Sr. Industrial Designer

Description

American Plastics is a privately owned injected molded plastics company that designs and manufactures workhorse items in the United States, utilizing green processes and superior design & engineering. American Plastics is a growing company, with production and distribution footprints in Missouri, Ohio, Arizona, North and South Carolina.

We are seeking a Senior Industrial Designer to join our growing design team. This role will reside at our Innovation Center, Jefferson City, MO, reporting to the Manager - Industrial Design. The role is hybrid (Mon/Fri remote; Tues-Thurs in the Mooresville, NC office).

This position will be responsible for leading the design, ideation, development, and optimization of plastic products and components from initial concept through commercialization. The ideal candidate will bring a strong industrial design background, creative problem-solving skills, and a practical understanding of injection molding, tooling, materials, and manufacturing processes.

The successful candidate will balance user needs, aesthetics, functionality, manufacturability, and cost to develop innovative products that meet both customer and business requirements. All applicants must provide a strong design portfolio demonstrating aesthetic sensibility, user-centric thinking, and industrial design software proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Conduct user research and analyze product usage, customer needs, and market opportunities to inform design concepts and use cases.
• Support the development of the company’s product roadmap and innovation funnel.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including engineering, sales, marketing, manufacturing, quality, and other stakeholders, to bring concepts from ideation through production.
• Develop and communicate product concepts through hand sketches, renderings, storyboards, prototypes, and 3D CAD models using SolidWorks.
• Explore multiple design directions and develop concepts that balance aesthetics, functionality, ergonomics, manufacturability, and cost.
• Participate in prototyping, concept reviews, design evaluations, and user testing.
• Incorporate feedback from customers, internal stakeholders, testing, and engineering reviews into design iterations.
• Translate customer requirements, sketches, and conceptual ideas into practical, manufacturable product solutions.
• Create and present design concepts to internal teams and customers, effectively communicating design intent, rationale, and opportunities.
• Partner with engineering and manufacturing to resolve design and production challenges throughout the product development process.
• Maintain clear and detailed documentation of design concepts, iterations, specifications, and engineering changes.
• Help establish and maintain industrial design standards, processes, and best practices across the organization.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Industrial Design, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• 7+ years of professional experience in industrial design and/or engineering, preferably within injection molding or plastic product manufacturing.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating product design, ideation, sketching, form development, and successful commercialization. Applications must have a portfolio link or attachment.
• Creativity and Innovation: Demonstrated ability to develop unique, functional, and commercially viable product designs.
• CAD Proficiency: Advanced proficiency in 3D modeling software such as SolidWorks, Rhino, Fusion 360, or Autodesk Inventor.
• Technical Knowledge: Strong understanding of materials, injection molding, tooling, manufacturing processes, and product development.
• Communication Skills: Ability to clearly communicate and present design concepts to technical and non-technical audiences and effectively collaborate across functions.
• Problem-Solving: Ability to identify design and use-case challenges and develop practical, creative solutions.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced product development environment.
• At least 18 years of age.
• Eligible to work in the United States of America.

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Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing consumer products, automotive products, medical devices, or other injection-molded products.
• Experience taking products from initial concept through prototyping, tooling, and production.
• Familiarity with sustainable materials, manufacturing practices, and design-for-sustainability principles.
• Experience with product rendering software such as KeyShot.
• Experience working directly with customers on product development and design requirements.

Why Join American Plastics?

If you are an innovative, hands-on designer who enjoys solving complex product challenges and collaborating across disciplines, we would like to hear from you.

American Plastics offers the opportunity to work in a fast-paced, progressive environment where design and innovation play an important role in developing the next generation of products. ?We offer a competitive salary, full benefit package including medical/dental, 401k, and paid vacation.

• medical/dental
• 401k
• paid vacation

Join American Plastics and help shape the future of innovative plastic product design!