Designer

MACKENZIE-CHILDS LLC•Town of Ledyard, NY

34d•$65,000 - $75,000•Onsite

About The Position

MacKenzie-Childs is seeking a Product Designer who brings together creative thinking, commercial awareness, and technical expertise to lead the of products across the Kitchen, Dining, and Entertaining categories. This role will apply creativity, design expertise, and product development capabilities to create products with strong brand relevance, commercial potential, and market appeal, while balancing brand aesthetics, consumer needs, and business objectives. We are looking for a designer who goes beyond creating products. This individual should be able to identify market opportunities and shape compelling design directions through market research, consumer insights, competitive analysis, forecasting, and data-informed design. They must also be able to clearly communicate design intent through persuasive presentations, influence team decisions, and help drive successful product outcomes. In addition to strong design skills, this role requires a high level of ownership, critical thinking, and problem-solving ability. The ideal candidate is confident in proposing new ideas, willing to challenge established approaches, able to plan and manage work independently, and proactive in driving initiatives. They should also continuously seek ways to improve product quality, design efficiency, and team impact through process optimization, AI, emerging technologies, and digital tools. At MacKenzie-Childs, we believe creativity and evidence-based design decisions are equally important. We are not looking for someone who simply completes assigned work. We are looking for a designer who continuously elevates the products we create, the team they work with, and the way the work gets done. Great design begins with creativity, is guided by insight, validated through evidence, and succeeds through collaboration, execution, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Product Design, Industrial Design, Furniture Design, Graphic Design, or a related field preferred.
3–5 years of professional experience in product design, preferably within the kitchen, dining, entertaining, consumer products, home décor, or related industries.
Proven experience leading products through the complete product development process, from concept to production.
Experience with 3D modeling, visualization, prototyping, technical documentation, and cross-functional product development.
Strong portfolio demonstrating creativity, product thinking, craftsmanship, commercial awareness, and execution.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment while managing multiple projects and competing priorities.
Strong attention to detail, visual judgment, technical accuracy, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Creative Curiosity: Bring a high level of creativity and curiosity, explore new design possibilities, and communicate ideas persuasively to help shape design direction.
Data-Informed Design: Leverage market research, consumer insights, competitive analysis, forecasting, and data to inform design decisions.
Commercial Thinking: Understand brand strategy, consumer needs, market opportunities, cost, manufacturability, and business objectives. Balance creativity, brand aesthetics, and commercial considerations to develop products that deliver both meaningful customer experiences and strong business results.
Ownership & Execution: Proactively plan your work, drive initiatives, and take responsibility for project outcomes. Manage multiple projects, establish priorities, and maintain momentum without requiring constant direction. When challenges arise, independently assess the issue, test potential solutions, and bring forward thoughtful recommendations rather than waiting for others to provide the answer.
Critical Thinking & Communication: Analyze problems from multiple perspectives and develop logical, practical, and actionable solutions. Communicate ideas clearly and persuasively through discussion, visual storytelling, and compelling presentations to influence product decisions and cross-functional collaboration.
Continuous Improvement: Continuously seek better ways of working by embracing AI, emerging technologies, and digital tools to improve efficiency, optimize processes, reduce repetitive work, and elevate both product quality and team performance.
Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Rhinoceros (Rhino), Blender, Fusion 360, SolidWorks, SketchUp, AutoCAD, and other digital design tools.
Experience creating high-quality 3D models, photorealistic renderings, CAD drawings, prototypes, compelling presentations, and visual communication materials that support product development and decision making.
Strong understanding of prototyping, 3D printing, digital fabrication, artwork preparation, color management, technical documentation, manufacturing processes, and product development.
Excellent communication, presentation, collaboration, and project management skills, with the confidence to articulate ideas, influence decisions, and work effectively across cross-functional teams.
Strong ownership, initiative, critical thinking, organization, adaptability, problem-solving, and continuous improvement mindset, with the ability to independently manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to perform the physical activities associated with a design studio environment, including sitting, standing, lifting product samples, operating design equipment, and using computers for extended periods.

Nice To Haves

Experience with AI-assisted design tools and emerging digital technologies is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Conceptualize and design innovative products based on design briefs, brand strategy, market research, and cross-functional collaboration.
Design and develop products across the Kitchen, Dining, and Entertaining categories, including artwork, prototypes, and all phases of the product development process.
Create products that reflect the MacKenzie-Childs brand by thoughtfully incorporating signature patterns, textures, and design elements while balancing innovation, functionality, brand identity, and commercial viability.
Develop product concepts using digital design tools and communicate ideas through hand sketches when appropriate.
Prepare Manufacturing Development Packages (MDPs), Product Specifications, Product Instructions, and other product development documentation.
Partner closely with Product Development, Production, Quality, Vendors, and Agents to ensure design intent is accurately executed throughout sampling, product approval, and manufacturing.
Independently plan, prioritize, and manage multiple projects while meeting Design & Development timelines and key milestones.
Coordinate samples or working models as needed, and participate in factory sampling, product evaluations, training sessions, and design critiques.
Continuously expand knowledge of materials, manufacturing processes, product construction, and production techniques, and apply that knowledge throughout the product development process.
Create high-quality, photorealistic visual assets that support internal reviews, presentations, vendor communication, and product development decision-making.
Create high-quality 3D models, photorealistic renderings, CAD drawings, prototypes, and technical documentation from design concepts, sketches, reference materials, and artwork to support product development, internal reviews, and vendor communication.
Accurately communicate product proportions, construction, materials, colors, patterns, finishes, and overall design intent, while rapidly incorporating design feedback into models, renderings, pattern placement, and product details.
Develop digital models and prototypes that accurately reflect product form, function, structural integrity, and manufacturability.
Operate FDM and resin 3D printers, including print file preparation, prototype fabrication, troubleshooting, and post-processing.
Utilize 3D scanning workflows to digitize existing products, heritage pieces, prototypes, and decorative elements into editable, reusable digital assets that support future design libraries and product development initiatives.
Create, organize, and maintain production-ready artwork, production files, and digital assets to support product development and manufacturing.
Prepare production-ready artwork through artwork cleanup, color separation, color correction, color matching, proofing, layer management, masking, and production file preparation.
Ensure all digital artwork accurately reflects approved hand-painted samples, enamel samples, color references, brand standards, and production requirements.
Develop vendor-ready production files and reusable digital assets, including MacKenzie-Childs Signature Check Pattern assets.
Partner with the Design Assets Manager to develop, organize, and maintain pattern, color, material, silhouette, and other design resource libraries.
Digitize, organize, archive, and maintain artwork, samples, materials, color references, prototypes, and other design assets across SharePoint, Figma, Brand Folder, and other design platforms to improve accessibility, consistency, and development efficiency.
Create accurate 2D and 3D CAD drawings, including dimensional, structural, assembly, and detail drawings that support product development and manufacturing.
Develop product specifications, technical documentation, and manufacturing instructions that clearly communicate design intent and product requirements.
Translate design concepts into clear, accurate, and executable technical documentation for vendors and manufacturing partners.
Clearly define product dimensions, proportions, construction, materials, finishes, hardware, and assembly requirements.
Ensure all CAD drawings and technical documentation are accurate, complete, organized, and aligned with project requirements.
Proactively identify opportunities to improve workflows, product quality, information management, and cross-functional collaboration.
Develop practical, scalable solutions, lead improvement initiatives, and drive them through implementation.
Leverage AI, emerging technologies, digital tools, and automation to improve product quality, streamline workflows, reduce repetitive tasks, and increase overall efficiency.
Develop reusable design resources, templates, digital assets, and standardized processes that improve consistency, scalability, and long-term team effectiveness.
Continuously optimize the way work gets done by improving systems, workflows, and team processes, enabling the Design Team to work more efficiently, accurately, and collaboratively.
Collaborate closely with Product Development, Production, Vendors, and other cross-functional teams to support product development and execution.
Serve as a key liaison between the Design Team and cross-functional partners, ensuring design intent, product requirements, and quality standards are clearly communicated and accurately executed.
Communicate design intent through renderings, CAD drawings, prototypes, technical documentation, presentations, and other visual communication tools to support product reviews, executive presentations, vendor communication, and collaboration projects.
Present ideas with clarity and confidence, provide constructive design critiques, and contribute to informed decision-making across cross-functional teams.