Lead Industrial Designer

Team Summary:

Samsung Design Innovation Center is one of the leading overseas design studios in Samsung, located in San Francisco, CA. Our mission is to understand people and lifestyles to deliver meaningful experiences through beautiful yet functional design, enabled by innovative cutting-edge technologies.

SDIC is working on various advanced product experiences which can envision and shape the future of Samsung Business, working with various internal teams through an experience-driven approach. Our work appears on smartphones, tablets, computers, televisions, wearables, home appliances, and other devices we can't describe yet.

See some of our work at: http://design.samsung.com/global/contents/sdic/

We design future experience-driven innovation opportunities with empathy and compassion for people across the Samsung Electronics portfolio. We uncover unmet and latent user needs through human-centered research and transform emerging technologies into meaningful product experiences that define future product categories.

We are looking for talented designers, strategists, researchers, and creative technologists to join our group and bring new energy to our process. You should be ready to help at all stages of product design—from identifying unmet needs and discovering new design opportunities to developing visionary concepts and creatively applying emerging technologies to solve real user problems and create radically new experiences.

Position Summary:

Samsung Design Innovation Center is seeking a highly experienced Lead Industrial Designer to envision and shape the next generation of consumer products across Samsung's expanding device portfolio, with a particular focus on emerging product categories including wearable devices and future hardware experiences.

This role goes beyond traditional Industrial Design. We are looking for an exceptional designer who embraces Artificial Intelligence as a fundamental part of the creative process and demonstrates how AI can amplify creativity, accelerate exploration, and redefine the way products are conceived, visualized, and communicated.

You will define what AI-native Industrial Design looks like within Samsung, establishing new creative workflows that enhance design quality, accelerate concept generation, and influence how future products are imagined across the organization. Working alongside multidisciplinary teams at SDIC and Industrial Design teams in Korea, you will demonstrate how AI can become a true creative partner throughout the entire design process—from opportunity discovery and ideation through concept development, storytelling, visualization, and iterative refinement.

The ideal candidate combines exceptional industrial design fundamentals with deep curiosity for emerging AI-native design methodologies. They are capable of independently leading projects from early opportunity identification through concept development, storytelling, visualization, and prototype creation while collaborating across multidisciplinary teams throughout Samsung's global organization.

Rather than simply using AI to generate images, this individual pioneers new design methodologies that integrate AI throughout the creative process—expanding creative possibilities, accelerating iteration, and elevating design quality. Through both their work and their approach, they will inspire broader adoption of AI-native Industrial Design practices across Samsung's global design organization.

We are interested in passionate and self-motivated individuals who are comfortable in a highly fluid environment. You will bring exceptional design talent, curiosity, entrepreneurial thinking, and a passion for redefining the future of Industrial Design through AI. We will provide the creative freedom, multidisciplinary environment, and resources to help you shape not only the next generation of Samsung products, but also the future practice of Industrial Design itself.

Position Responsibilities:

Industrial Design Craft & Hardware Innovation

• Lead End-to-End Design Projects: Drive future consumer hardware concepts from early opportunity identification through sketching, CAD modeling, and physical mock-up development.
• Translate Insights into Product: Apply exceptional aesthetic sensibility and human-centered principles to convert user research and market opportunities into desirable, feasible physical experiences.

AI-Native Workflow Pioneering

• Evolve & Evangelize AI Workflows: Deeply integrate generative AI tools (e.g., Vizcom, Stable Diffusion) into your design process to accelerate ideation, CMF (Color, Material, Finish) exploration, and high-fidelity rendering.
• Champion Best Practices: Act as a thought leader to define and share AI-native design methodologies, inspiring broader adoption across Samsung's global design organization.
• Evaluate Emerging Tech: Maintain a growth mindset and continuous curiosity, actively evaluating and integrating new AI design tools into the studio’s ecosystem.

Product Leadership & Storytelling

• Define Product Direction: Independently navigate ambiguous spaces and establish clear product directions with minimal guidance.
• Deliver Compelling Narratives: Produce high-fidelity renders, animations, and visual storytelling materials to confidently present and defend future product visions to executive stakeholders.

Global & Multidisciplinary Collaboration

• Partner Locally & Globally: Collaborate seamlessly across multidisciplinary teams in San Francisco (UX, Research, Strategy, Engineering) and maintain strong working relationships with partner design studios in Korea.
• Travel & Flexibility: Travel internationally and domestically as needed to align and co-create with global stakeholders.

Required Skills:

• Bachelor's Degree required; Master's Degree preferred in Industrial Design, Product Design, Transportation Design, or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• 10+ years of professional Industrial Design experience with an outstanding portfolio demonstrating exceptional product design quality
• Strong portfolio showcasing AI-assisted concept development and storytelling; candidates should be prepared to demonstrate how AI is integrated into their workflow
• Demonstrated ability to rapidly explore broad design spaces using AI while applying exceptional design judgment
• Outstanding sketching, 3D visualization, physical mockup development, and meticulous attention to product craftsmanship and detail
• Proven ability to independently lead complex design projects from highly ambiguous opportunities through to finished product concepts
• Clear, concise communication and storytelling skills with a track record of collaborating across global, multidisciplinary teams
• Action-oriented, highly self-motivated, and comfortable working in a fast-paced innovation environment
• Experience bringing consumer products to market through manufacturing is preferred, but not required

We will consider qualified applicants for employment with arrest and conviction records.

Our total rewards programs are designed to motivate and engage exceptional talent. The base pay range for roles at this level is listed below, but may be higher or lower in other states due to geographic differentials in the labor market. Within the base pay range, individual rates depend on a number of factors—including the role’s function and location as well as the individual’s knowledge, skills, experience, education and training. This is part of our comprehensive compensation package with annual bonus eligibility and generous benefits to help you live life well.

Base Pay Range

$198,100—$272,500 USD

Additional Information

Disclosure of Trade Secrets

Samsung has a strict policy on trade secrets. In applying to Samsung and progressing through the recruitment process, you must not disclose any trade secrets of a current or previous employer.

Essential Job Functions

This position will be performed in an office setting. The position will require the incumbent to sit and stand at a desk, communicate in person and by telephone, and frequently operate standard office equipment, such as telephones and computers.

Samsung Research America is committed to complying with all Federal, State and local laws related to the employment of qualified individuals with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation as part of the employment selection process, please contact the recruiter or email [email protected].

Equal Employment Opportunity

At Samsung, we believe that innovation and growth are driven by an inclusive culture and a diverse workforce. We aim to create a global team where everyone belongs and has equal opportunities, inspiring our talent to be their true selves. Together, we are building a better tomorrow for our customers, partners, and communities.

Samsung Research America is committed to employing a diverse workforce, and provide Equal Employment Opportunity for all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

For more information regarding protection from discrimination under Federal law for applicants and employees, please refer to this link: Pay Transparency