--- title: 'Director of Product Design at Drivemode' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-product-design-drivemode-mountain-view-ew56p1f6zcy0' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-07' --- # Director of Product Design at Drivemode - **Company:** Drivemode - **Location:** Mountain View, CA - **Compensation:** $225k–$269k - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** hybrid - **Posted:** 2026-07-08 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07 - **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/drivemode/2ae120ec-22b7-4a37-8839-a1ccdb0e6841 ## Job description About Drivemode: Drivemode is a California-based division of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. We are a small, passionate team of software product innovators helping Honda Automotive be competitive in the Hybrid and Electric Vehicle market. We build application experiences for mobile devices. Are you passionate about creating next-generation delightful digital experiences for automotive? Maybe you have worked at some notable automotive companies in this capacity? Would you like to work on new products and product categories at Honda and help Honda invent the future of automotive? Then we would like to hear from you! Why Drivemode: Join Drivemode for an exciting startup environment and a vibrant culture that combines impactful work, competitive compensation, and excellent benefits. By becoming a part of our team, you'll contribute to a crucial mission that revolutionizes the way people engage with vehicles, addressing both business needs and the world's environmental challenges. This presents an exceptional opportunity to be at the forefront of innovation and drive Honda's success in the EV market. About the role: We are looking for a Director of Product Design to lead Product Design for Drivemode's Automotive Division and help shape Honda's transformation into a software-driven mobility company. Reporting to the VP of Design, you will serve as the senior design leader for the business, partnering closely with the Engineering and Product Management leadership to drive product strategy, organizational alignment, and business outcomes. This role is responsible for leading the design organization within the Automotive Division, strengthening the partnership between Drivemode and Honda, and ensuring that customer needs, product strategy, and technical execution come together in a cohesive product vision. What You Will Do: - Lead Product Design across the Automotive Division, driving experience quality, strategic alignment, and customer impact. - Partner with Product and Engineering leadership to shape product vision, roadmap priorities, and portfolio strategy. - Serve as a senior Design representative to Honda, building alignment and driving shared ownership across organizations. - Represent Design in strategic and executive-level discussions across Drivemode and Honda. - Lead and develop the Product Design team, providing coaching, mentorship, and opportunities for growth. - Strengthen cross-functional collaboration, operating rhythms, and decision-making processes that enable teams to execute effectively. - Apply systems thinking to connect customer needs, business goals, and technical constraints across products, services, and platforms. - Champion organizational effectiveness and help teams navigate ambiguity and complexity. - Partner with Design leadership and Principal Designers to continuously elevate design quality, team capability, and design impact. What We Are Looking For: - Experience leading Design teams within complex product, platform, or service environments. - Strong product and business acumen, with a track record of influencing strategy and organizational outcomes. - Experience partnering closely with senior Product and Engineering leaders. - Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, including experience working with executive audiences. - Ability to build alignment across organizations, disciplines, and cultures. - Strong systems thinking and comfort operating in highly cross-functional environments. - Experience developing high-performing teams and growing future leaders. - Flexibility for domestic and international travel to support cross-organizational collaboration and alignment. Nice to Have: - Experience in hardware + software ecosystems, eg. automotive, mobility, consumer technology. - Experience working with large enterprise partners or global organizations. - Familiarity with Japanese business culture and cross-cultural collaboration. - Japanese language proficiency. EEOC Statement Drivemode is proud of a very diverse team with employees coming from 5 continents/20 countries as of today. Diversity in our workplace has played an important part in our success; we recognize each employee’s unique background, knowledge, experiences, ideas, and viewpoints which are all critical in developing a product that has the greatest impacts on drivers all over the world. Drivemode provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other characteristics that make you unique. ## About Drivemode ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Drivemode is a software and user experience division of Honda, developing connected car platforms, apps, and digital interfaces for Honda and Acura electric vehicles and motorcycles. - **Entity Type**: Private (Subsidiary of Honda Motor Co. Ltd., acquired in 2019) - **Headquarters**: Mountain View, California, USA (with additional office in Tokyo, Japan) - **Founded**: 2014 - **Founders**: Not publicly disclosed (founded by entrepreneurs from Zipcar and Tesla Motors) ## Core Business - **Primary industry/industries**: Automotive