Design Director

MillerKnoll • Stamford, CT

1d

About The Position

Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Creative Director, the Product Design Director leads DWR Studio and sets the creative direction for Design Within Reach's original product portfolio. This role is responsible for shaping product vision, defining collection briefs, leading a multidisciplinary industrial design team, and partnering across merchandising, product development, sourcing, engineering, and manufacturing to bring commercially successful, design-led products to market. The Product Design Director combines exceptional design leadership with strategic business thinking, ensuring every product reflects Design Within Reach’s commitment to authentic modern design, impeccable craftsmanship, commercial success, and enduring relevance. This individual will cultivate a culture of design excellence, champion innovation, and develop products that strengthen Design Within Reach’s position as the leading destination for modern home furnishings.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from an accredited university.
• Minimum 12 years of progressive industrial design experience, with at least five years leading design teams.
• Demonstrated success designing and bringing premium furniture or consumer products to market.
• Exceptional portfolio demonstrating world-class industrial design, product thinking, and creative leadership.
• Deep knowledge of furniture manufacturing, materials, construction techniques, ergonomics, and product engineering.
• Proven ability to build, mentor, and inspire high-performing creative teams.
• Strong understanding of premium consumer brands and modern design history.
• Outstanding communication, presentation, and executive-level influencing skills.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Industrial Design or related discipline.
• Experience within premium or luxury furniture, interiors, or consumer lifestyle brands.
• Experience collaborating with internationally recognized designers or design consultancies.
• Global manufacturing experience across North America, Europe, and Asia.
• Knowledge of sustainable materials, circular design principles, and responsible manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the SVP, Creative Director to define and execute the long-term creative vision for DWR Studio.
• Serve as the primary design leader for DWR Studio, translating brand strategy into a cohesive product vision and portfolio direction.
• Create and steward design briefs for all original product collections across furniture, lighting, accessories, and textiles, ensuring alignment with brand, customer, and business objectives.
• Lead the conceptual development of new collections that advance the Design Within Reach point of view while supporting strategic business objectives.
• Provide clear recommendations on product direction, design tradeoffs, and collection priorities to support portfolio growth and long-term brand equity.
• Ensure a consistently high standard of design quality, craftsmanship, usability, and aesthetic rigor throughout the portfolio.
• Foster a culture where thoughtful critique, experimentation, and innovation are central to the design process.
• Translate consumer insights, market intelligence, and cultural trends into a differentiated product strategy.
• Partner with Merchandising to define category opportunities, product roadmaps, and long-term portfolio evolution.
• Balance creative ambition with commercial performance, identifying opportunities that strengthen both brand equity and business growth.
• Inform and influence investment decisions across new product development, assortment planning, and portfolio management.
• Partner with Merchandising and Product Development to evaluate assortment performance, identify lifecycle opportunities, and support category growth strategies.
• Ensure design decisions appropriately balance customer desirability, brand differentiation, quality expectations, and commercial viability.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the industrial design team while creating an environment that attracts and retains exceptional creative talent.
• Establish clear goals, performance expectations, feedback mechanisms, and development plans that enable individual and team success.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships that enable efficient product development and successful commercialization.
• Establish best practices for design process, creative reviews, and product storytelling.
• Inspire a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing creative culture.
• Drive succession planning and talent development to build long-term organizational design capability.
• Oversee the design process from concept through production, ensuring design intent is maintained throughout engineering and manufacturing.
• Collaborate closely with Product Development, Engineering, Sourcing, and Quality teams to achieve excellence in execution.
• Partner with domestic and international manufacturing partners to identify opportunities for innovation in materials, construction, sustainability, and production methods.
• Embed sustainability, durability, repairability, and responsible material choices into design briefs and product development decisions.
• Develop and maintain relationships with independent designers, design studios, manufacturers, and strategic partners.
• Evaluate and cultivate external partnerships that expand DWR's design perspective, innovation capabilities, and market relevance.
• Identify and cultivate opportunities for new collaborations that strengthen the DWR product portfolio.
• Represent Design Within Reach within the global design community and at key industry events.

Benefits

• Equal opportunity employment, including veterans and people with disabilities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior