Product Design Lead Jobs in California
Product Design Lead jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in tech, consumer electronics, enterprise software, and digital media, with openings from senior individual contributor through director-level team management. San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego account for the largest share of postings, anchored by employers like Apple, Google, and Adobe, which maintain major California design organizations. The most in-demand specialties are design systems leadership, zero-to-one product experience, and cross-functional platform design. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 13+ Product Design Lead jobs
Description
At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector is seeking a Mechanical Engineer - Additive Tank Product Design & Development Technical Lead - Level 5 to join our Mission Enabling Products MEP Team. This position will be located in Commerce, CA.
Northrop Grumman Mission Enabling Products (MEP) Business Unit designs, builds, and delivers space, defense and aviation-related systems to customers around the world. Our main products include satellites and associated space components and services, launch vehicles and related propulsion systems, missile products, subsystems and defense electronics, precision weapons, armament systems, and advanced aerospace structures.
As the Lead for the additively manufactured tank and scalable product line, you will own the product technical baseline, including product-line requirements, architecture, design, analysis, interfaces, engineering definition, product-critical tooling requirements, verification, and product qualification. You will lead through technical authority without direct reports and partners with manufacturing, design, analysis, M&P and Chief Engineer.
Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Own and control product-line requirements, architecture, configurations, interfaces, design rules, verification methods, and the product technical baseline.
- Lead mechanical design of tanks, domes, joints, supports, interfaces, and associated hardware.
- Direct structural, thermal, pressure, fatigue, fracture, buckling, and other required analyses, including model validation and test correlation.
- Own functional GD&T, datum architecture, tolerance stacks, critical characteristics, acceptance criteria, and engineering-definition release; obtain documented manufacturability and inspectability concurrence from the Additive Manufacturing Lead.
- Review DFM/DFA assessments led by the Additive Manufacturing Lead and decide how recommendations are incorporated into the controlled product design.
- Approve design allowables, criteria, and margins using process data and capability evidence supplied by the Additive Manufacturing Lead.
- Own joint performance, geometry, interfaces, fits, and acceptance requirements; coordinate with the Additive Manufacturing Lead on joining-process development and qualification.
- Define product-critical, assembly, handling, integration, and test-tooling requirements, including loads, interfaces, accuracy, and acceptance criteria. Agree on tooling classification before work begins.
- Define characteristics, tolerances, acceptance criteria, and verification closure; the Additive Manufacturing Lead owns manufacturing inspection methods and process controls.
- Own product verification and qualification, including test articles, instrumentation, acceptance criteria, analysis-to-test correlation, and requirements closure.
- Approve changes affecting requirements, form, fit, function, interfaces, design margins, or product qualification, and define the documented manufacturing envelope within which manufacturing changes may be controlled.
- Lead integrated issue resolution when product performance or design risk is primary; require concurrence from the Additive Manufacturing Lead when both technical baselines are affected.
- Recommend design maturity and engineering release. Overall program authorization requires the separate manufacturing-readiness recommendation of the Additive Manufacturing Lead.
- Mentor engineers and communicate product maturity, margins, risks, decisions, and recommendations to program leadership.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related STEM discipline with 12 years of relevant engineering experience; OR Master’s degree in a related STEM discipline with 10 years of relevant experience; or a PhD in a related STEM discipline with 8 years of relevant experience.
- Demonstrated technical leadership of complex mechanical products from requirements through design, analysis, manufacturing, verification, and qualification.
- Demonstrated experience with additive manufacturing or other advanced manufacturing methods and the ability to incorporate these into technical roadmaps.
- Advanced experience with mechanical design, requirements development, engineering definition, GD&T, interface control, and tolerance analysis.
- Experience directing structural and thermal analyses and using results to make product-level decisions.
- Experience leading and influencing cross functional technical teams and effectively interfacing with customers and senior leadership.
- Experience with pressure-containing, highly loaded, or similarly complex hardware.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary teams, design reviews, verification planning, and technical-risk resolution without direct reporting authority.
