Lead Product Designer, Systems Frameworks (Hybrid)

Watershed Ventures; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 167,000 - 209,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity awards

401(k) Plan

Paid time off

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Job summary

Rivian is seeking a systems-minded designer to scale design across vehicle, mobile, and web platforms. You’ll define the structure and language of a unified digital ecosystem and build scalable UI frameworks for infotainment, mobile companion apps, and web experiences.

You’ll mentor peers on design infrastructure to accelerate product velocity while upholding brand integrity. The role emphasizes accessibility, localization, and performance at scale, partnering with Product and Engineering to

Qualifications

• Application Requirement: Include a link to your portfolio showcasing scalable design patterns and cross-platform experiences.
• Experience: 10+ years of experience crafting user-centered digital products, with at least 3 years dedicated to building design systems, frameworks, or cross-platform consistency.
• Technical Mastery: Proficient in Figma with advanced components, variants, tokens, and structured files.
• Systemic Thinking: Ability to abstract complexity into modular, precise designs.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Experience working with engineers and product stakeholders to deliver production-ready UI frameworks.
• Communication: Strong ability to document rationale and explain design intent to diverse audiences.
• Preferred: Familiarity with Zeroheight or Storybook; multi-brand or white-label environments.

Responsibilities

• Architect scalable UI frameworks for in-vehicle, mobile, and web experiences.
• Create modular patterns balancing flexibility with brand integrity across platforms.
• Align visual frameworks with product architecture and component libraries.
• Build and maintain pattern libraries in Figma and documentation tools.
• Prototype and test complex systems using Figma and ProtoPie (or code).
• Lead design standards, versioning practices, and feedback loops.
• Champion accessibility, localization, and performance for a global audience.
• Mentor peers and senior team members in design infrastructure and velocity.

Skills

Design Systems

Figma

Cross-functional Collaboration

Systemic Thinking

Communication

Multi-brand / White-label environments

Tools

ProtoPie

Job description

About Rivian

Rivian is on a mission to keep the world adventurous forever. This goes for the emissions-free Electric Adventure Vehicles we build, and the curious, courageous souls we seek to attract.

As a company, we constantly challenge what’s possible, never simply accepting what has always been done. We reframe old problems, seek new solutions and operate comfortably in areas that are unknown. Our backgrounds are diverse, but our team shares a love of the outdoors and a desire to protect it for future generations.

Role Summary

Join us in creating the next generation of connected, software-driven vehicles. We’re looking for a systems-minded designer to lead the effort in scaling design across multiple platforms and brands. You bring order to complexity—not just by designing beautiful UIs, but by crafting robust frameworks that enable consistency, efficiency, and expression at scale. In this role, you’ll help define the structure and language of a unified digital ecosystem spanning vehicle, mobile, and web. Your work will shape the foundational systems that empower teams to build cohesive, brand-aligned experiences across the industry with increased velocity and confidence.

Responsibilities

• Architect Scalable Frameworks: Design and evolve UI frameworks that power digital experiences across in-vehicle infotainment, mobile companion apps, and web platforms.
• Cross-Platform Patterns: Create modular, reusable, and expressive patterns that balance technical flexibility with brand integrity across different vehicle archetypes.
• Technical & System Alignment: Partner with Product and Engineering to align visual frameworks with technical architecture, component libraries, and global product needs.
• System Documentation: Build and maintain comprehensive pattern libraries in Figma and documentation tools, supporting adoption through clear specifications, rationales, and usage guidance.
• Validation & Prototyping: Prototype and test complex systems using Figma and ProtoPie (or code) to validate interactions, adaptability, and performance across diverse surfaces.
• System Governance: Lead the establishment of design standards, versioning practices, and feedback loops to ensure the system scales without compromising quality.
• Inclusive Design: Champion accessibility, localization, and performance from the ground up, ensuring every framework meets the needs of a global, inclusive audience.
• Strategic Mentorship: Mentor peers and the L5 team by sharing advanced systems thinking, articulating complex tradeoffs, and advocating for the role of design infrastructure in product velocity.

Qualifications

• Application Requirement: Include a link to your portfolio showcasing how you’ve shaped scalable design patterns, systematized complex UI challenges, and delivered cohesive experiences across platforms.
• Experience: 10+ years of experience crafting user-centered digital products, with at least 3 years dedicated to building design systems, frameworks, or driving cross-platform consistency.
• Technical Mastery: Demonstrated expert-level mastery of Figma, including advanced application of components, variants, variables, tokens, and systematic file organization.
• Systemic Thinking: A proven ability to abstract complexity into modular solutions while maintaining high visual precision and craft.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Proven experience working with engineers and product stakeholders to deliver performant, accessible, and production-ready UI frameworks.
• Communication: Exceptional skills in documenting system rationale and articulating complex design intent to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Preferred: Familiarity with tools like Zeroheight or Storybook, and experience working in multi-brand or white-label environments.

Pay Disclosure

The salary range for this role is $167,400 - $209,300 for California based applicants. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, shift, and organizational needs.

The successful candidate may be eligible for annual performance bonus and equity awards.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits for full-time and part-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26, including but not limited to paid vacation, paid sick leave, and a competitive portfolio of insurance benefits including life, medical, dental, vision, short-term disability insurance, and long-term disability insurance to eligible employees. You may also have the opportunity to participate in Rivian’s 401(k) Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program if you meet certain eligibility requirements. Full-time employee coverage is effective on their first day of employment. Part-time employee coverage is effective the first of the month following 90 days of employment. More information about benefits is available at rivianbenefits.com.

Equal Opportunity

Rivian is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Rivian is committed to ensuring that our hiring process is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you have a disability or limitation, such as those covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, that requires accommodations to assist you in the search and application process, please email us at [e-mail].

Candidate Data Privacy and Technology

Rivian may collect, use and disclose your personal information or personal data (within the meaning of the applicable data protection laws) when you apply for employment and/or participate in our recruitment processes (“Candidate Personal Data”). This data includes contact, demographic, communications, educational, professional, employment, social media/website, network/device, recruiting system usage/interaction, security and preference information. Rivian may use your Candidate Personal Data for the purposes of (i) tracking interactions with our recruiting system; (ii) carrying out, analyzing and improving our application and recruitment process, including assessing you and your application and conducting employment, background and reference checks; (iii) establishing an employment relationship or entering into an employment contract with you; (iv) complying with our legal, regulatory and corporate governance obligations; (v) recordkeeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law.

Rivian may share your Candidate Personal Data with (i) internal personnel who have a need to know such information in order to perform their duties, including individuals on our People Team, Finance, Legal, and the team(s) with the position(s) for which you are applying; (ii) Rivian affiliates; and (iii) Rivian’s service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services.

Rivian may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union and in the cloud, and this data may be subject to the laws and accessible to the courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of such jurisdictions.

How We Use AI in Our Hiring Process: To ensure transparency, we want candidates to know that Rivian uses iCIMS Talent Cloud Artificial Intelligence (TCAI) and AI-enabled tools to assist with screening, reviewing, organizing and highlighting profiles and applications that match the key requirements for each role.

AI does not make hiring decisions: Qualified candidate applications are reviewed by a member of our team, and all decisions throughout the process are made by humans. We use AI to support efficiency and consistency, not to replace human judgment. We are committed to a fair, thoughtful, and equitable experience for every candidate.

Participation in AI profile matching is entirely voluntary. If you prefer that your profile not be used in this process, you can opt out at any time. Opting out means your profile will be excluded from automated matching and will not be surfaced for additional roles through this system. Your current application remains active and will not be affected in any way.

Please note that we are currently not accepting applications from third party application services.