Design Director

Design Within Reach; Stamford (CT); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Design Within Reach in Stamford, CT is seeking a Product Design Director to lead DWR Studio and set the creative direction for the original product portfolio. You will shape vision, define collection briefs, and partner across merchandising, product development, sourcing, engineering, and manufacturing to bring design-led products to market.

This role blends design leadership with strategic business thinking to ensure authentic modern design, craftsmanship, and commercial success while

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from an accredited university.
• Minimum 12 years of progressive industrial design experience, with at least five years leading design teams.
• Demonstrated success designing and bringing premium furniture or consumer products to market.
• Exceptional portfolio demonstrating world‑class industrial design, product thinking, and creative leadership.
• Deep knowledge of furniture manufacturing, materials, construction techniques, ergonomics, and product engineering.
• Proven ability to build, mentor, and inspire high‑performing creative teams.
• Strong understanding of premium consumer brands and modern design history.
• Outstanding communication, presentation, and executive‑level influencing skills.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the SVP, Creative Director to define and execute the long-term creative vision for DWR Studio.
• Serve as the primary design leader for DWR Studio, translating brand strategy into a cohesive product vision and portfolio direction.
• Create and steward design briefs for all original product collections across furniture, lighting, accessories, and textiles, ensuring alignment with brand, customer, and business objectives.
• Lead the conceptual development of new collections that advance the Design Within Reach point of view while supporting strategic business objectives.
• Provide clear recommendations on product direction, design tradeoffs, and collection priorities to support portfolio growth and long-term brand equity.
• Ensure a consistently high standard of design quality, craftsmanship, usability, and aesthetic rigor throughout the portfolio.
• Foster a culture where thoughtful critique, experimentation, and innovation are central to the design process.
• Translate consumer insights, market intelligence, and cultural trends into a differentiated product strategy.
• Partner with Merchandising to define category opportunities, product roadmaps, and long-term portfolio evolution.
• Balance creative ambition with commercial performance, identifying opportunities that strengthen both brand equity and business growth.
• Inform and influence investment decisions across new product development, assortment planning, and portfolio management.
• Partner with Merchandising and Product Development to evaluate assortment performance, identify lifecycle opportunities, and support category growth strategies.
• Ensure design decisions appropriately balance customer desirability, brand differentiation, quality expectations, and commercial viability.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the industrial design team while creating an environment that attracts and retains exceptional creative talent.
• Establish clear goals, performance expectations, feedback mechanisms, and development plans that enable individual and team success.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships that enable efficient product development and successful commercialization.
• Establish best practices for design process, creative reviews, and product storytelling.
• Inspire a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing creative culture.
• Drive succession planning and talent development to build long-term organizational design capability.
• Oversee the design process from concept through production, ensuring design intent is maintained throughout engineering and manufacturing.
• Collaborate closely with Product Development, Engineering, Sourcing, and Quality teams to achieve excellence in execution.
• Partner with domestic and international manufacturing partners to identify opportunities for innovation in materials, construction, sustainability, and production methods.
• Embed sustainability, durability, repairability, and responsible material choices into design briefs and product development decisions.
• Develop and maintain relationships with independent designers, design studios, manufacturers, and strategic partners.
• Evaluate and cultivate external partnerships that expand DWR's design perspective, innovation capabilities, and market relevance.
• Identify and cultivate opportunities for new collaborations that strengthen the DWR product portfolio.
• Represent Design Within Reach within the global design community and at key industry events.
• Success in this Role: The Product Design Director will elevate Design Within Reach’s original product portfolio by delivering collections that are commercially successful, culturally relevant, beautifully executed, and true to the principles of enduring modern design.

Skills

Team leadership

Industrial design

Product thinking

Creative leadership

Brand storytelling

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design

Job description

Why join us?

At Design Within Reach, home comes first. We believe in creating and sourcing pieces that move with you and are meant to be enjoyed over a lifetime – from home to home, generation to generation. For us, that means exceptionally crafted, built-to-last, and beautifully designed furnishings.

Why join us?

At Design Within Reach, home comes first. We believe in creating and sourcing pieces that move with you and are meant to be enjoyed over a lifetime – from home to home, generation to generation. For us, that means exceptionally crafted, built-to-last, and beautifully designed furnishings.

Our purpose is design for the good of humankind. It’s the ideal we strive toward each day in everything we do. Being a part of Design Within Reach means being a part of something larger than your work team, or even your brand. We are redefining modern for the 21st century. And our success allows Design Within Reach to support causes that align with our values, so we can build a more sustainable, equitable, and beautiful future for everyone.

About This Opportunity:

Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Creative Director, the Product Design Director leads DWR Studio and sets the creative direction for Design Within Reach's original product portfolio. This role is responsible for shaping product vision, defining collection briefs, leading a multidisciplinary industrial design team, and partnering across merchandising, product development, sourcing, engineering, and manufacturing to bring commercially successful, design-led products to market.

The Product Design Director combines exceptional design leadership with strategic business thinking, ensuring every product reflects Design Within Reach’s commitment to authentic modern design, impeccable craftsmanship, commercial success, and enduring relevance.

