New Product Industrial Designer

Spectrum Brands, Inc · Minneapolis–Saint Paul, WI · Yesterday

HybridFull-time

About the role

The New Product Industrial Designer is integral to the new product development process within Spectrum Brands’ Home & Garden Research and Development team. The designer will translate consumers’ desires and needs into new, consumer-focused delivery systems and devices, working closely with engineering, marketing, manufacturing, and other R&D functions to design and prototype innovative new products. This position requires a high level of technical proficiency and engineering knowledge and will be at the forefront of product development, providing new ideas, processes, and capabilities to develop, test, and learn with consumers at the core.

Responsibilities

Understand consumer insights and extrapolate them to develop new, unique consumer experiences and products
Champion a consumer-first mentality when developing new products and collaborate with Marketing, New Product Development, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain to identify innovation opportunities
Develop design concepts focused on ergonomics, form, and function for hard and packaged goods through concept sketching and rendering
Use software to create aesthetic solid models and digital renderings (2D and 3D)
Develop quick physical form study models and mockups using rapid and mechanical prototyping lab via a concept – prototype – iterate – repeat approach
Model, prototype, and test looks-like and functional prototypes through rapid prototyping and conventional fabrication techniques
Create compelling new products with technical expertise that delight consumers and fulfill unmet needs
Develop key supplier relationships to accelerate product implementation
Balance aesthetic design with a technical, functional mindset
Participate in technical and consumer-focused brainstorming sessions
Incorporate new capabilities in AI generation and iterative development
Maintain both mechanical prototype machinery (e.g., table saw, band saw) and rapid prototyping machinery (e.g., FDM, PolyJet)

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design
4+ years of experience in industrial design
3+ years in hard goods design execution
Proficiency in Acrobat Pro, SolidWorks (or other 3D modeling software), Keyshot, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), PowerPoint
Consumer-packaged goods experience preferred
Consumer science experience with ability to assist in consumer research through central location tests, ethnographies, and in-home usage tests preferred
Portfolio showcasing design expertise with creative thinking, design thinking, problem solving, aesthetics, prototyping, and iterative design development
Knowledge of materials used for hard and packaged goods production through processes such as injection molding, blow molding, thermoforming, etc.
Strong collaboration skills, partnering with internal and external stakeholders on aesthetic design, part moldability, assembly, and design-for-manufacturing
Project and time management capabilities to execute project priorities and deliverables in a timely and efficient manner
Advanced knowledge of design-for-manufacturing and ability to work closely with mechanical engineering to execute product design

Required Skills

Strong sketching and conceptual abilities
Exceptional sense of design to create visually appealing and user-friendly products
Ability to set priorities and reconcile directions from competing interests
Consumer-led design mindset and processes
Advanced proficiency in 3D modeling (SolidWorks, Siemens NX)
Skilled proficiency in 3D rendering (Keyshot preferred)
Strong rapid and mechanical fabrication capabilities with a hands-on development approach
Proficient in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) to maintain version control of CAD components and design documentation
Experience with StageGate processes
Skilled proficiency in hard goods and consumer packaged goods manufacturing and assembly to scale up for commercialization
Ability to organize and carry out multiple projects with attention to detail
Excellent problem-solving and communication skills, both oral and written

Work Environment