Industrial Design Lead

Industrial Design Lead

Location: Ketchum, ID
Reports To: VP of Product
Job Type: Full-Time

DECKED is a leading manufacturer of in-vehicle storage solutions.  We make innovative organizational systems that provide our customers with the solutions they need to get to work or get out of town; to get outdoors or get down to business.  We are customer-first in everything we do and take pride in building high-quality, American-made products that let people do more, accomplish more, and stress less.  

Our mission is simple, “Organize, Mobilize, and Energize the Sh*t out of America.”  

When you work at DECKED, you’ll have the opportunity to leave your mark while working side by side with world-class team members.  As Industrial Design Lead you will play a pivotal role in shaping DECKED’s future by bringing to life compelling new products that deliver on DECKED’s brand pillars:

• Rugged
• Intuitive
• No B.S.

You will be responsible for establishing the key elements of DECKED’s design language, translating these into new product concepts and working with the engineering team to bring these products to market.  This role will require regular consumer research to drive decisions around design trade-offs and ensure all new products deliver an exceptional customer experience.  You’ll be joining an awesome and highly motivated team of Product Managers and Engineers who pride themselves on building great products and getting after it outside of work!

Key Responsibilities:

1. Establish an iconic design language for the DECKED brand
   1. Work with the VP of Product, VP of Brand, and CEO to outline common design elements that will become staples of the DECKED brand
   2. Work with the VP of Hardware Engineering to establish standards around texturing, tolerancing, and appearance to maintain an exceptional level of fit & finish across all product lines
   3. Champion these design elements to ensure all DECKED products share a unified design language and iconic branding elements
2. Develop and socialize key design requirements for new products
   1. Conduct in-depth reviews of competitive products to understand existing solutions and the corresponding user pain-points 
   2. Produce drafts and concept sketches to establish key design features and aid in decision-making around product trade-offs
   3. Develop and validate design choices through multiple rounds of user research and consumer-focused prototyping 
   4. Manage external and internal resources to complete prototyping and ID iteration on time and within budget 
   5. Responsible for the development & selection of all DECKED product's color, material, and finish (CMF) 
3. Assist Category Managers and engineering team in executing design requirements throughout the product development process
   1. Work with engineering to provide A-Class CAD surfaces, gap / flush targets, and other key design elements to translate concepts into full-fledged products
   2. Champion functional requirements in design reviews 
   3. Work with Category Managers to optimize design compromises for function, ID, feasibility, cost, timeline, and user ergonomics
   4. Iterate on design challenges with engineering team 
4. Market research
   1. Lead the collection and synthesis of user insights to outline customer needs
   2. Conduct regular benchmarking of competitive products to understand DECKED’s competitive landscape and identify areas of future development
   3. Evaluate strategic opportunities through open-ended qualitative research to understand unsolved user pain points and identify potential whitespace 

Qualifications & Skills

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Mechanical Engineering or a related field
• Experience: 6+ years of experience designing consumer, automotive, or outdoor products, with a strong portfolio of work
• Leadership: Experience leading and managing people, with a track record of mentoring and developing talent
• Collaboration & Communication: Strong storytelling ability with excellent verbal and visual presentation skills to convey design ideas clearly
• Design Software: Proficiency in SolidWorks, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and/or other design software
• 3D Modeling & Surfacing: Strong ability to create complex surface models and detailed 3D representations of products
• Prototyping & Hands-on Work: Experience with various prototyping methods, including 3D printing, CNC machining, and hand fabrication
• Manufacturing Knowledge: Strong understanding of injection molding, plastics, metals, coatings, and finishing techniques for large-scale production
• User Experience & Ergonomics: Understanding and curiosity for how human interaction influences product design and usability
• Creative Problem-Solving: A passion for solving design challenges with innovative solutions that balance function, form, and feasibility
• Project Management: Ability to juggle multiple projects, work efficiently under deadlines, and thrive in a fast-paced environment

To be considered for this Industrial Design position, your application must include a portfolio that effectively showcases your sketching and surfacing expertise.

Note: The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees, but are not a complete list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer.