Head of Design

Fuse • San Leandro, CA

2d • $180,000 - $230,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Fuse is hiring its first Head of Design, a hands-on design leader who reports to CEO and Founder JC Btaiche. The role owns how the world sees Fuse and builds the team responsible for bringing that work to life. Design will help investors, government partners, national laboratories, and prospective engineers develop conviction and trust in the company. The Head of Design serves as the CEO’s creative thought partner and owns Fuse’s brand system across its website, presentations, video, recruiting, events, and physical spaces. Communications reports to this role. Initially, the position directs an in-house 3D artist and external creative partners, with the opportunity to grow a team. Over time, the scope may expand to industrial design, UI/UX for control systems, and the architecture of APEIRON.

The Head of Design will establish and maintain Fuse’s visual identity, lead its website redesign and public reveal campaign, and direct the visual storytelling for the APEIRON fusion plant campus. The role will build a consistent content practice, strengthen recruiting materials, hire and lead creative staff, and establish studio processes for approvals, production, and asset management.

This is not a remote position. The role is based at Fuse’s facility in San Leandro, California, and relocation is required if the candidate is not already local. Occasional travel to other Fuse locations, events, and partner sites is required. Candidates must meet applicable U.S. Government technology export authorization requirements, including ITAR requirements.

Requirements

• 10 or more years of experience in visual, product, or industrial design, including at least a few years leading teams or creative functions.
• Experience building a brand system and applying it across web, print, product, video, and physical spaces.
• A portfolio demonstrating restrained taste and clear, confident work.
• Experience directing photography and video, with sufficient knowledge of storytelling, shooting, and editing to guide a crew.
• Experience hiring designers and producers and managing agencies and freelancers while preserving the character of the work.
• Experience working side by side with a founder or executive with strong opinions and improving the work through that collaboration.
• Experience making complex hardware or deep technology understandable and compelling.
• Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State, to comply with applicable technology export regulations including ITAR.
• Must work at Fuse’s San Leandro, California facility; relocation is required if not already local.
• Occasional travel to other Fuse locations, events, and partner sites is required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience at a hardware company in energy, space, defense, automotive, or robotics.
• Background in industrial design, UI/UX, or architecture.
• Strong writing skills, including the ability to draft headlines.
• Experience launching a product or company publicly, from the website to the film and event.

Responsibilities

• Establish Fuse’s identity, including its logo, wordmark, typography, color, layouts, and guidelines; direct the external studio working on it, bring the system in-house, and ensure it is applied across touchpoints.
• Maintain a clear, grounded visual standard and ensure the machines, people, and message remain central to the work.
• Lead the website process from audit through redesign and public reveal campaign, and keep the site current.
• Direct the investor deck, renders, floor plans, and launch film for the APEIRON fusion plant campus in collaboration with architects, render studios, and video partners.
• Build a steady stream of photography, video, and writing from inside the company to show what Fusers build each week.
• Improve recruiting materials, including the careers page, job posts, and employer content.
• Hire and lead designers, content producers, and storytellers; direct the in-house 3D artist; and determine when to use agencies and freelancers.
• Establish the studio’s approval process with the CEO, production rhythm and turnaround expectations, and a shared asset library.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Relocation assistance for roles that require it.
• Flexible time off with no accrual tracking.
• Two weeks of paid time off built into the end of each year, subject to team and business needs.
• Supportive leave of absence policies.
• Paid leave for new parents.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed