Lead Product Designer - Breed-Specific Hardgoods & Apparel

The Role

We are hiring a Lead Product Designer to drive a long-term brand transformation focusing on breed-specific design. This is a 5 to 10 year brand architecture project.

What You'll Do

• Lead ideation and concept development for breed-specific harness and apparel products, starting from animal anatomy and known breed health needs
• Own the full product development lifecycle — from initial research and sketches through tech packs, samples, fittings, and production handoff to our Vietnam factory
• Define breed-specific fit standards, including working toward dedicated mannequins and size specifications for each target breed
• Establish the creative direction and product identity for Gooby's next chapter — not just what products look like, but why they exist and what problem they solve
• Collaborate with our in-house sample room to prototype, test, and iterate quickly
• Partner cross-functionally with operations, sales, and the CEO on product strategy, costing, and development timelines
• Contribute to building a cohesive brand language that works across harnesses, apparel, packaging, and retail presentation

What We're Looking For

• This role is not for someone who leads with trend research, Pinterest boards, and competitor references — we're looking for someone who leads with a concept and understands why a product should exist before deciding what it looks like
• You have functional product design experience — hard goods, accessories, bags, protective gear, sportswear, or performance apparel
• You have end-to-end product ownership — you've taken products from concept through overseas production, not handed off at the sketch stage
• You have a brand-building track record — you've defined where a product line or brand should go, not just executed someone else's vision
• You have technical construction depth — you understand seam engineering, hardware selection, material behavior, and why those decisions matter for a product that needs to hold a dog safely
• You have curiosity and humility about new categories — you ask questions before you design, you study the subject before you sketch, and you're honest about what you don't know yet

The Ideal Candidate

• Has functional product design experience — hard goods, accessories, bags, protective gear, sportswear, or performance apparel
• End-to-end product ownership — you've taken products from concept through overseas production, not handed off at the sketch stage
• Brand-building track record — you've defined where a product line or brand should go, not just executed someone else's vision
• Technical construction depth — you understand seam engineering, hardware selection, material behavior, and why those decisions matter for a product that needs to hold a dog safely
• Curious and humble about new categories — you ask questions before you design, you study the subject before you sketch, and you're honest about what you don't know yet

Bonus

• Not Required: Experience with safety-rated products (OSHA, CE, ASTM) or load-bearing hardware
• Accessory or bag design background
• Pet industry or animal product experience
• Pattern making knowledge

This Role Is Not

• A graphic or surface design role — if your primary expertise is print, wash, and embellishment, this is not the position
• A trend-execution role — we don't design collections around what's selling elsewhere
• A remote-optional role — we are in-office at our Los Angeles location (Boyle Heights), Monday through Friday. Our sample room, product, and team are all here and in-person collaboration is essential

Portfolio Required

Please include a link to your portfolio with your application. Applications without a portfolio will not be reviewed.