Product Design Engineer Jobs in Virginia
Product Design Engineer jobs in Virginia are in strong demand, concentrated in defense systems, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing, with openings from entry-level design roles through senior engineering positions. The heaviest hiring activity clusters around Northern Virginia, Richmond, and the Hampton Roads corridor, where established employers like Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, and Leidos maintain large engineering workforces. The most sought-after specialties in Virginia include systems-level product development, CAD-driven mechanical design, and human factors engineering tied to defense and government contracts. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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At Capital One, we’re building a leading information-based technology company. Still founder-led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard Fairbank, Capital One is on a mission to help our customers succeed by bringing ingenuity, simplicity, and humanity to banking. We measure our efforts by the success our customers enjoy and the advocacy they exhibit. We’re succeeding because they’re succeeding.
Guided by our shared values, we thrive in an environment where collaboration and openness are valued. We believe that innovation is powered by perspective and that teamwork and respect for each other lead to superior results. We elevate each other and obsess about doing the right thing. Our associates serve with humility and a deep respect for their responsibility in helping our customers achieve their goals and realize their dreams. Together, we’re on a quest to change banking for good.
The Team and Role
We’re currently seeking a Product Design Director to lead an internal consultancy team with a focus on integrations and 0-1 businesses. The Accelerator is a small, internal team of problem solvers across Risk, Technology, Product and Design, that works to alleviate the knottiest spaces in the company. As engagements come to us, we focus on easing pathways for innovation across the enterprise for both new acquisitions and seasoned teams on the cutting edge of change. This role also oversees design within the Global Enterprise Affairs team with a focus on products that enable our community engagement investments.
We require not just a people leader who can tactically execute work, but rather, a strategic design leader. In this Director role, you will be expected to deliver on the following critical areas:
Strategic Ownership: Beyond managing day-to-day operations and team outputs, independently help define the vision for integration experiences, build the Design roadmap, and proactively identify priorities without heavy oversight.
Cross-Functional Influence and Executive Presence: As the work streams heavily interfaces with multiple functional areas and senior leaders, this role must effectively influence priorities and drive high-stakes initiatives across the functional areas.
Navigating Ambiguity and Context Shifting: Given the evolving nature of our work it’s critical to work in ways that preserve optionality, make decisions with incomplete data, and pivot seamlessly without losing momentum.
Building a Design Org of the Future: In addition to managing current designers in the space, we look to this leader to help scale the function, design the future organizational structure, and develop current designers as the team grows. This includes leveraging technology to broaden the reach of design within the organization.
The Experience Design team at Capital One is at the forefront of enriching our customers’ digital and physical experiences and we are passionate about creating memorable, meaningful product experiences that build the Capital One brand with humanity and drive business advantage and innovation. We champion a thriving environment of collaboration, authenticity and healthy critique, in which we honor diversity of thought, create a culture of belonging, and elevate one another. If you’re a creative innovator who embraces an environment where you can experiment, learn, and change banking for good, we’d love to hear from you.
Role Expectations
As a Director of Product Design for the Accelerator, you’ll lead a talented, cross-disciplinary team of designers and collaborate deeply with our research teams and Product and Tech leadership. You’ll be responsible for leading high-impact, highly complex projects and defining and driving design strategy that informs the higher-level vision of the organization and aligns to business objectives.
Here are some of the expected competencies for this role:
Product Design Expertise: Leverage established expertise and leadership in product design to elevate the quality and maturity of the design practice at Capital One. Leveraging a variety of skills across interaction, visual and service design; in collaboration with cross-functional partners, help to oversee and optimize the use of appropriate tools, platforms, frameworks and design systems and enable your team to develop artifacts that may include vision stories, journey maps, blueprints, high-fidelity designs and prototypes
Leadership: Create conditions for a positive and inclusive team environment and set a vision for an inclusive, collaborative culture that makes your team feel valued and heard
Human-Centered: Champion voices of both customers and partners, modeling the mindset that business and customer outcomes are not distinct but complementary, ultimately resulting in experiences that exceed baseline customer needs and expectations
Business-Focused: Demonstrate expert knowledge of products, processes, our customers, competitors and industry market trends, applying relevant insights to shape how Design should engage and solve business challenges
Problem-Solving: Share insights around technical advances and data capabilities that could influence outcomes, while helping larger teams navigate technical limitations and boundaries in service of bold technological solutions, data destinations and efficiency
Collaboration: Connect the dots across teams, portfolios, platforms and LOBs, bringing together partners and processes in ways that drive more coherent experiences, accelerate delivery and elevate the value of design
Communication: Present work across levels and job functions, modeling a strategic human-centered approach that integrates design frameworks, data and research insights to make the complex accessible, influence senior stakeholders and achieve impactful results
The ideal candidate has a strong portfolio demonstrating your leadership, process, results and impact.
Basic Qualifications:
At least 8 years of experience in product design role
At least 3 years of experience leading design teams
Preferred Qualifications:
At least 10 years of experience in product design role
At least 5 years of experience leading design teams
Experience in a design toolkit that spans product design, service design, design strategy and content design
Experience leading product design teams operating across UX and UI, strategy, content and research from strategy through delivery to market
Experience partnering with product managers, engineers, marketing and analytics leaders across multiple business lines to shape strategy, OKRs, roadmaps and operating models
Experience working within a design system
Proficiency with web and mobile technologies and platforms, navigating technology considerations and constraints to drive sound product and experience decisions
Expertise with design and prototyping tools such as Figma
Experience managing an interdisciplinary design team
Experience working in heavily regulated, data heavy problem spaces
Proficiency in business case development, grounding product and user experience decisions to business value
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
Exceptional interpersonal skills and relationship building across complex organizations
Exceptional people management and development skills
At this time, Capital One will not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization for this position.
