Lead Technical Designer, Private Brands (Hard Goods)

About the role

At Chewy, we believe great work starts with great people! Our mission is to be the most trusted and convenient destination for pet parents and partners everywhere. We are passionate about creating innovative products and experiences that strengthen our connection with customers and improve the lives of pets and pet parents.

Responsibilities

• Technical Development
• Translate product concepts into detailed technical specifications, construction requirements, material standards, performance criteria, and development plans.
• Establish and approve final product specifications, construction requirements, material standards, performance criteria, and acceptance limits through sample evaluation and development validation activities.
• Influence product concepts early in development by providing expertise on construction, materials, functionality, durability, and customer use cases.
• Partner closely with Product Design to ensure design intent, functionality, and customer expectations are successfully executed throughout development.
• Validate manufacturability and commercialization readiness through sample evaluations, development iterations, technical reviews, and supplier collaboration.
• Provide technical leadership and problem-solving throughout development to ensure products are scalable, manufacturable, and commercially viable.
• Technical Standards & Product Performance
• Establish technical standards, product specifications, performance requirements, and testing approaches across product categories.
• Conduct competitive benchmarking and market analysis to evaluate product quality, functionality, durability, and value.
• Capture and incorporate findings from development testing activities into product specifications and development decisions.
• Identify technical, manufacturing, performance, and quality risks and implement solutions before production.
• Approve products for commercialization based on performance, manufacturability, and customer experience expectations.
• Partner with Quality Assurance to transition approved specifications and critical-to-quality requirements into production quality processes.
• Regulatory & Product Safety Integration
• Partner with Compliance to understand applicable regulatory requirements, product safety standards, labeling requirements, and market obligations.
• Incorporate regulatory and product safety requirements into product specifications, validation plans, and development processes.
• Coordinate technical evaluations and product safety reviews throughout development.
• Ensure regulatory requirements are appropriately reflected within specifications and commercialization activities.
• Supplier & Manufacturing Partnership
• Partner with suppliers to optimize product construction, materials, manufacturing processes, and technical execution.
• Leverage supplier expertise and manufacturing capabilities to improve product performance and accelerate innovation.
• Support resolution of complex product performance, manufacturability, and commercialization challenges.
• Build strong supplier relationships that drive technical excellence and consistent execution of product standards.
• Cross-Functional Partnership & Expertise
• Serve as the technical subject matter expert across product categories, development initiatives, and commercialization activities.
• Influence cross-functional decision-making through technical expertise, customer advocacy, product performance knowledge, and development leadership.
• Collaborate across Product Design, Brand Strategy, Quality Assurance, Compliance, Sourcing, Operations, and Category Management.
• Present technical recommendations and development insights to stakeholders and leadership teams.
• Mentor team members and contribute to the evolution of technical development standards, tools, and best practices.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in Technical Design, Product Development, Engineering, Product Design, Industrial Design, or a related field.
• Bachelor's degree in Technical Design, Engineering, Industrial Design, Product Design, or equivalent professional experience.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, including Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, XD, or similar design software.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel.
• Experience translating product concepts into technical specifications, performance requirements, and manufacturable solutions.
• Strong understanding of materials, construction methods, manufacturing processes, product testing, and commercialization.
• Experience leading complex product development initiatives and influencing cross-functional stakeholders.
• Strong technical judgment, problem-solving skills, and ability to balance customer needs, product performance, and business objectives.

Qualifications

• Experience in hard goods, consumer products, retail, private brands, or pet industry product development.
• Experience developing technical standards, product requirements, and validation processes across multiple categories.
• Experience working with domestic and international suppliers.
• Experience mentoring technical team members and leading process improvement initiatives.
• Knowledge of product safety, regulatory requirements, and quality systems.