Industrial Design Director

Vuly Play; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

A global outdoor play company is seeking a Senior Industrial Design Director to lead product design execution from its Kuala Lumpur office. This role involves partnering with the Brisbane-based Industrial Design team, ensuring that design intent is maintained through manufacturing, and is not a hands-on role. The ideal candidate will have 15-20+ years of experience in industrial design, with strong leadership skills, and a deep understanding of plastics and tooling, operating independently while still aligned with company goals.

Qualifications

• 15-20+ years in Industrial/Product Design or engineering-led product development.
• Proven experience shipping complex, mass-produced products.
• Deep understanding of plastics, tooling, and Asian manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Brisbane-based Industrial Design team.
• Act as the senior execution and manufacturability lead in Asia.
• Guide designers through tooling and cost trade-offs.

Skills

Industrial / Product Design

Team Leadership

Plastics Engineering

Manufacturing Processes

Autonomous Operation

Job description

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About Vuly

Vuly is an Australian-owned outdoor play company designing category-leading products used by families worldwide. We are known for engineering-driven design, high safety standards, and products that ship at scale across global markets.

This is not a conceptual studio. What we design gets manufactured, tested, certified, and delivered. Fast.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a senior Industrial Design Director to lead Vuly’s product design execution from our Kuala Lumpur office.

This role sits at the same level as our Brisbane design leadership and works in close partnership with our established Brisbane Industrial Design team of nine designers.

You will report directly to the CEO and play a critical role in ensuring products move efficiently from design intent to manufacturable reality across Asia.

At any given time, Vuly may have up to 10 products in active development. Product ownership remains with individual Industrial Designers, primarily based in Brisbane, supported by:

• A team of nine Industrial Designers in Brisbane
• DFM specialists based in Malaysia
• Plastics engineers, toolmakers, and safety teams across Kuala Lumpur and China

Your role is to ensure design intent survives contact with manufacturing, timelines are protected, and execution quality remains high.

What You Will Do

• Partner with and support the Brisbane-based Industrial Design team (9 designers)
• Act as the senior execution and manufacturability lead in Asia
• Guide designers through tooling, DFM, cost, and production trade-offs
• Ensure products progress on time through DFM, tooling, and production
• Maintain consistency with Vuly’s design language and engineering standards
• Lead design discussions with factories, toolmakers, and engineering teams
• Un issues quickly without pulling design ownership away from Brisbane

This is not a hands-on IC role. It is a senior execution and leadership position.

How This Role Works

Design direction and brand parameters are set by the CEO.

Core design ownership sits with the Brisbane team.

You operate independently once aligned.

CEO interaction is focused and high-level.

Success is measured by products shipping on time, especially for peak seasons.

What We’re Looking For

• 15–20+ years in Industrial / Product Design or engineering-led product development
• Proven experience shipping complex, mass-produced products
• Deep understanding of plastics, tooling, and Asian manufacturing
• Strong leadership presence with senior designers and engineers
• Able to operate autonomously and take full ownership

Why This Role Is Different

Same seniority and authority as Brisbane design leadership.

Embedded where manufacturing decisions are made.

Direct line to the CEO and Brisbane Product Management.

Clear partnership with a mature 9-designer Brisbane team.

Unlock job insights

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