Furniture Design Engineer

Croft House; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Retirement plan

Paid vacation and sick time

Employee discount

Job summary

Croft House in Los Angeles, CA, seeks a Furniture Design Engineer to bridge design, engineering, and production. You will move new designs from concept to repeatable, production-ready products, while refining technical systems and documentation.

You will partner with the Lead Designer, Production Manager, and shop teams to research materials, develop prototypes, troubleshoot production challenges, and implement improvements across the furniture line.

Qualifications

• Formal furniture design, industrial design, furniture engineering, woodworking or related training preferred.
• Strong knowledge of furniture construction, materials, joinery, hardware and production processes.
• CAD proficiency and ability to create, interpret, and maintain technical drawings and product documentation.
• Experience developing prototypes and translating design concepts into production solutions.
• Clear written and verbal communication across Design, Production, Sales and vendors.

Responsibilities

• Lead design engineering and product development projects from research and prototyping through production implementation.
• Research furniture construction methods, materials, hardware, finishes, and manufacturing processes.
• Produce and evaluate prototypes and samples with Lead Designer, Production Manager, and shop teams.
• Translate design concepts into practical, repeatable, production-ready solutions.
• Maintain an organized library of technical drawings, master drawings, BOMs, specifications, and product documentation.
• Track design and construction changes as products are developed and refined on the shop floor.
• Update master drawings and technical records to reflect approved product and process changes.
• Support development and maintenance of product standards, construction standards, and quality guidelines.
• Collaborate with production manager to improve existing furniture designs and shop processes.
• Troubleshoot production issues, construction challenges, and post-production repair needs.
• Own and maintain a centralized library of materials, finishes, upholstery, leather, hardware, and color options.
• Track new materials and hardware from vendor sourcing through sampling, costing, testing, approval, and implementation.
• Coordinate with Design and Production to evaluate new materials for durability, manufacturability, appearance, availability, and cost.
• Ensure options presented reflect what is approved and production-ready.
• Maintain a roadmap of upcoming product, material, finish, and hardware additions, changes, and retirements.
• Flag discontinued or unavailable materials and coordinate transitions to replacements.
• Communicate product, material, and process changes across teams.
• Take on additional engineering, product development, documentation, and production projects as needed.

Skills

Furniture design

Industrial design

Furniture engineering

Woodworking

CAD proficiency

Technical drawings

Prototyping

Documentation

Education

Related training

Tools

CAD software

Prototyping equipment

Job description

Croft House is a Los Angeles–based, design-driven furniture studio creating modern heirloom pieces from natural materials like solid wood, steel, and leather. Every piece is built in small batches by a dedicated local team, with an emphasis on craftsmanship, material honesty, and timeless California-modern design. We’re a tight‑knit group that cares deeply about what we make and how it gets to our customers, and we’re looking to add a Furniture Design Engineer who will play a key role in the continued development of our products and production practices.

We offer competitive benefits including health, dental, and vision insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid vacation and sick time, and a generous employee discount.

Role

As our Furniture Design Engineer, you’ll work at the intersection of furniture design, engineering, production, and product management. This is a hands‑on role that will help move new designs from early concepts and prototypes into repeatable, production‑ready products, while also improving the systems, documentation, and standards that support our existing collection.

You’ll partner closely with our Lead Designer, Production Manager, and shop teams to research materials and construction methods, develop and evaluate prototypes, troubleshoot production challenges, and implement improvements to the way our furniture is built. You’ll also maintain the technical system of record for our product line, including drawings, bills of materials, hardware, finishes, upholstery, colorways, and customization options.

As Croft House continues to expand its product and material offerings, you’ll ensure that new options are thoroughly researched, tested, documented, and communicated across the company. This includes tracking materials and components from initial sourcing and sample review through costing, approval, production implementation, and eventual retirement or replacement.

This role requires someone who is equally comfortable working through a furniture detail on the shop floor and maintaining an organized technical database. You should be highly detail-oriented, curious, collaborative, and capable of taking ownership of complex projects from initial research through final implementation.

Responsibilities

• Lead design engineering and product development projects from research and prototyping through production implementation
• Research furniture construction methods, materials, hardware, finishes, and manufacturing processes
• Produce and evaluate prototypes and samples in collaboration with the Lead Designer, Production Manager, and shop teams
• Translate design concepts into practical, repeatable, and production-ready solutions
• Maintain an organized library of technical drawings, master drawings, bills of materials, specifications, and product documentation
• Track design and construction changes as products are developed and refined on the shop floor
• Update master drawings and technical records to reflect approved product and process changes
• Support the development and maintenance of product standards, construction standards, and quality guidelines
• Collaborate with production manager to identify opportunities to improve existing furniture designs, production methods, and shop processes
• Support process implementation, continuous improvement, and change management across production departments
• Troubleshoot production issues, construction challenges, and post-production repair needs
• Assist in developing practical furniture repair and remediation solutions
• Own and maintain a centralized library of materials, finishes, upholstery, leather, hardware, and color options
• Track new materials and hardware from vendor sourcing through sampling, costing, testing, approval, and implementation
• Coordinate with Design and Production to evaluate new materials for durability, manufacturability, appearance, availability, and cost
• Maintain accurate specifications and documentation for all standard and customizable product options
• Ensure the product and customization options presented by Sales and Design accurately reflect what is approved and production-ready
• Maintain a roadmap of upcoming product, material, finish, and hardware additions, changes, and retirements
• Flag discontinued, delayed, backordered, or unavailable materials and coordinate transitions to appropriate replacements
• Help communicate product, material, and process changes across Design, Production, Sales, and other relevant teams
• Take on additional engineering, product development, documentation, and production-related projects as needed

Personal Attributes

• Excited by furniture, design, craftsmanship, and how things are made
• Highly detail-oriented, with a strong eye for materials, finishes, construction, and consistency
• Curious and willing to thoroughly research unfamiliar materials, processes, and technical concepts
• Strong understanding of material properties, limitations, and appropriate applications
• Self‑motivated and proactive, with a strong sense of ownership
• Comfortable moving between hands‑on shop work, technical problem‑solving, and detailed documentation
• Patient and attentive when teaching, explaining, or implementing new processes
• Strong problem‑solving mindset and ability to approach challenges methodically
• Capable of managing multiple projects, priorities, and timelines simultaneously
• Able to lead projects forward, coordinate stakeholders, and deliver work on schedule
• Collaborative and comfortable working with designers, craftspeople, production leaders, vendors, and sales teams
• Adaptable and comfortable working in a small, close‑knit company where responsibilities may evolve
• Reliable and consistent, with strong follow‑through
• Takes pride in creating accurate, organized, and dependable systems

Skills

Formal furniture design, industrial design, furniture engineering, woodworking, or related training preferred. Strong working knowledge of furniture construction, materials, joinery, hardware, and production processes. CAD proficiency and the ability to create, interpret, organize, and maintain technical drawings and product documentation. Experience developing prototypes and translating design concepts into practical production solutions. Strong organizational and data‑management skills, with the ability to maintain a materials library, product database, bills of materials, specifications, and other technical records. Experience implementing process improvements and managing changes across a production environment. Able to evaluate materials and components for durability, cost, manufacturability, appearance, and availability. Strong research skills and the ability to learn unfamiliar materials, processes, and technical concepts. Clear written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to coordinate effectively across Design, Production, Sales, vendors, and other teams. Experience working in a furniture shop, manufacturing facility, or production environment is a plus. Bilingual English and Spanish proficiency is also a plus.