Manager, Industrial Design

At SharkNinja, our purpose is to positively impact people’s lives every day in every home around the world. We work hard to provide our consumers with high quality and innovative products. We are passionate about user experience, and we are looking for great people with great ideas who can think outside the box and love pushing the boundary of what is possible and make an impact. Join us on our exciting journey and let’s shape the future of our product experiences together.

OVERVIEW:

As the Manager of Industrial Design at SharkNinja, you will play a pivotal role in leading and overseeing the industrial design process from concept to mass production. You will be responsible for managing and mentoring a team of industrial designers, creating breakthrough design solutions, ensuring the successful execution of design projects, while adhering to aggressive timelines and cost targets. This role will work collaboratively with senior leaders of Industrial Design department, and cross-functional teams on design requirements, manufacturing feasibility, and market-driven design strategies, you will translate design briefs into innovative product solutions that meet both market demands and SharkNinja's brand vision.

Ninja Design Team is a team of Industrial Designers, UI/UX and CMF Designers working on products across the brand and categories.

Please provide a copy of your resume and portfolio. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Design Leadership and Mastery:

• Lead and mentor industrial designers, fostering collaboration and professional development while maintaining a 50/50 approach to hands-on design and design management.
• Practice user-centered design, matery of utilizing various design methodologies to lead design development activities, translating consumer insights into innovative product solutions.
• Articulate design intent for manufacturing excution, leveraging proven experience in concept-to-production mastery and manufacturing knowledge and providing team leadership.
• Provide guidance and support, ensuring team members' growth and success within the organization.

1. Cross-functional Collaboration:

• Work closely with global cross-functional teams, including engineering, marketing, and product development etc, to ensure seamless integration of design concepts into the product development process and uphold design integrity throughout the cycle.
• Coach and mentor designers, setting clear expectations and deliverables, and conducting brainstorming sessions and design reviews to foster creativity and innovation.

1. Quality Standards and Innovation:

• Maintain high quality standards for design throughout the product lifecycle, staying updated on industry trends, innovations, and materials.
• Solve complex problems by challenging assumptions and driving innovative approaches through emerging product trends or technologies.
• Establish and promote design guidelines, best practices, and standards to ensure consistent quality and innovation.

1. Process Improvement and Project Management:

• Identify areas for process improvement within the design department, implementing enhancements to streamline workflows and optimize efficiency.
• Oversee the full industrial design workload across team members, spanning multiple product categories from concept ideation to final product delivery, while developing and maintaining project timelines to ensure projects are completed on schedule and within budget constraints.

1. Strategic Vision and Brand Alignment:

• Understand SharkNinja's brands and contribute to defining the company's future product development strategies, aligning with business objectives and customer needs.
• Demonstrate a high level of knowledge of the full product development cycle, navigating technical and business constraints to achieve optimal quality outcomes.

ATTRIBUTES & SKILLS:

• BA or BS in Industrial Design or a related discipline; MS in Industrial Design or related field preferred.
• 8+ years of professional experience as a designer in small appliances, consumer electronics, medical devices, or related industries, demonstrating a proven track record of successfully delivering products through the production process.
• 3+ years of leadership or management experience, demonstrating the ability to effectively lead and mentor a team.
• Exceptional verbal, written and visual communication, adept at fostering effective collaboration across teams, and proficient in delivering impactful key messages through compelling storytelling, tailored for cross-discipline teams and senior leadership communication.
• Solid understanding and proven experience in mass-production part design and manufacturing principles.
• Proficiency in 2D/3D design tools including sketching, Adobe Creative Suite, SolidWorks and Keyshot.
• Familiarity with AI-driven design techniques is desirable.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel).
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, with strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Skilled in driving team collaboration and conducting workshops to foster innovation, while accelerating the delivery of high-quality outcomes within tight timeframes without sacrificing quality.
• Proven ability to meet deadlines and react swiftly to new information, with the capacity to work independently or collaboratively as part of a team, while leading and inspiring team members to achieve collective goals.
• A robust portfolio showcasing original creative work that highlights the product development process.

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