Industrial Designer

Tait International Limited; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Flu vaccinations

Extra sick leave

Onsite parking

Gym access

Social club

Job summary

Tait Communications is seeking an Industrial Designer to join our UX team, collaborating with product management, hardware and mechanical engineering to shape mission-critical products for global public safety, transportation and utility sectors.

You will drive user-centered design, translate concepts into CAD models with PTC Creo, and mentor junior designers while partnering with external manufacturers to ensure manufacturability and quality.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree NZQA Level 7 in a relevant field.
• At least three years of experience in physical product development.
• Experience working with external manufacturing and development partners.

Responsibilities

• Engage with customers, users, sales and product management to identify latent needs and frame market opportunities.
• Lead user-centric design methodologies and communicate ideas through sketches, storyboards, prototypes, CAD models and renderings.
• Validate design hypotheses through prototyping, user testing and customer feedback.
• Stay up to date with industry best practices, materials, and manufacturing processes.
• Contribute to Tait's design language to ensure a consistent and strong product identity.
• Collaborate with internal and external engineering teams to translate design concepts into CAD models using PTC Creo.
• Mentor junior designers and promote best practices within the team.
• Manage the technical and user experience aspects of packaging.

Skills

User-centered design

Independent work

Stakeholder management

Problem solving

Verbal communication

Visual communication

Team collaboration

MIL-std design

Education

Bachelor's degree NZQA Level 7

Tools

PTC Creo

Blender

Keyshot

Figma

Adobe Creative Cloud

Job description

We Go Beyond for A Safer World Te Tūranga - The Role

Are you passionate about designing innovative and user-centric products? Do you want to work in a team that values creativity, collaboration, and technical excellence? Tait Communications is looking for an Industrial Designer to join our UX team and contribute to our globally recognised critical communications solutions. In this role you will work closely with product management, hardware and mechanical engineering teams, technology partners, and the UX team to develop intuitive and reliable mission-critical products. Your expertise in user-centered design will shape the way users interact with our technology, helping to make a real impact in the global public safety, transportation, and utility sectors.

Key Responsibilities

• Engaging with customers, users, sales and product management to identify latent needs and frame market opportunities.


• Leading user-centric design methodologies and communicating ideas through sketches, storyboards, prototypes, CAD models and renderings.


• Validating design hypotheses through prototyping, user testing and customer feedback.


• Staying up to date with industry best practices, materials, and manufacturing processes.


• Contributing to Tait's design language to ensure a consistent and strong product identity.


• Collaborating with internal and external engineering teams to rapidly translate industrial design concepts into high-quality, manufacturing-ready CAD models using PTC Creo.


• Mentoring junior designers and promoting best practices within the team.


• Managing the technical and user experience aspects of our packaging.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will have a bachelor's degree (NZQA Level 7) in a relevant field and at least three years of experience in a physical product development environment.

• Strong knowledge of user-centered design and development methodologies.


• The ability to work both independently and collaboratively across multiple projects.


• Experience in identifying and managing stakeholder issues and risks.


• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to select appropriate design methods.


• Strong verbal and visual communication skills.


• Experience working with external manufacturing and development partners.


• Familiarity with tools such as PTC Creo, Blender, Keyshot, Figma and Adobe Creative Cloud.


• Experience designing MIL-std or IP-rated hand-held electro-mechanical products (preferred).

What’s in it for you?

We are an employer that is committed to making a difference for families and communities and supporting people to build rewarding careers. We achieve this through employing people who connect with our Values (Commitment to listen. Courage to Act and Integrity to Deliver) that underpin our way of working together. We are committed to investing in our people, developing both individuals and teams to support a high-performance culture. We prioritise your wellbeing through health insurance, annual flu vaccinations and extra sick leave in your first year. We provide a comfortable work environment through modern office facilities with free onsite parking, gym, and café. We recognise your commitment through long service benefits. We balance work with fun through our active social club!

About Us

For more than 50 years, Tait Communications has been designing, delivering, and supporting critical communications networks for public safety, transportation and utility customers around the world. Founded in Christchurch by Sir Angus Tait, we now have a network of customers and offices that spans the globe. Our employees value being part of a creative team committed to providing technological solutions that make a real difference to the communities we support. By joining Tait, you'll be joining a community of people with a wealth of knowledge and expertise, who care deeply about their work and the genuine impact it has for our customers, and who support each other to grow and develop.

Diversity & Inclusion Statement

Tait Communications is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and empowered to succeed. We are encourage applications from all backgrounds to apply.

If you join us, you won't just be starting a new job; you'll be taking the first step towards a rewarding career with a Company that truly makes a difference.