This individual will cultivate a culture of design excellence, champion innovation, and develop products that strengthen Design Within Reach’s position as the leading destination for modern home furnishings.

Key Responsibilities

Creative Leadership

• Partner with the SVP, Creative Director to define and execute the long-term creative vision for DWR Studio.


• Serve as the primary design leader for DWR Studio, translating brand strategy into a cohesive product vision and portfolio direction.


• Create and steward design briefs for all original product collections across furniture, lighting, accessories, and textiles, ensuring alignment with brand, customer, and business objectives.


• Lead the conceptual development of new collections that advance the Design Within Reach point of view while supporting strategic business objectives.


• Provide clear recommendations on product direction, design tradeoffs, and collection priorities to support portfolio growth and long-term brand equity.


• Ensure a consistently high standard of design quality, craftsmanship, usability, and aesthetic rigor throughout the portfolio.


• Foster a culture where thoughtful critique, experimentation, and innovation are central to the design process.

Product Strategy

• Translate consumer insights, market intelligence, and cultural trends into a differentiated product strategy.


• Partner with Merchandising to define category opportunities, product roadmaps, and long-term portfolio evolution.


• Balance creative ambition with commercial performance, identifying opportunities that strengthen both brand equity and business growth.


• Inform and influence investment decisions across new product development, assortment planning, and portfolio management.


• Partner with Merchandising and Product Development to evaluate assortment performance, identify lifecycle opportunities, and support category growth strategies.


• Ensure design decisions appropriately balance customer desirability, brand differentiation, quality expectations, and commercial viability.

Design Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop the industrial design team while creating an environment that attracts and retains exceptional creative talent.


• Establish clear goals, performance expectations, feedback mechanisms, and development plans that enable individual and team success.


• Build strong cross-functional partnerships that enable efficient product development and successful commercialization.


• Establish best practices for design process, creative reviews, and product storytelling.


• Inspire a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing creative culture.


• Drive succession planning and talent development to build long-term organizational design capability.

Product Development

• Oversee the design process from concept through production, ensuring design intent is maintained throughout engineering and manufacturing.


• Collaborate closely with Product Development, Engineering, Sourcing, and Quality teams to achieve excellence in execution.


• Partner with domestic and international manufacturing partners to identify opportunities for innovation in materials, construction, sustainability, and production methods.


• Embed sustainability, durability, repairability, and responsible material choices into design briefs and product development decisions.

External Partnerships

• Develop and maintain relationships with independent designers, design studios, manufacturers, and strategic partners.


• Evaluate and cultivate external partnerships that expand DWR's design perspective, innovation capabilities, and market relevance.


• Identify and cultivate opportunities for new collaborations that strengthen the DWR product portfolio.


• Represent Design Within Reach within the global design community and at key industry events.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from an accredited university.


• Minimum 12 years of progressive industrial design experience, with at least five years leading design teams.


• Demonstrated success designing and bringing premium furniture or consumer products to market.


• Exceptional portfolio demonstrating world‑class industrial design, product thinking, and creative leadership.


• Deep knowledge of furniture manufacturing, materials, construction techniques, ergonomics, and product engineering.


• Proven ability to build, mentor, and inspire high‑performing creative teams.


• Strong understanding of premium consumer brands and modern design history.


• Outstanding communication, presentation, and executive‑level influencing skills.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in Industrial Design or related discipline.


• Experience within premium or luxury furniture, interiors, or consumer lifestyle brands.


• Experience collaborating with internationally recognized designers or design consultancies.


• Global manufacturing experience across North America, Europe, and Asia.


• Knowledge of sustainable materials, circular design principles, and responsible manufacturing.

Leadership Competencies

• Exceptional creative judgment and design taste.


• Visionary leadership with a strong commercial mindset.


• Ability to inspire, coach, and develop creative talent.


• Strategic thinker with exceptional problem‑solving skills.


• Deep curiosity about design, architecture, art and culture.


• Highly collaborative leader who builds trust, provides clear feedback, and creates conditions for exceptional creative work.


• Comfortable navigating ambiguity while driving clarity and execution.


• Passion for modern design and Design Within Reach’s mission.

Success in this Role

The Product Design Director will elevate Design Within Reach’s original product portfolio by delivering collections that are commercially successful, culturally relevant, beautifully executed, and true to the principles of enduring modern design. This is an opportunity to shape the next generation of original DWR products and influence how modern design lives in customers' homes.

Who We Hire?

Simply put, we hire qualified applicants representing a wide range of backgrounds and abilities. Design Within Reach is comprised of people of all abilities, gender identities and expressions, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, veterans from every branch of military service, and more. Here, you can bring your whole self to work. We’re committed to equal opportunity employment, including veterans and people with disabilities.

This organization participates in E-Verify Employment Eligibility Verification. In general, MillerKnoll positions are closed within 45 days and are open for applications for a minimum of 5 days. We encourage our prospective candidates to submit their application(s) expediently so as not to miss out on our opportunities. We frequently post new opportunities and encourage prospective candidates to check back often for new postings.

MillerKnoll complies with applicable disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact MillerKnoll Talent Acquisition at [e-mail].