Industrial Designer – Furniture

Design Observer; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Design Observer Group is seeking a Production Industrial Designer for a luxury furniture brand in Chicago, to translate creative concepts into production-ready furniture and hardware. The role blends design and engineering, working with the design team to develop new processes and improvements for existing lines.

The candidate will produce CAD/CAM programs, prepare SolidWorks drawings, and collaborate across prototyping, vendor sourcing, and material research for high-end furniture and objects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design or higher.
• 3+ years of experience in industrial or furniture design engineering, ideally with high-end/luxury furniture and hands‑on prototyping or fabrication experience.
• Demonstrated ability to move fluidly between digital modeling and physical model/prototype making.
• Must be eligible to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Document and organize dimensioned and rendered 3D concepts in a shared file system; update drawings and modifications through all phases of development.
• Assist with the Schedule of Materials and Bill of Materials (BOM); conduct CMF (color, material, finish) research.
• Program CAD/CAM for CNC fabrication (3- and 4-axis).
• Produce SolidWorks drawings for approval on in-house orders; work with the product team to create 3D models and renderings.
• Maintain computer filing systems for all CAD/CAM and rendering programs.
• Support product development of furniture and objects — including cast, formed, and fabricated items — through concept development, hand‑sketched renderings, vendor and material research, mock‑up development, and design documentation.
• Organize and take notes in prototype production meetings; track follow‑up schedules.
• Assist the in‑house production team with rapid prototypes and full‑scale models (both hand‑built and CNC‑built parts); modify drawings as needed and engineer process improvements and solutions.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design

Tools

SolidWorks

Fusion 360

Photoshop

Blender

KeyShot

CAD/CAM for CNC

Job description

About The Role

We are seeking a creative engineer to join our product development team as a Production Industrial Designer for a luxury furniture brand. This role sits at the intersection of design and engineering — translating creative concepts into buildable, production-ready furniture, components, objects, and hardware for new and existing product lines. Working closely with the design team and principals, this person brings both an inventive design sensibility and hands‑on engineering rigor to develop new product processes and methods, while facilitating and engineering improvements to the current product line.

Sr. Industrial Designer – Furniture

Full-time

• In-Person – Chicago, IL
• Industry: Design

About The Role

We are seeking a creative engineer to join our product development team as a Production Industrial Designer for a luxury furniture brand. This role sits at the intersection of design and engineering — translating creative concepts into buildable, production-ready furniture, components, objects, and hardware for new and existing product lines. Working closely with the design team and principals, this person brings both an inventive design sensibility and hands‑on engineering rigor to develop new product processes and methods, while facilitating and engineering improvements to the current product line.

Key Responsibilities

• Document and organize dimensioned and rendered 3D concepts in a shared file system; update drawings and modifications through all phases of development.
• Assist with the Schedule of Materials and Bill of Materials (BOM); conduct CMF (color, material, finish) research.
• Program CAD/CAM for CNC fabrication (3- and 4-axis).
• Produce SolidWorks drawings for approval on in-house orders; work with the product team to create 3D models and renderings.
• Maintain computer filing systems for all CAD/CAM and rendering programs.
• Support product development of furniture and objects — including cast, formed, and fabricated items — through concept development, hand‑sketched renderings, vendor and material research, mock‑up development, and design documentation.
• Organize and take notes in prototype production meetings; track follow‑up schedules.
• Assist the in‑house production team with rapid prototypes and full‑scale models (both hand‑built and CNC‑built parts); modify drawings as needed and engineer process improvements and solutions.

Required Software & Technical Skills

• SolidWorks
• Fusion 360
• Photoshop
• Blender
• KeyShot
• CAD/CAM programming for CNC production

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design or higher.
• 3+ years of experience in industrial or furniture design engineering, ideally with high-end/luxury furniture and hands‑on prototyping or fabrication experience.
• Demonstrated ability to move fluidly between digital modeling and physical model/prototype making.
• Must be eligible to work in the United States.

This is an in‑person position based in Chicago, IL. We are not accepting applicants for remote work.

Employment Type: Full-time Industry: Design