Senior Industrial Designer

About the role

We're looking for a Senior Industrial Designer to join us as our first dedicated hire in this function. This is a role with real scope - you'll be designing the products our customers hold in their hands every day, and helping to shape how we build this discipline internally at [Employer hidden] as we grow. You'll own the physical design of [Employer hidden]'s product portfolio - from our signature refillable cases and refill formats through to new product categories as we expand.

Reporting into our Creative Director and collaborating closely on aesthetic direction, CMF and creative vision, you'll also work closely with our Head of Product who brings the commercial and technical product perspective - together ensuring design intent and product/cost feasibility stay in lockstep from brief through to final production sample.

We're looking for someone who is feels equally comfortable creating compelling concepts through sketching and rendering as they do building technical drawings, interrogating CAD files, or getting into the detail with a manufacturer. The ideal candidate brings both creative ambition and real-world, design for manufacture pragmatism.

To apply for this role, please send through your portfolio demonstrating concept development, CMF thinking, CAD capability, and end-to-end product execution.

What you'll be working on

Concept & Ideation

• Lead structural concept creation from brief, communicating ideas clearly and confidently through hand sketching, rendering, and presentations
• Translate consumer insight, brand direction, and human-centred design thinking into compelling product concepts - considering ergonomics, usability, and the emotional experience of the product from the outset
• Bring a point of view to early design directions; we want a designer who challenges and elevates, not just one who executes
• Stay close to emerging trends in materials, manufacturing, and personal care to bring fresh thinking to the product pipeline

CMF & Design Language

• Own CMF as a design discipline - developing material stories and finish strategies that reinforce [Employer hidden]'s brand identity and sustainability values
• Ensure consistency of design language across the product range, so that every [Employer hidden] product feels considered and coherent, whether refillable or not
• Identify and explore innovative materials and finishes that balance premium feel with our commitment to reducing environmental impact

Design Development & CAD

• Develop 3D pack architecture and produce detailed CAD models and technical drawings ready for manufacturer review
• Build functional and visual prototypes for research, validation, and internal sign-off
• Create and maintain Design Requirement Specifications (DRS) as a living document throughout each project - capturing constraints, material decisions, and functional requirements so that design intent is clearly traceable from brief to production
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date design documentation and specs throughout the product lifecycle

Manufacturing & Supplier Collaboration

• Assess manufacturing routes and materials with quality, cost, and sustainability in mind - knowing where to push and where to compromise
• Work directly with suppliers and manufacturers on feasibility, ensuring design intent survives the journey from concept to shelf
• Support tooling kick-off and manage the relationship with manufacturers through to production-ready tech packs
• Produce detailed Bills of Materials (BOM) and dimensioned drawings to support supplier quotation and ensure clean, unambiguous factory handovers
• Optimise packaging for logistics efficiency and support cost-down initiatives without compromising brand quality

Production & Quality

• Validate pre-production samples and sign off on gold samples
• Troubleshoot quality issues as they arise, working with suppliers to find practical, lasting solutions
• Continuously look for opportunities to improve usability, sustainability and cost within both new and existing products

What we need from you

• 5+ years of experience in industrial or product design, ideally within personal care, consumer goods, or packaging
• A strong portfolio demonstrating concept development, CMF thinking, CAD capability, and end-to-end product execution - please include this with your application
• A sound understanding of design for manufacture - you know what's achievable, what will cost too much, and how to push for quality within real constraints
• Exceptional concepting skills. You communicate ideas clearly and compellingly through sketching and rendering before anything goes near a CAD tool
• A considered approach to CMF - you understand how material and finish choices shape the perception and experience of a product
• Experience working directly with external manufacturers and suppliers, from feasibility conversations through to production sign-off
• Comfortable with KeyShot or similar
• Strong proficiency in 3D CAD software and the ability to produce and interrogate technical drawings
• A self-starter mentality: as our first industrial design hire, you'll need to be confident operating independently and building process as you go
• Ambition to grow - this is a role with a long runway, and we'd love to find someone who wants to help shape this function over time