Assistant Designer, B2B

Crate & Barrel; Northbrook (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Crate & Barrel is seeking an Assistant Designer, B2B in Northbrook, IL. On-site Monday through Thursday with the option to work remotely on Fridays; reporting to the Director of Design, B2B.

You will support the product design process across furniture, lighting, decor and tabletop, and help prepare external client pitch decks. The role emphasizes technical drafting, CAD renderings, hand sketching, and collaboration with vendors and cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Portfolio link must be provided (password-protected PDFs accepted).
• 1+ year of technical design and design brief creation experience.
• Strong hand sketching and idea generation skills.
• Bachelor's or Master's in Industrial Design or related field.
• Solid knowledge of design history and aesthetics.
• Technical drafting, 3D modeling and rendering with SolidWorks/KeyShot.
• Proficiency with Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.
• Retail experience preferred and a polished customer-focused approach.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Director throughout the product design process.
• Coordinate Personalization (PZ) workflows with vendors and partners.
• Support an efficient design process and information flow across cycles.
• Create technical product design specifications via CAD and hand rendering.
• Contribute to designs across furniture, lighting, decor and tabletop.
• Prepare pitch decks for external clients.
• Participate in special projects and maintain strong internal/external service.
• Foster cross-functional collaboration with Design, Merchandising, Materials and Sourcing.

Skills

Hand sketching

3D modeling

CAD rendering

Communication

Vendor collaboration

Cross-functional teamwork

Design brief creation

Education

BFA or MA in Industrial Design

Tools

SolidWorks

KeyShot

Photoshop

Illustrator

InDesign

Job description

The Assistant Designer, B2B supports the Product Design and Development department to shape Crate & Barrel’s future through innovative design. Reporting to the Director of Design, B2B, this role assists with Personalization merchandise, external client pitch decks, and B2B product design, while managing technical briefs and sample development.

This is an on-site position (Monday through Thursday) based out of our Northbrook, IL office with the flexibility to work remotely on Fridays.

A day in the life as an Assistant Designer, B2B...

• Assist the Director throughout the product design process
• Manage the Personalization (PZ) process and assist with daily communication with vendors and cross functional partners
• Assist in coordinating an efficient and seamless design process
• Help manage product design information throughout design cycles
• Assist in the creation of technical product design specifications via CAD and hand rendering
• Assist the design leaders in the creation of designs across all product categories including furniture, lighting, decor and tabletop
• Assist in creating pitch decks for external clients
• Participate in special projects, as needed
• Support and model excellent service to internal and external customers in all forms of action and communication

What You’ll Bring To The Table…

• Passion for design, style and decorating and knowledge of design and art history.
• Ability to interact and collaborate with senior members of the team and major vendors with experience on product development
• Ability to make decisions on operational matters that impact the effectiveness of their work
• Ability to translate business and design objectives into successful product.
• Ability to multi-task and meet deadlines
• Communicate effectively and efficiently with all company associates and business contacts
• Build effective relationships with internal partners in Design, Merchandising, Materials and Sourcing to help execute cross functional synergy and collaboration
• Ability to tackle all parts of the design phase from initial concept to hand sketching to CAD renderings and orthographic drawings
• Knowledge of manufacturing methods, engineering and materiality

We’d love to hear from you if you have…

• Must provide a link to portfolio (including password) on resume or provide PDF samples
• 1+ years experience with technical design and design brief creation
• Strong Hand sketching and Idea Generation
• BFA or MA in Industrial Design, Furniture Design, Interior Design or any design related field
• Strong knowledge of design and art history
• Strong Technical knowledge and experience with drafting, 3D modeling, and digital or hand rendering essential (Solidworks and Keyshot)
• Strong Technical knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign
• A minimum of one year of previous retail experience preferred
• A polished, customer focused and detailed approach