- Ability to obtain and maintain the required security clearance
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with tanks, pressure vessels, propulsion hardware, or aerospace structures.
- Experience designing metal additively manufactured hardware.
- Knowledge of fatigue, fracture mechanics, damage tolerance, buckling, and pressure-system qualification.
- Experience developing scalable product families or common product architectures.
- Experience defining and overseeing tooling for assembly, handling, integration, and test.
- Familiarity with machining, joining, inspection, additive-process qualification, CAD/PLM, requirements management, and configuration control.
Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector? Click the link below:
https://www.northropgrumman.com/space
Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life. For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site.
Northrop Grumman Total Rewards
#LosAngelesSpace
#SpaceEngJobs
#SpaceGNCJobs
Primary Level Salary Range: $161,000.00 - $241,400.00 The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business. The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates. Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.Description
At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector is seeking a Mechanical Engineer - Additive Tank Product Design & Development Technical Lead - Level 5 to join our Mission Enabling Products MEP Team. This position will be located in Commerce, CA.
Northrop Grumman Mission Enabling Products (MEP) Business Unit designs, builds, and delivers space, defense and aviation-related systems to customers around the world. Our main products include satellites and associated space components and services, launch vehicles and related propulsion systems, missile products, subsystems and defense electronics, precision weapons, armament systems, and advanced aerospace structures.
As the Lead for the additively manufactured tank and scalable product line, you will own the product technical baseline, including product-line requirements, architecture, design, analysis, interfaces, engineering definition, product-critical tooling requirements, verification, and product qualification. You will lead through technical authority without direct reports and partners with manufacturing, design, analysis, M&P and Chief Engineer.
Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Own and control product-line requirements, architecture, configurations, interfaces, design rules, verification methods, and the product technical baseline.
- Lead mechanical design of tanks, domes, joints, supports, interfaces, and associated hardware.
- Direct structural, thermal, pressure, fatigue, fracture, buckling, and other required analyses, including model validation and test correlation.
- Own functional GD&T, datum architecture, tolerance stacks, critical characteristics, acceptance criteria, and engineering-definition release; obtain documented manufacturability and inspectability concurrence from the Additive Manufacturing Lead.
- Review DFM/DFA assessments led by the Additive Manufacturing Lead and decide how recommendations are incorporated into the controlled product design.
- Approve design allowables, criteria, and margins using process data and capability evidence supplied by the Additive Manufacturing Lead.
- Own joint performance, geometry, interfaces, fits, and acceptance requirements; coordinate with the Additive Manufacturing Lead on joining-process development and qualification.
- Define product-critical, assembly, handling, integration, and test-tooling requirements, including loads, interfaces, accuracy, and acceptance criteria. Agree on tooling classification before work begins.
- Define characteristics, tolerances, acceptance criteria, and verification closure; the Additive Manufacturing Lead owns manufacturing inspection methods and process controls.
- Own product verification and qualification, including test articles, instrumentation, acceptance criteria, analysis-to-test correlation, and requirements closure.
- Approve changes affecting requirements, form, fit, function, interfaces, design margins, or product qualification, and define the documented manufacturing envelope within which manufacturing changes may be controlled.
- Lead integrated issue resolution when product performance or design risk is primary; require concurrence from the Additive Manufacturing Lead when both technical baselines are affected.
- Recommend design maturity and engineering release. Overall program authorization requires the separate manufacturing-readiness recommendation of the Additive Manufacturing Lead.
- Mentor engineers and communicate product maturity, margins, risks, decisions, and recommendations to program leadership.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related STEM discipline with 12 years of relevant engineering experience; OR Master’s degree in a related STEM discipline with 10 years of relevant experience; or a PhD in a related STEM discipline with 8 years of relevant experience.
- Demonstrated technical leadership of complex mechanical products from requirements through design, analysis, manufacturing, verification, and qualification.
- Demonstrated experience with additive manufacturing or other advanced manufacturing methods and the ability to incorporate these into technical roadmaps.
- Advanced experience with mechanical design, requirements development, engineering definition, GD&T, interface control, and tolerance analysis.
- Experience directing structural and thermal analyses and using results to make product-level decisions.
- Experience leading and influencing cross functional technical teams and effectively interfacing with customers and senior leadership.
- Experience with pressure-containing, highly loaded, or similarly complex hardware.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary teams, design reviews, verification planning, and technical-risk resolution without direct reporting authority.
- Ability to obtain and maintain the required security clearance
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with tanks, pressure vessels, propulsion hardware, or aerospace structures.
- Experience designing metal additively manufactured hardware.
- Knowledge of fatigue, fracture mechanics, damage tolerance, buckling, and pressure-system qualification.
- Experience developing scalable product families or common product architectures.
- Experience defining and overseeing tooling for assembly, handling, integration, and test.
- Familiarity with machining, joining, inspection, additive-process qualification, CAD/PLM, requirements management, and configuration control.
Curious about all the exciting developments with the Northrop Grumman Space Sector? Click the link below:
https://www.northropgrumman.com/space
Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life. For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site.
Northrop Grumman Total Rewards
#LosAngelesSpace
#SpaceEngJobs
#SpaceGNCJobs
Primary Level Salary Range: $161,000.00 - $241,400.00 The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business. The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates. Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.See All 13 Product Design Lead Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Product Design Lead JobsProduct Design Lead Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Product Design Lead Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Fintech
- Aerospace & Defense
- Banking & Financial Services
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in product design lead jobs across California.
- Portfolio demonstrating end-to-end product design leadership on shipped consumer or enterprise products
- At least five years of product design experience with two or more years in a lead or staff role
- Proficiency in Figma including component libraries, autolayout, and collaborative design workflows
- Experience mentoring designers and leading critique, feedback, and design quality processes
- Proven ability to partner with product management and engineering from discovery through delivery
- Familiarity with accessibility standards such as WCAG and inclusive design principles
Product Design Lead Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a product design lead in California?
Product design lead roles in California do not require a state-issued license or certification. The typical path starts with a degree in interaction design, human-computer interaction, graphic design, or a related field, though a strong portfolio often carries more weight than credentials. California employers expect candidates to show shipped product work, leadership of at least a small design team, and fluency in collaborative design tools before promoting or hiring at the lead level.
How much do product design leads make in California?
Product design leads in California earn a median of about $100,770 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $62,860 for the lowest 10% to over $168,490 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire product design leads in California?
Employers hiring product design leads in California right now include Rippling, Chime, and OpenAI, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. California's concentration of consumer technology headquarters and enterprise software companies means lead-level design roles turn over and expand here more consistently than in most other states.
Which California cities have the most product design lead jobs?
San Francisco, San Mateo, and Commerce have the most product design lead openings in California. The San Francisco Bay Area drives the largest share because it is home to the headquarters and major design organizations of the country's largest technology companies, while Los Angeles reflects growing demand from entertainment technology, social platforms, and direct-to-consumer brands, and San Diego sees steady demand from biotech software and defense technology firms.
Are there remote product design lead jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 67% of product design lead openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the broadly desk-based and tool-driven nature of the work. Strategic and systems-level design work tends to be the most remote-friendly, while roles tied to hardware, physical prototyping, or on-site design studios typically require a regular in-person presence.
How can I get hired as a product design lead in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is building a portfolio through associate or mid-level product designer roles at California technology companies, then taking on informal lead responsibilities before pursuing a formal lead title. Large California employers including Apple, Google, and Adobe run structured new-grad design programs that fast-track strong candidates. Lateral moves from UX research, content design, or brand design are common, and completing a recognized interaction design or HCI program from a California university strengthens early applications considerably.
Where can I find and apply to product design lead jobs in California?
You can find and apply to product design lead jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings. Find the roles that fit your experience and location, then apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 13 Product Design Lead Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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