Staff Design Engineer, Prototyping

42dot; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 102,000 - 284,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mobility AI company seeks a highly skilled Staff Design Engineer to innovate in vehicle interactions. The ideal candidate will have a master's in Mechanical Engineering with an HCI focus, extensive experience in UX research, and a strong affinity for vehicle technologies and user-centered design.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in product design, user research, and engineering.
• Experience in mobility, smart cities, or automotive UX is a strong plus.
• Background in automotive HMI or connected vehicle UX research preferred.

Responsibilities

• Design in-vehicle interaction systems using mixed methods in HCI.
• Create low- and high-fidelity prototypes integrating software and hardware systems.
• Innovate within vehicle interaction contexts like IVI and ADAS.

Skills

Prototyping

UX tools

Human-centered methodologies

Education

Masters in Mechanical Engineering (HCI focus)

Tools

Figma

Unity

Job description

About Us:

42dot is a mobility AI company committed to solving mobility challenges with software and AI. As the Global Software Center of Hyundai Motor Group, 42dot pioneers the future of mobility by advancing the development of software-defined vehicles.

We develop safety-first, user-centric software-defined vehicle technologies that deliver the latest performance through continuous updates like smartphones. By advancing software and AI technology, 42dot envisions a world where everything is connected and moves autonomously through a self-managing urban transportation operating system.

About the Role:

42dot is seeking a highly skilled Staff Design Engineer to join our advanced mobility and autonomous driving experience team. This role blends human-computer interaction, UX research, and rapid prototyping to design future-forward vehicle experiences that are intelligent, intuitive, and deeply human-centered.

Responsibilities:

• Cross-Disciplinary Innovation

  • Design and prototype novel in-vehicle interaction systems using mixed methods in HCI

  • Develop and iterate UX/UI concepts rapidly using tools like Figma, Unity, and Keyshot

  • Conduct user research, usability studies, and apply design thinking to real-world mobility challenges

  • Translate insights into actionable design and engineering solutions for digital and physical experiences

• Prototyping & System Integration

  • Create low- and high-fidelity prototypes integrating software and hardware systems

  • Collaborate with hardware and software engineering teams to test and validate interaction models in-vehicle

  • Apply programming skills (Python, R, SPSS) to analyze behavioral data and prototype functionality

• Vehicle HMI & Interaction Design

  • Innovate within the context of vehicle interaction (IVI, ADAS, driving simulation)

  • Apply HCI principles to improve situation awareness and driver assistance systems

Qualifications

• Masters in Mechanical Engineering (HCI focus) or equivalent experience in HCI or UX design

• 8+ years of experience across product design, user research, and engineering

• Strong skills in prototyping, UX tools (Figma, Unity), and human-centered methodologies

• Experience in mobility, smart cities, or automotive UX is a strong plus

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in automotive HMI or connected vehicle UX research

• Experience working with sensors, digital interfaces, or smart mobility platforms

• Publications or thought leadership in HCI, automated driving, or UX research

Base Salary:

$102,000 - $284,000