Manager of Product Design
Learning Resources · hand2mind, Vernon Hills, IL, US ·
- Category
- Design
- Experience
- 8+ years
For more than 60 years, hand2mind has inspired learning through play by creating hands‑on, classroom‑tested materials that help children learn by doing. We’re a growing, family-owned company recognized as a Chicago Tribune Top Workplace and trusted by teachers and families alike. We create a wide range of educational products—classroom tools like Hands-on Standards®, consumer products for NumberBlocks®, and innovative items like our new BubblePlush™ Yoga Balls. 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!
Position Description:
As Manager of Product Design on hand2mind’s Design team, you will be responsible for bringing products to life. The Manager of Product Design will manage a team of industrial designers and oversee the entire product design process. This includes setting high standards for industrial design and safety standards; tracking budgets; planning resources effectively; and working cross-functionally with the Product Development and Marketing teams.
What you’ll do day to day:
- Manage and coach a team of Industrial Designers to foster creativity and ensure new products are developed within budget
- Oversee the industrial design process, encouraging innovative brainstorming, sketches, mockups, 3D CAD, and renderings
- Balance workload among the team and freelancers, adapting to the business’s evolving needs throughout the year
- Collaborate with Product Development, Marketing, and Sales to shape go-to-market strategies
- Manage or support product revamps as needed throughout the year
- Participate as an integral part of the Product Development Leadership Team, demonstrating flexibility to take on projects as needed
What we’re looking for (Key Performance Objectives):
- Develop fluency of project management workflow in Monday.com within 3 months
- Within in the first 90 days, assess current design projects and establish a prioritization based on company goals and key deliverables.
- Oversee and contribute to industrial design of 25-40 new products within the first 12 months.
- Within the first 6 months, audit the design process and propose initiatives to integrate more continuous improvement and testing.
- Act as a primary liaison with other departments (such as Product Development, Marketing, and Sales), setting up check-ins and collaborative sessions as needed. Continually develop management skills, attending 3-5 training sessions per year.
Requirements/Preferences:
- BS/BA in Industrial Design, Toy Design or equivalent
- 8-10 years of consumer product development experience in the toy and game industry
- Excellent sketching, rendering, and graphic design skills
- Able to meet multiple, challenging deadlines and work within budgets
- Excellent at solving problems creatively and/or knowing when to seek help
- Proficient in Adobe Creative suite, specifically Illustrator and Photoshop
- Proficient in 3D CAD (Rhinoceros preferred), KeyShot and 3D printing
- Intimately familiar with plastic materials and general manufacturing process
- Able to effectively communicate with key stakeholders including colleagues, executive team, vendors, and customers
- Portfolio demonstrating innovative thinking with on-trend designs in consumer products, preferably with some toy design
- Travel to tradeshows 1-2 times per year
- Travel to China up to 1 time per year
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: $125,000 – $132,000 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).
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