction design
- Familiarity with mechanical CAD (NX, Creo, or SolidWorks) for working handoffs with engineering
- Experience designing packaging, accessories, or the unboxing experience
Compensation
The US base salary range for this full-time position is between $150,000 - $350,000 annually.
The pay offered for this position may vary based on several individual factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package may also include additional components/benefits depending on the specific role. This information will be shared if an employment offer is extended.
About Hark
Hark is an artificial intelligence company building advanced, personalized intelligence. One that is proactive, multimodal, and capable of interacting with the world through speech, text, vision, and persistent memory.
We're pairing that intelligence with next-generation hardware to create a universal interface between humans and machines. While today's AI largely operates through chat boxes and decade-old devices, Hark is focused on what comes next: agentic systems that interact naturally with people and the real world.
To get there, we're developing multimodal models and next-generation AI hardware together - designed from the ground up as a single, unified interface for a new era of intelligent systems.
About the Role
We're hiring an Industrial Designer to join Hark's design team, reporting to our Head of Design. You'll help bring the look, feel, and physical experience of our devices to life, taking concepts from sketch to production within the design direction set by the team. You'll work hands-on every day, sketching, modeling, prototyping, and partnering closely with product design, electrical, and acoustic engineers to make sure what ships matches the design intent.
This role sits where design meets engineering: you'll spend as much time with engineers at the bench and at builds as you do at your desk, turning concepts into products that can actually be made.
Responsibilities
- Develop industrial design concepts for Hark hardware and accessories through sketches, renderings, 3D surface models, and physical mockups
- Carry design direction from the Head of Design into detailed, production-ready surfaces and design specifications
- Build rapid prototypes in-house (foam, 3D print, CNC) to test scale, ergonomics, feel, and proportion
- Support color, material, and finish (CMF) development, including researching materials and reviewing supplier samples
- Design physical interaction details: buttons, haptics, light, charging, and how devices are held, worn, or placed
- Work side by side with Product Design, Mechanical, Electrical, Acoustics, and Thermals engineers from first concept through mass production, co-owning the trade-offs that turn a design into a manufacturable product
- Prepare clear design presentations, renderings, and documentation for team and leadership reviews
- Travel to suppliers and manufacturing partners as needed to review builds and cosmetic quality
- Contribute to Hark's evolving hardware design language across a growing family of products
Requirements
- Bachelor's in Industrial Design or a related field
- 3+ years of industrial design experience in consumer products, with hands-on involvement in at least one hardware product that reached production
- A track record of partnering closely with mechanical and electrical engineers to take designs through engineering builds and into mass production
- A portfolio that shows strong form, detail, and craft, plus the thinking behind your decisions
- Strong 3D surfacing skills (Alias, Rhino, or similar) and fluency in rendering tools (KeyShot or similar)
- Fast, expressive sketching and visual communication skills
- Working knowledge of high-volume manufacturing processes (injection molding, die casting, CNC, finishing) and how they shape design
- Comfortable taking direction and feedback, iterating quickly, and working through ambiguity
- Collaborative and low-ego, with a high bar for detail
Bonus Qualifications
- Experience designing wearables, audio products, or other compact devices with integrated sensors, microphones, cameras, or displays
- Experience with CMF development and supplier sampling
- Experience with lighting, haptics, or other physical feedback as part of a product's interaction design
- Familiarity with mechanical CAD (NX, Creo, or SolidWorks) for working handoffs with engineering
- Experience designing packaging, accessories, or the unboxing experience
Compensation
The US base salary range for this full-time position is between $150,000 - $350,000 annually.
The pay offered for this position may vary based on several individual factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package may also include additional components/benefits depending on the specific role. This information will be shared if an employment offer is extended.
Lead Industrial Designer Jobs by Experience Level
See All 148+ Lead Industrial Designer Jobs
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Find Lead Industrial Designer JobsLead Industrial Designer Job Market
Who's Hiring
- Sargent & Lundy19
- Kiewit Corporation7
- Spectrum Brands5
- Formlabs4
- Team TTI4T
Top Industries Hiring
- Manufacturing
- Technology & Software
- Electronics & Hardware
- Artificial Intelligence
- Consulting & Professional Services
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in lead industrial designer jobs.
- 7 or more years of industrial design experience, including team leadership
- Expert proficiency in CAD software such as SolidWorks, Alias, or Rhino
- Demonstrated portfolio of products taken from concept through production
- Experience with CMF (color, material, and finish) development and specification
- Ability to present and defend design decisions to cross-functional stakeholders
- Bachelor's degree in industrial design, product design, or a closely related field
Tips for Your Lead Industrial Designer Job Search
Tailor your portfolio for each sector
Medical device and automotive hiring teams evaluate portfolios differently from consumer electronics teams. Pull forward the case studies that match the target industry's constraints, whether that's regulatory compliance, manufacturing tolerances, or retail shelf appeal.
Show leadership, not just craft
Lead roles require proof you've directed junior designers, managed stakeholder reviews, or owned a product from concept to production. Annotate your portfolio with who you led and what decisions you made, not just the final deliverable.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists lead industrial designer openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Highlight your software and prototyping range
Job postings for lead roles consistently expect fluency in CAD tools alongside physical and digital prototyping methods. Name the specific software versions and fabrication techniques you've used rather than listing generic skill categories.
Prepare a design critique response for interviews
Many hiring panels ask you to critique an existing product from the company's line. Practice walking through a structured evaluation: user need, manufacturing feasibility, CMF rationale, and what you'd change and why.
Negotiate scope, not just compensation
Lead designers often have more leverage to negotiate team size, prototype budget, or cross-functional access than a straight title bump. Know which resources you need to do the job well before the offer conversation starts.
Lead Industrial Designer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most lead industrial designers?
Sargent & Lundy, Kiewit Corporation, and Spectrum Brands are hiring the most lead industrial designers right now, with openings concentrated in California, Wisconsin, and Texas, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Consumer electronics and medical device companies tend to post the highest volume of lead-level openings.
How many lead industrial designer jobs are remote?
About 58% of lead industrial designer openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the hands-on nature of much of the work. Roles focused on early-stage concept development and design strategy tend to be more remote-friendly than positions requiring regular access to a model shop or manufacturing floor.
How do you become a lead industrial designer?
Start with a degree in industrial design or product design and build a portfolio that shows full product development cycles from research through production handoff. Accumulate experience across multiple product categories, then actively take on cross-functional project ownership and junior designer mentorship to demonstrate readiness for a lead title. Employers also want to see fluency in CAD, prototyping, and stakeholder communication.
Can you get hired as a lead industrial designer with limited experience?
Candidates without traditional lead titles can transition by positioning contract, freelance, or project-based work where they directed the design process without a formal management role. A portfolio entry that documents your decision-making, the constraints you managed, and how you briefed or reviewed others carries more weight than a job title alone. Targeting smaller companies or startups first can help bridge the gap.
What does the lead industrial designer interview process look like?
Most processes begin with a portfolio review call where you walk through two or three projects in depth, emphasizing your process and leadership contributions. A design challenge or take-home assignment often follows, testing your ability to frame a problem and present a direction quickly. Final rounds typically involve cross-functional panels including engineering, brand, or product management, and may include a live product critique.
Where can I find and apply to lead industrial designer jobs?
You can find and apply to lead industrial designer jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from companies across the United States. Find roles that match your experience and specialization, then apply directly to each listing from the page.
See All 148+ Lead Industrial Designer Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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