Industrial Designer

About the role

This role offers a hands-on opportunity for a junior-level engineer or industrial designer with strong mechanical aptitude to design and help build specialty seating for off-road and on-road applications. You will contribute to the design and development of seats for construction equipment, turfcare machinery, motorcycles, golf vehicles, and related original equipment markets. The position combines mechanical and industrial design with practical manufacturing exposure, including working with soft goods, sewing, and upholstery in a collaborative engineering and new product development lab.

Responsibilities

• Design specialty seating products for off-road and on-road applications, including construction, turfcare, motorcycle, golf, and related original equipment markets.
• Create and refine 3D models and detailed drawings using CAD tools such as Creo, SolidWorks, Rhino, and AutoCAD to support product design and manufacturing.
• Develop mechanical and industrial design concepts for soft goods and soft materials, ensuring comfort, durability, and manufacturability.
• Translate design concepts into prototypes and production-ready designs, including drafting, dimensioning, and documentation.
• Participate in sewing and assembling seat prototypes, including upholstery work, to validate design intent and fit-and-finish requirements.
• Collaborate closely with manufacturing engineering and industrial engineering teams to ensure designs align with manufacturing processes and constraints.
• Support new product development activities in the engineering lab, including testing, evaluation, and iterative improvement of seating designs.
• Use sketching and 3D visualization to communicate design ideas clearly to cross-functional stakeholders.
• Apply mechanical aptitude to troubleshoot design and assembly issues, and propose practical design improvements.
• Incorporate feedback from internal stakeholders and customers to refine designs for performance, aesthetics, and user comfort.
• Maintain accurate design files, drawings, and documentation throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Stay open to mentoring and training opportunities to build proficiency in Creo and other design tools, as well as sewing and upholstery techniques.

Requirements

• Junior-level engineering or industrial design background with strong mechanical aptitude.
• Design experience in mechanical or industrial engineering, particularly related to product or mechanical design.
• Familiarity with CAD tools such as Creo (4 years of experience preferred, but open to mentoring and training for motivated candidates).
• Experience or demonstrated ability in industrial design, including working with soft goods and soft materials.
• Ability to use design software such as SolidWorks, Rhino, and AutoCAD for 3D modeling and drafting.
• Skill in sketching and 3D visualization to develop and communicate design concepts.
• Understanding of manufacturing functions and processes related to product design and industrial engineering.
• Willingness to participate in hands-on activities such as sewing, upholstery, and assembly of seating products.
• Mechanical design skills, including drafting and detailing for production.
• Openness to learning new tools, techniques, and processes under mentorship.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in off-highway industries, such as construction equipment, turfcare machinery, or similar sectors.
• Background in sewing, upholstery, or working with soft materials.
• Experience with Adobe Suite, including Adobe Photoshop, for visualization and presentation of design concepts.
• Exposure to industrial engineering or manufacturing engineering environments.
• Experience designing for original equipment (OE) applications in off-road and on-road markets.
• Interest in or familiarity with motorcycle, construction, golf, or turfcare seating products.
• Ability to collaborate effectively within an engineering and new product development team.

Work Environment

This is a fully on-site role based in an engineering and new product development lab. You will work closely with engineering, industrial design, and manufacturing teams in a hands-on environment focused on designing and building specialty seating products. The setting includes access to CAD workstations, prototyping tools, sewing and upholstery equipment, and testing resources. You will spend time both at a computer developing designs and on the shop floor or in the lab assembling, sewing, and evaluating prototypes. The work environment supports collaboration, mentorship, and continuous learning, particularly in Creo, soft goods design, and practical manufacturing processes.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $49.00/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Benefits

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Schedule

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Milwaukee, WI. This is a fully onsite position.