Aruliden Design Studio - Director, Industrial Design

About Aruliden & Material  

Aruliden is an award-winning studio that builds purpose-driven brands, products, and experiences. A multi-disciplinary team of strategists, 2D designers, and industrial designers, we work together to bring brands to life, whether crafting their strategic DNA, developing a graphic identity, or developing their physical and digital products. We’ve delivered design solutions for: Verizon, Whoop, Google, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Fenty, Cecred, AG1, Canary, Seed, Movado, Bulgari, Supergoop, Simkhai, the MoMA, Backdrop, Merit, and many more clients across a diverse range of sectors.

Aruliden is the design & innovation studio within Material, a global integrated marketing services company that specializes in uncovering deep, data-driven insights in order to create experiences for clients, transforming relationships between businesses and the people they serve.

About the Director, Industrial Design Role 

The Director of Industrial Design role is critical in bringing exceptional ideas to market for our clients while helping to maintain team health and shape our strategic vision.

We’re looking for someone who wants to work with top-notch brands and leaders -- who is passionate about creating groundbreaking products and experiences and has over 10 years of experience doing so. The Design Director will report into the VP of Experience Design and be a key voice in evolving the vision and mission of our design practice, including how it connects to opportunities for other internal teams.  This role will oversee multiple projects from conception to execution, and directly manage several Industrial Designers. Team leadership and motivation skills are essential for the role, in addition to strong concept, execution, and presentation skills.

The ideal candidate will have seen multiple physical products brought to market. Category experience might include one or more of: tech hardware & digital experiences, home appliances & decor, beauty/skincare/fragrance packaging, spatial environments, luxury goods, food & beverage, and 360° brand application.

They will have an understanding of how to translate strategy into design decisions, the ability to communicate the value of decisions persuasively through presentations, and the ability to guide and direct junior team members to do the same. They will be comfortable and eager to collaborate across disciplines, and know how to achieve clarity amid ambiguity.

They will keep a strong pulse on trends and developments in design, technology, arts, and culture.

Design Directors are representatives of the company and are expected to build strong relationships with current and new clients, expanding and uncovering new opportunities.

As an Industrial Design Director, you will: 

Lead and oversee the work: 

• Lead the full design process including strategic thinking, inspiration-gathering, ideation, 3D modeling, physical prototyping, visual rendering, design for manufacturing, and visual asset creation.

• Manage multiple projects simultaneously, from quick sprints to large, complex initiatives

• Work with client leads to outline the structure of new projects, helping establish the appropriate scope, staff resourcing, and deliverables while estimating and managing project cost and profitability. 

• Develop and pilot new project types and ways of working to ensure we are continuously innovating in our approach to design.

• Execute on impactful customer and product experiences, recruiting internal insights teams to lend their support through user research when appropriate.

• Maintain high quality standards for design, ensuring the work is strategic, aesthetically appealing, improves the experience of users, and supports business goals.

• Be a champion for ethics in design with a demonstrable interest in and knowledge of social & environmental principles, paired with a drive to continuously improve our impact on human communities and natural ecosystems.

Lead and Mentor the team: 

• Join other leaders in coaching, managing, and motivating the design team

• Help build team culture, recruit great talent, and create a greater brand presence for Aruliden and Material

• Be a champion for the design team within the broader organization. Communicate and advocate for the mission and needs of the team clearly and concisely.

• Work with other design teams within the company to build a collaborative culture in service of user, and business outcomes.

Build relationships: 

• Develop trusted relationships with clients

• Help to build a network of trusted freelancers and cross-Material collaborators

• Actively spot and unlock new opportunities with current or new clients

About You 

• 10+ years of relevant design experience

• Strong portfolio, demonstrating exceptional taste, ideation, and execution

• Degree in Industrial Design or equivalent experience

• Experience building and leading a design team, with a leadership style that inspires trust and commitment through integrity, passion, and professional excellence

• Comfortable helping to define proposals and scopes of work for a variety of project types, from quick conceptual sprints to long-term product development partnerships.

• A good sense for delegation balanced with a willingness and ability to get hands-on.

• Fluent in human-centered design approaches and experience design principles and concepts

• Excellent communication and presentation skills

• Deep experience guiding products through a development & engineering process while protecting the integrity of the design intent.

• Demonstrable experience liaising with manufacturers, engineers, & prototypists

• Ability to create and amplify culture and motivate employees at all levels within the studio

• Concept, strategy, sketching, and rendering skills

• Expert-level proficiency in Keyshot

• Expert-level proficiency in Solidworks (preferred) and/or other 3D CAD packages (Rhino, Alias, etc.)

• Expert-level proficiency in basic Adobe Creative Suite software

• Familiarity with Figma, Google Suite, and/or Microsoft Teams a plus

• Located in NYC or surrounding areas, or willing to relocate

Why work for Material? 

In addition to fulfilling, high-impact work, company culture and benefits are integral to determining if a job is a right fit for you. Here’s a bit about who we are and highlights around what we offer. 

Who We Are & What We Care About 

• Material is a global company and we work with best-of-class brands worldwide.  We also create and launch new brands and products, putting innovation and value creation at the center of our practice. Our clients are in the top of their class, across industry sectors from technology to retail, transportation, finance and healthcare. 

• Material employees join a peer group of exceptionally talented colleagues across the company, the country, and even the world. We develop capabilities, craft and leading-edge market offerings across seven global practices including strategy and insights, design, data & analytics, technology and tracking. Our engagement management team makes it all hum for clients.  

• We prize inclusion and interconnectedness. We amplify our impact through the people, perspectives, and expertise we engage in our work. Our commitment to deep human understanding combined with a science & systems approach uniquely equips us to bring a rich frame of reference to our work. 

• A community focused on learning and making an impact. Material is an outcomes focused company. We create experiences that matter, create new value and make a difference in people's lives.  

What We Offer 

In addition to Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability and FSA, Material offers: 

• A work environment that works best for you. Whether that’s fully remote, in one of our offices, or hybrid. (This particular position requires proximity to NYC and willingness to be present in-office 3x per week.) 

• Flexible & synchronous time off. We trust our colleagues to take responsibility for and manage their workloads. That’s why we offer Flexible Time Off along with synchronous companywide closures and 11 company holidays.   

• 12 weeks of paid parental leave. Every parent deserves to spend the first few months of their new child’s life with them. 

• Help planning for your future. We offer 401K match, as well as periodic financial wellness and planning sessions throughout the year.  

Pay Range: 125,100.00 -175,000.00

The range shown represents a grouping of relevant ranges currently in use at Material. Actual range for this position may differ, depending on location and specific skillset required for the work itself. 

Equal Employment Opportunity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factors prohibited by law.

Privacy Statement

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