technology, connected vehicles, software-defined vehicles, electric vehicle UX - **Target customers**: B2B (Honda, Acura, automakers); B2C (Drivemode mobile app users and fleet managers) - **Mission or purpose**: To make driving smarter, safer, and more connected by combining Silicon Valley software expertise with Honda's vehicle hardware platform. ## Products & Services - **[Drivemode App]**: A consumer-facing Android app that transforms a phone into a car's central computing device, enabling voice-to-text, music overlay on navigation, Do Not Disturb mode, and travel recommendations. Designed to NHTSA safety guidelines. - **[Driver Assistance & Analytics for Fleet Managers]**: A platform offering driver behavior monitoring, analytics, and safety features for commercial fleets. - **[Connected Car Platform for Automakers]**: A bring-your-own-device (BYOD) solution that lets automakers integrate smartphone-based connectivity into vehicles without custom hardware. - **[Honda EV & Motorcycle Software]**: Since the acquisition, Drivemode develops the in-car software and user experience for Honda's electric vehicles and a modern software platform for Honda's electric motorcycles. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (private subsidiary) - **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue ~$8M (2026 estimate) – Total Funding $11M (prior to acquisition) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Panasonic (lead investor in Series A), Incubate Fund (seed), Honda R&D (acquirer) - **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 34.2% YoY to 111 employees; expanding team across Mountain View and Tokyo; working on new EV launches and motorcycle software projects; global team spanning 5 continents. ## Competitive Advantages - **Direct access to Honda's vehicle hardware and manufacturing** – allows integrated software-hardware development. - **Startup autonomy within a large corporate parent** – maintains flat culture, fast decision-making, and innovation while leveraging Honda's resources. - **Deep expertise in automotive-grade mobile UX** – app designed to NHTSA guidelines, with proven consumer adoption. - **Diverse, global team** – employees from 20+ countries bring unique perspectives for a product used worldwide. ## Strategic Focus - **Software-defined vehicles** – Leading Honda's transition to software-driven mobility, especially in EVs. - **Electric vehicle UX** – Creating clean, intuitive digital experiences for Honda's next-generation electric cars and motorcycles. - **Connected services** – Expanding platform capabilities for real-time data, navigation, and personalization. - **Talent growth** – Actively hiring across engineering, product, and design roles to support upcoming launches. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Flat organizational structure, transparency, and openness. Employees are trusted to make decisions and given freedom to innovate. - **Diversity & Inclusion**: 20+ nationalities represented; strong commitment to DEI and equal opportunity. - **Work Model**: Hybrid (office + remote). Core office days exist, but managers determine team-specific arrangements. Roles in Mountain View and Tokyo. - **Benefits**: - Comprehensive health & life insurance - Retirement benefits (401k / 日本の年金制度) - Generous PTO (20 days in first year for Tokyo; flexible PTO in US) - Paid sick leave, holiday swap option - Education and learning stipend - Probation period of 3 months with immediate benefits enrollment - **Visa Support**: Sponsorship available for Japan office (worldwide applicants welcome); US roles require work authorization but discussions about visa sponsorship are open. - **Language**: English is primary work language; Japanese language skills not required for many roles. ## Sources 1. [Drivemode Careers Page](https://www.drivemode.com/careers) 2. [LinkedIn Company Page](https://linkedin.com/company/drivemode) 3. [Built In Profile](https://builtin.com/company/drivemode) 4. [CB Insights Profile](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/drivemode) 5. [Lever Job Board](https://jobs.lever.co/drivemode) ## Other roles at Drivemode - [Full Stack Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/full-stack-software-engineer-drivemode-mountain-view-ev3w7ffwj7st) — Mountain View, CA - [Product Operations Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/product-operations-manager-drivemode-tokyo-xy37tpvfyasq) — Tokyo, Japan - [People Operations Partner (Contract)](https://feeny.ai/job/people-operations-partner-contract-drivemode-mountain-view-w1mbz70dhrrj) — Mountain View, CA - [IT Admin (Contract)](https://feeny.ai/job/it-admin-contract-drivemode-mountain-view-n8rvx0b7am6w) — Mountain View, CA - [Workplace Experience Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/workplace-experience-manager-drivemode-tokyo-179fkwbwwsa3) — Tokyo, Japan - [Opportunities for Candidates with Disabilities](https://feeny.ai/job/opportunities-for-candidates-with-disabilities-drivemode-tokyo-eq5mefwxnfy1) — Tokyo, Japan - [Staff People Business Partner](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-people-business-partner-drivemode-tokyo-vta5szeb47r4) — Tokyo, Japan - [Senior Technical Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-technical-program-manager-drivemode-mountain-view-rg1p83aeb3h6) — Mountain View, CA - [Software Engineering Manager - Mobile](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineering-manager-mobile-drivemode-mountain-view-kw6mt9ztmzsd) — Mountain View, CA - [Director of Product Management, Mobile](https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-product-management-mobile-drivemode-mountain-view-mttnyqsr6dan) — Mountain View, CA