The minimum and maximum full-time annual salaries for this role are listed below, by location. Please note that this salary information is solely for candidates hired to perform work within one of these locations, and refers to the amount Capital One is willing to pay at the time of this posting. Salaries for part-time roles will be prorated based upon the agreed upon number of hours to be regularly worked.
McLean, VA: $230,400 - $263,000 for Director, DesignNew York, NY: $251,400 - $286,900 for Director, Design
Richmond, VA: $209,500 - $239,100 for Director, Design
Candidates hired to work in other locations will be subject to the pay range associated with that location, and the actual annualized salary amount offered to any candidate at the time of hire will be reflected solely in the candidate’s offer letter.
Capital One offers a comprehensive, competitive, and inclusive set of health, financial and other benefits that support your total well-being. Learn more at the Capital One Careers website. Eligibility varies based on full or part-time status, exempt or non-exempt status, and management level.
This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days. No agencies please. Capital One is an equal opportunity employer (EOE, including disability/vet) committed to non-discrimination in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Capital One promotes a drug-free workplace. Capital One will consider for employment qualified applicants with a criminal history in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable laws regarding criminal background inquiries, including, to the extent applicable, Article 23-A of the New York Correction Law; San Francisco, California Police Code Article 49, Sections 4901-4920; New York City’s Fair Chance Act; Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Records Screening Act; and other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding criminal background inquiries.If you have visited our website in search of information on employment opportunities or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Capital One Recruiting at 1-800-304-9102 or via email at RecruitingAccommodation@capitalone.com. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.
For technical support or questions about Capital One's recruiting process, please send an email to Careers@capitalone.com
Capital One does not provide, endorse nor guarantee and is not liable for third-party products, services, educational tools or other information available through this site.
Capital One Financial is made up of several different entities. Please note that any position posted in Canada is for Capital One Canada, any position posted in the United Kingdom is for Capital One Europe and any position posted in the Philippines is for Capital One Philippines Service Corp. (COPSSC).
See All 27 Product Design Engineer Jobs in Virginia
Find roles in Virginia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Product Design Engineer JobsProduct Design Engineer Jobs by City in Virginia
Where Virginia roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Product Design Engineer Job Market in Virginia
A snapshot from current Virginia openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring


Top Industries Hiring
- Retail
- Technology & Software
- E-Commerce & Online Marketplaces
- Manufacturing
- Banking & Financial Services
What Virginia Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in product design engineer jobs across Virginia.
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, industrial design, or a closely related field
- Proficiency in CAD software such as SolidWorks, CREO, or NX for 3D modeling and design
- Experience with product lifecycle management tools and engineering change control processes
- Demonstrated ability to take a product from concept through prototype to production release
- Familiarity with GD&T, materials selection, and manufacturing process constraints
- Ability to obtain or hold an active U.S. security clearance, required by many Virginia defense employers
Product Design Engineer Jobs in Virginia: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a product design engineer in Virginia?
Most product design engineer roles in Virginia require a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, industrial design, or a related engineering discipline. Virginia does not issue a state license specifically for product design engineers, but roles at defense contractors frequently require a security clearance, which becomes the practical credential that opens doors. Candidates strengthen their prospects with a strong CAD portfolio, internship experience, and a Fundamentals of Engineering credential if pursuing licensed PE status later.
Which companies hire product design engineers in Virginia?
Employers hiring product design engineers in Virginia right now include Amazon, Capital One, and Information Technology Senior Management Forum, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Virginia's defense and aerospace concentration means a large share of these openings come from prime contractors and government-adjacent technology firms with long-term program commitments in the state.
Which Virginia cities have the most product design engineer jobs?
McLean, Herndon, and Arlington have the most product design engineer openings in Virginia. Northern Virginia dominates because of its density of defense contractors and federal agency adjacency, while Richmond draws manufacturing and consumer product firms, and Hampton Roads reflects the region's deep naval and shipbuilding industry presence that sustains steady engineering demand.
Are there remote product design engineer jobs in Virginia?
Yes, but they're rare. Product design engineering is a hands-on role that typically requires physical access to prototypes, labs, and manufacturing environments, which limits full remote work. About 50% of product design engineer openings tied to Virginia are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, and where remote work does appear, it tends to apply to systems documentation, requirements writing, or CAD review tasks rather than full design cycles.
How can I get hired as a product design engineer in Virginia with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is applying to junior or associate product design engineer roles at Virginia's large defense and manufacturing employers, many of whom run structured new-grad programs. Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, and Leidos all operate engineering rotational or early-career programs in Virginia that accept recent graduates. Building a hands-on CAD portfolio through capstone projects, makerspaces, or contract prototyping work, and passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, meaningfully increases your competitiveness for these openings.
Where can I find and apply to product design engineer jobs in Virginia?
You can find and apply to product design engineer jobs in Virginia on Migrate Mate, which lists current Virginia openings across industries and experience levels. Find the roles that fit your background and apply directly to the employers posting them.
See All 27 Product Design Engineer Jobs in Virginia
Find roles in Virginia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Product Design Engineer Jobs