Sr. Industrial Designer - Hybrid

Job Summary

At Outward Hound, we create thoughtful, innovative products that strengthen the bond between pets and their people. We are seeking a Senior Industrial Designer to lead product design and innovation initiatives across our portfolio and shape the future direction of our brands.

Work Performed

• Design:
• Exceptional storytelling skills - clearly communicating vision, impact, and rationale to leaders and partners
• Create emotionally engaging, character-driven products with broad consumer appeal, particularly for female-driven purchasing audiences
• Design across multiple pet categories, including both dog and cat products, spanning a portfolio of distinct brands
• Ability to design cohesive products across plush, textiles, molded toys, and hybrid construction products while maintaining strong emotional appeal, functionality, and manufacturable execution
• Strong understanding of form, proportion, usability, and emotional product experience
• Strong eye for color, print/pattern and material finish, with the ability to create cohesive palettes and make thoughtful color choices that enhance brand identity and visual appeal
• Ability to distinguish between meaningful innovation and unnecessary complexity
• Create initial tech pack drawings for handoff to soft goods development team and suppliers
• Maintain and develop brand identity via the established visual design language
• Hold consistent high standards of design refinement and detail resolution
• Experience with safety-focused product design for toys and accessories. Able to integrate consumer safety standards and risk mitigation throughout the design process, while partnering closely with Product Integrity (PI) teams to evaluate materials, testing protocols, and product performance to ensure safe, compliant, and durable products
• Leadership, Autonomy, Communication:
• Independently drive momentum and product design initiatives with minimal day-to-day direction or oversight in fast-moving environments
• Proactively identify risks, gaps, and development challenges before they escalate
• Bring forward solutions, recommendations, and clear decision-making rationale
• Consistently deliver high-quality work on schedule through strong prioritization, proactive communication, and disciplined time management
• Identify opportunities for innovation before they are formally defined
• Partner with VP to lead ideation efforts that push beyond incremental improvements toward meaningful product innovation. Bring a strong, consistent point of view on trends, play patterns, consumer behavior, and future product opportunities
• Actively identify whitespace opportunities, emerging consumer needs, and unmet market opportunities across categories
• Contribute original thinking that helps shape category direction and long-term portfolio growth
• Operate as a creative force within the organization, consistently generating new product concepts, systems, and experiences
• Skilled at effectively managing upward communication
• Understanding that successful product development requires both creative innovation and consistent execution, with the ability to stay engaged through refinement, problem-solving, and production details
• Thrive in a fast-paced product development environment with the resilience, initiative, and work ethic needed to push projects forward and deliver exceptional results
• Influence design outcomes through mentoring other design staff
• Consistently bring a positive, enthusiastic attitude to the team, collaborate well with others, and follow specific direction effectively
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
• Design storytelling and visual communication
• Injection molding design principles
• DFM/DFA (Design for Manufacturing & Assembly)
• Plastics material selections
• Tooling and manufacturing process knowledge
• Durability and performance-driven product design
• Cost-conscious design and development collaboration
• Prototype evaluation and iterative refinement
• Soft goods construction methods
• Plush and textile product development
• Fabric/material specification and sourcing
• Hybrid soft/hard goods integration
• Trim, embroidery, appliqué, and character detailing
• CAD modeling (Fusion 360 preferred)
• 3D printing skillset
• Knowledge of AI tools used to expedite workflow
• Rapid prototyping
• Keyshot or equivalent rendering software
• Adobe Creative Suite proficiency
• Physical prototyping and model-making

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required. Degree in Industrial or Toy Design required
• 6+ years of Design experience required; experience in Consumer Products preferred

Benefits

• Medical / Dental / Vision/Accident
• HSA
• 401K & 100% Employer Match (Fully vested after 1 year)
• Flexible Paid Time Off (includes vacation and sick time)
• Paid Family Leave
• Basic Term Life and AD&D (Employer Paid)
• Voluntary Term Life and AD&D
• Pet Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Annual Bonus Potential