Xiaomi EV - Lead/ Senior Exterior Designer（Automotive Design）

Xiaomi is expanding its automotive design footprint with a Munich-based satellite studio and is looking for a Lead Exterior Designer to help shape the look of its next generation electric vehicles. This is a full-time, on-site role based in Munich, Germany. The company brings a strong tech heritage and a fast-growing approach to its EV programs, making it a great home for designers who want to set new standards in vehicle aesthetics.

The successful candidate will help blend advanced technology with brand character and emotional appeal, guiding exterior concepts from early sketches through to production-ready designs. You’ll collaborate closely with creative teams in Munich and the design leadership in China to translate ideas into tangible design language that can be produced at scale.

This position suits designers who enjoy cross-cultural teamwork, mentoring peers, and turning bold concepts into tangible exteriors for the next generation of electric mobility.

Leading the look of future EVs in Munich

As the lead on exterior design projects, you drive concepts from ideation to production release, communicating intent through compelling sketches, renderings, and 3D models while coordinating with clay and digital modelling teams to refine proportion, stance, surface quality, and details. Your decisions must balance innovation with feasibility, aerodynamics, and safety requirements.

You’ll partner with engineering, aerodynamics, and manufacturing colleagues to resolve technical constraints without compromising the design vision, and you’ll align with CMF and UX teams to produce a cohesive brand expression across vehicle lines. Clear communication with the headquarters’ design and program management teams in China is a constant part of the role.

Staying tuned to global design, lifestyle, and technology trends helps you spot EV-specific packaging opportunities and translate them into exterior design strategies that feel fresh and purposeful.

You’ll also mentor junior exterior designers, helping their creative and professional growth, and contribute to a studio culture that encourages collaboration and experimentation.

What you bring to the studio

Here’s what Xiaomi is looking for, with an emphasis on proven capability and leadership in exterior design for cars:

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in Transportation Design or Industrial Design
• At least ten years of professional experience in automotive exterior design, whether at an OEM or a top-tier design consultancy
• A strong portfolio that demonstrates concepts progressing to production-ready solutions
• Fluency with design software such as Alias, Blender, VRED, Photoshop, or their equivalents
• Outstanding sketching and storytelling skills to convey design intent
• Fluent English with solid interpersonal and intercultural communication abilities
• Experience with electric vehicle programs and an understanding of EV packaging advantages
• Familiarity with aerodynamic development and its impact on exterior design
• Knowledge of German and/or Mandarin
• Prior experience collaborating with Chinese OEMs or cross-continental design teams

Munich-based specifics and practical details

This is a full-time, on-site role located in Munich, Germany, with collaboration to Xiaomi’s design leadership in China. The position is identified by the reference code Q6253.

Tips to shine in this Xiaomi design challenge

Put your most relevant experience up front. Lead with your ten years of automotive exterior design work and your highest degree, then highlight a production-ready project in your portfolio that shows a clear path from concept to reality.

Demonstrate you can prove the must-haves. In your portfolio, point to specific cases where you took a design from sketch or render through to a production-ready exterior, and call out the software you used and how you communicated the concept to engineers and manufacturers.

Be ready for conversations about collaboration and constraints. Expect questions about leading a project end-to-end, how you balanced design intent with aerodynamics and safety, and how you nurtured junior designers along the way.

Ask a targeted question that shows you’re thinking about the role in Xiaomi’s global setup. For example, inquire how the Munich studio integrates CMF and UX across vehicle lines and how the team coordinates with the China HQ when it comes to EV packaging opportunities and production feasibility.