Designer

Continental Group Sector ContiTech•Winchester, VA

27d•$72,000 - $85,000•Onsite

About The Position

Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility. ContiTech is one of the world’s leading industry specialists, offering connected, environment-friendly, safe, and convenient industry and service solutions. This role is responsible for translating customer vision and design intent into production-ready interior surface concepts, developing and evaluating interior color harmony, material appearance, gloss, texture, grain, print, pattern, haptics, and perceived quality. The designer will balance aesthetics with feasibility, cost, timing, durability, manufacturing capability, and customer requirements, while identifying customer and market design needs and delivering internal and external design presentations. The position involves building and expanding trusted working relationships with American/North American customers, CMF, innovation groups, and advanced engineering organizations, monitoring competitive design technologies, and providing design and plant support for Winchester. Responsibilities also include coordinating sample creation, color matching, appearance reviews, supplier trials, production evaluations, and corrective actions, as well as partnering cross-functionally with various internal and external teams. The role requires presenting design recommendations, documenting customer feedback, attending evaluations at suppliers, production locations, and customer sites, and supporting escalation management. Additionally, the designer will advise stakeholders on design-related product and production properties, build collaboration with customer departments to acquire new projects, and report within defined cycles and systems, communicating status updates and projected timelines to customers. The role involves collecting customer input, presenting color submissions and grain developments, and supporting the Program Management team in acquiring new projects. Teamwork is essential, acting as a member of a Program Management team, owning surface design development for assigned customers, and collaborating with all parties involved in the PLC process. Trend and market research, including monitoring and analyzing American market activity, competitor colors, textures, prints, and materials, as well as identifying American market design and color trends, is also a key aspect. Travel to suppliers, trade fairs, and customer locations is required, along with preparing reports, presentations, and updates.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Related Field
3 years of experience
Adobe Suite experience
Previous experience in production and product management

Nice To Haves

Degree in Design

Responsibilities

Translate customer vision and design intent into production-ready interior surface concepts.
Develop and evaluate interior color harmony, material appearance, gloss, texture, grain, print, pattern, haptics and perceived quality.
Balance aesthetics with feasibility, cost, timing, durability, manufacturing capability and customer requirements.
Identify customer and market design needs.
Deliver internal and external design presentations.
Develop feasible grains, colors, prints and combinations, securing customer approvals and PLC documentation.
Support design development and releases for customer programs.
Build and expand trusted working relationships with American / North American customers, CMF, innovation groups and advanced engineering organizations.
Monitor competitive design technologies and activities together with Sales.
Provide design and plant support for Winchester.
Coordinate sample creation, color matching, appearance reviews, supplier trials, production evaluations and corrective actions.
Partner cross-functionally with Creative Design, Engineering, Program Management, Sales, Manufacturing, Quality and external suppliers.
Initiate and/or monitor trial batches through the internal process.
Track color and grain developments through the internal development process.
Track internal design projects.
Present design recommendations clearly and document customer feedback, decisions, actions, owners and next steps.
Attend color, print and texture evaluations at suppliers, production locations and customer sites.
Support escalation management within the Americas Design department.
Advise BA SSL stakeholders and departments involved in the Product Life Cycle that influence design-related product and production properties, including feasibility and business impact.
Build and expand collaboration between SSL and relevant customer departments, with a focus on acquiring new projects.
Report within defined cycles and systems, including 1:1 meetings, dashboards and action lists.
Communicate status updates and projected timelines to customers.
Provide recommendations to affected internal departments based on customer feedback.
Report and document customer approval status, including ISAR, roller transfer to serial status and master creation.
Collect necessary input from customers.
Present color submissions and grain developments to customers.
Build and expand collaboration between SSL Design and relevant customer departments.
Support the Program Management team in acquiring new projects.
Prepare and deliver internal presentations.
Act as a member of a Program Management team.
Own surface design development for assigned customers.
Collaborate with all parties and departments involved in the PLC process.
Collaborate with Creative Design, Automotive Design, and DTS SSL.
Monitor, gather and analyze American market activity, especially competitor colors, textures, prints and materials.
Identify American market design and color trends.
Analyze SSL and competitor color and trim portfolios, including color, grain, print, structure, surface characteristics and haptics.
Travel to suppliers, trade fairs / trade shows and customer locations.
Prepare reports, presentations and updates from customers, shows and events.
Prepare design presentations.
Present SSL product portfolio samples and design presentations.