CMF Designer

We’re looking for a curious, creative, and technically minded CMF Designer to turn emerging trends and creative ideas into innovative, manufacturable finishes. This role partners closely with Brand, Design, Engineering, Product Development, Regulatory & Compliance, and Manufacturing. You’ll explore emerging trends in materials, finishes, and application techniques, then investigate how those trends could translate into new and differentiated product finishes. Our primary focus is drinkware, with an emphasis on paints, coatings, plastics, graphics, textures, and application processes that create distinctive aesthetics.

Key Responsibilities:

• Research emerging CMF, consumer, lifestyle, and manufacturing trends and translate them into new finish opportunities.
• Explore materials, coatings, surface treatments, textures, graphics, and application processes within and beyond the drinkware industry.
• Develop tangible finish concepts, samples, and technical possibilities to share with Product Development and Brand partners.
• Identify supplier technologies and manufacturing capabilities that could unlock new product experiences.
• Partner with Brand and Design teams to translate creative ideas into technically achievable CMF solutions.
• Develop finishes for existing and future product platforms, translating creative intent into clear technical targets.
• Work directly with factories and suppliers to develop, sample, refine, and manufacture new finishes.
• Bridge creative intent and manufacturing reality, troubleshooting challenges with Engineering, Quality, Compliance, Product Development, and suppliers.
• Evaluate paints, coatings, plastics, materials, and application processes against performance and manufacturing requirements.
• Coordinate and conduct testing for durability, adhesion, chemical resistance, wear, appearance, and other relevant criteria.
• Document testing, results, findings, development learnings, and technical specifications.
• Ensure finishes meet applicable performance, quality, regulatory, and compliance requirements before production.
• Create and maintain a CMF finish database and physical library of approved finishes, processes, specifications, test results, and regulatory documentation.

Required Qualifications:

• 3–5 years of experience in CMF, industrial design, product design, materials, product development, or a related field. Internships and relevant or project experience are welcome.
• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Material Design/Science, or a related discipline—or equivalent demonstrated experience.
• Strong curiosity about materials, finishes, manufacturing processes, and how things are made.
• Ability to recognize trends and translate inspiration into practical product and manufacturing opportunities.
• A hands-on mindset and comfort working with physical samples, prototypes, testing, and technical documentation.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• A collaborative approach and ability to work effectively across creative, technical, supplier, and manufacturing teams.
• Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite and familiarity with 3D visualization/CAD tools such as KeyShot, SolidWorks, or similar tools.
• Exposure to finish and material testing methods for adhesion, durability, abrasion, chemical resistance, and other product performance requirements.
• Comfort using technical documentation and database tools to maintain finish specifications, test results, approvals, supplier information, and regulatory records.
• Ability to work hands-on with physical samples, prototypes, supplier submissions, and manufacturing standards throughout the development process
• Portfolio required, demonstrating relevant CMF, product design, material/finish development, or related work that showcases your experience, process, and technical thinking.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience or exposure to paints, coatings, plastics, printing, graphics, textures, surface treatments, material testing, supplier development, or high-volume consumer product manufacturing