Senior CMF (Color, Material, Finish) Designer jobs in United States
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Waymo · 2 weeks ago

Senior CMF (Color, Material, Finish) Designer

positionMountain View, CA
timeFull-time
remoteHybrid
senioritySenior Level, Lead/Staff
money$196K/yr - $248K/yr
date8+ years exp

Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with the mission to be the world's most trusted driver. The Senior CMF Designer will define and maintain the CMF design language, collaborate with automotive partners, and oversee the execution of the CMF strategy to ensure a cohesive brand experience across vehicle platforms.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)AutomotiveAutonomous VehiclesSensorTransportation
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H1B Sponsor Likelynote

Responsibilities

Define, evolve, and maintain the Waymo CMF (Color, Materials, Finish) design language and palette, ensuring visual consistency and a cohesive brand experience across all vehicle platforms and interior/exterior hardware. Follow market trends and insights to inform and strategize long term CMF direction for Waymo
Lead CMF collaboration with external automotive OEM partners, integrating Waymo's brand materials into existing vehicle interiors while championing unifying CMF elements across the fleet
Drive the color, material, and finish specification for complex exterior hardware, including sensor arrays and ancillary components, ensuring technical CMF compatibility (e.g., radar, lidar pass-through), longevity and durability, and cohesive aesthetic integration
Research and develop proprietary or custom material solutions and finishes, managing a digital and physical CMF library and collaborating with engineering to validate materials for automotive standards, longevity, and sustainability
Partner with Engineering and Operations to manage CMF vendors and material suppliers, overseeing the execution of the CMF strategy from design specification through mass production PPAP (Production Part approval Process) and maintain the highest quality and design intent
Articulate the CMF design rationale and strategic direction to cross-functional stakeholders, translating complex technical and branding requirements into clear material specifications
Troubleshoot complex CMF manufacturing issues, communicate clearly with cross-functional teams to build consensus, and maintain adaptability to implement reliable solutions

Qualification

CMF design languageMaterial scienceAutomotive-grade manufacturingCMF documentation3D rendering programsPresentation skillsCollaboration with OEMsDigital material creationPhysical prototyping skillsProblem-solving skills

Required

8+ years of dedicated professional experience as a CMF Designer, Material Specialist, or Industrial Designer with a heavy CMF focus, ideally within the automotive, mobility, or high-end consumer electronics industries
A proven history of shipping high-volume products, demonstrating deep knowledge of material science, automotive-grade manufacturing processes, and quality control
Expert proficiency in CMF documentation (schematics, manufacturing spec sheets, mood boards, color review), perform spectrophotometer reading, wavescan and managing physical material libraries
Demonstrated ability to bridge the gap between design vision and technical constraints, particularly in managing materials validation data for functional performance (e.g., reliability test and engineering test)
Exceptional presentation skills, with a strong portfolio showcasing the strategic thinking and meticulous execution required to define a premium brand's CMF identity
A degree in Industrial Design, Transportation Design, Fashion Textile Design Material Science, or a related field

Preferred

Direct experience managing CMF programs and negotiations with automotive OEM teams or major Tier 1 suppliers
Specific experience in CMF selection for exterior vehicle systems, lidar, radar, or camera sensors, including experience solving signal pass-through challenges
Experience with advanced digital material creation and integration into visualization tools (e.g., Unreal Engine, VRED) for high-fidelity design review
Proficiency in 3D rendering programs to visualize CMF proposals. Physical and digital prototyping skills to communicate and represent CMF intent
Specialized in advanced automotive technology and covering high-complexity CMF material sourcing and rapid prototype mock-up execution

Benefits

Waymo employees are also eligible to participate in Waymo’s discretionary annual bonus program
Equity incentive plan
Generous Company benefits program, subject to eligibility requirements

Company

Waymo

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Waymo is a mobility technology company that improves transportation by developing self-driving solutions for travelers and daily commuters. It is a sub-organization of Alphabet.
dateFounded in 2009
location
Mountain View, California, USA
people-size1001-5000 employees
web-link
https://waymo.com

H1B Sponsorship

Waymo has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (231)
2024 (175)
2023 (268)
2022 (306)
2021 (298)
2020 (317)

Funding

Current Stage
Late Stage
Total Funding
$11.1B
Key Investors
Alphabet
2024-07-23Series C· $5.6B
2021-06-16Series B· $2.5B
2020-05-12Series A· $750M

Leadership Team

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Tekedra Mawakana
Co-Chief Executive Officer
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Elisa de Martel
Chief Financial Officer
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Recent News

Benzinga.com
Waymo Unveils Updated 'Ojai' Robotaxi Minivan Built In Collaboration With Zeekr
2026-01-09
Sherwood News
What Waymo’s new van means for Google
2026-01-09
Tech in Asia
Waymo rebrands Zeekr RT robotaxi over low US name recognition
2026-01-08
Company data provided by crunchbase