Industrial Designer II

Educational Insights; Vernon Hills (IL); On-site; USD 77,000 - 87,000; Full time

Job summary

Learning Resources in Vernon Hills, IL seeks an Industrial Designer II to join our Creative team. This hands-on role spans toy and pet brands, guiding concepts through production with a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

You’ll own prototyping, address design-for-manufacturing challenges, and collaborate with vendors and cross-functional teams to meet milestones. A strong portfolio, a BS/BA in Industrial or Toy Design, and 5+ years of product development are required.

Qualifications

• Portfolio showcasing strong toy design and product development experience.
• BS/BA in Industrial Design, Toy Design, or equivalent.
• 5+ years of consumer product development experience, preferably in children’s toys (pet product experience a plus).
• Proficiency in Rhino, KeyShot, Adobe Creative Suite, and 3D prototyping tools.

Responsibilities

• Design across a diverse range of toy and pet brands from concept through production.
• Deliver high-quality design solutions on schedule with ~90% cross-functional approvals.
• Generate multiple concept directions and advance strong solutions for testing and prototyping.
• Develop manufacturable, durable products by resolving design, engineering, material, and assembly challenges.
• Collaborate with vendors and cross-functional teams to maintain momentum and meet milestones.
• Contribute to 1–3 continuous improvement initiatives yearly.

Skills

Toy design portfolio

Hands-on prototyping

Cross-functional collaboration

Strong communicator

Detail oriented

Project ownership

Education

BS/BA in Industrial or Toy Design

Tools

Rhino

KeyShot

Adobe Creative Suite

3D prototyping tools

Job description

About Learning Resources

We are Learning Resources®, and learning is where we play. Voted one of the Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces, we’re a growing, family‑owned company known for our award‑winning educational toys, including top sellers Pretend & Play® Calculator Cash Register, Farmer’s Market Color Sorting Set and multiple Toy of the Year winners! We even help pets learn and grow through our pet brand Brightkins®. If you’re curious, collaborative, and a kid at heart, you’ll feel right at home here. Join us in shaping the future of learning with our award‑winning team!

About Learning Resources

We are Learning Resources®, and learning is where we play. Voted one of the Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces, we’re a growing, family‑owned company known for our award‑winning educational toys, including top sellers Pretend & Play® Calculator Cash Register, Farmer’s Market Color Sorting Set and multiple Toy of the Year winners! We even help pets learn and grow through our pet brand Brightkins®. If you’re curious, collaborative, and a kid at heart, you’ll feel right at home here. Join us in shaping the future of learning with our award‑winning team!

Team & Position Description

We are looking for an Industrial Designer II to join our Creative team in Vernon Hills, IL. This role offers the opportunity to design across a diverse range of toy and pet brands, including products for both Learning Resources and Brightkins. You’ll work on a collaborative, fast‑paced team that values creativity, ownership, and bringing products to life quickly—from early concept exploration through production. This is a hands‑on role for a designer who enjoys building, iterating, and solving real product challenges with guidance from the Manager of Product Design. If you're passionate about toy design and want to make a direct impact in a growing, family‑owned company, we’d love to hear from you.

What We’re Looking For (Key Performance Objectives)

• Manage and support the development of 10–15 Learning Resources children’s toy products and/or Brightkins pet toy products annually, delivering assigned work against agreed project milestones from concept through production.
• Deliver high-quality design solutions on schedule and achieve approximately 90% approval from cross‑functional partners within each project phase, incorporating feedback promptly when revisions are needed.
• Generate multiple concept directions for assigned projects and advance strong solutions within the agreed concept and refinement timelines; prepare 5–10 concepts annually for user testing through prototypes or renderings.
• Develop manufacturable, durable products by identifying and helping resolve design, engineering, material, and assembly challenges before final production handoff.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally and with vendors to maintain project momentum and achieve 100% alignment with agreed development milestones and deliverable dates.
• Contribute to 1–3 continuous improvement initiatives annually within the Product Design or broader product development process.
  

Requirements/Ideal Attributes

• Portfolio showcasing strong toy design and product development experience
• BS/BA in Industrial Design, Toy Design, or equivalent
• 5+ years of consumer product development experience, preferably in children’s toys (pet product experience also a plus)
• Proficiency in Rhino, KeyShot, Adobe Creative Suite, and 3D prototyping tools
• Strong hands‑on prototyping skills across materials and methods
• Knowledge of plastics, manufacturing processes, and design for manufacturing
• Strong communicator and collaborator across teams and external partners
• Proactive, detail‑oriented, and comfortable owning projects with guidance.
  

We are a drug‑free workplace and an EEO employer.

Please note

This role will be filled by our internal recruitment team, so no assistance is needed from any outside staffing agency at this time.

Compensation Range

Compensation Range: $77,000 – $87,000 annual salary – Actual compensation may vary due to other factors such as: years of experience, skill set and location. Total compensation includes profit sharing bonus potential, 401k matching, and a variety of other benefits (details can be found here ).