Industrial Designer, Contract-to-Hire

About the role

IDEO San Francisco is seeking an Industrial Designer to join our team for a contract-to-hire position. You will work within interdisciplinary groups to create human-centered physical products and services while refining your skills in rapid prototyping and visual storytelling.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Develop physical product designs that balance form, function, and manufacturing constraints.
• Collaborate with mechanical and electrical engineers, software developers, researchers, and brand strategists.
• Present concepts using sketches, CAD models, renderings, and physical mock-ups.
• Lead human-centered research to inform design strategy.
• Build prototypes at various fidelities to test and validate concepts.
• Lead industrial design workstreams for projects lasting 12 weeks or longer.
• Use 2D and 3D tools to create visual narratives for client presentations.
• Experiment with generative AI and other digital tools for early-stage inspiration.
• Mentor team members by sharing design processes and craft techniques.

Requirements

• 1-2+ years of industrial design experience, including internships.
• Experience with end-to-end projects in medical devices, consumer products, packaging, or soft goods.
• Proficiency in SolidWorks, Rhino, Keyshot, Blender, and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Experience with go-to-market (GTM) processes.
• Expertise in rapid prototyping, including 3D printing.
• Strong visual storytelling and graphic design skills for deck-building.
• Understanding of design for manufacturing (DFM).
• Professional experience in at least one of these areas: consumer electronics (complex surfaces, component integration), health/medical design (ergonomics, usability), or packaging design (structural, sustainability).

Nice to have

• Skills in strategy, brand, or digital interaction design.
• Experience with coding, software development, or hardware hacking.
• Proficiency in AI-based visualization tools.
• Knowledge of mechanical engineering.

Skills & tools

• SolidWorks
• Rhino
• Keyshot
• Blender
• Adobe Creative Suite
• 3D Printing
• Rapid Prototyping
• Visual Storytelling

Practical notes

• Benefits for full-time employees include 401K matching, parental leave, adoption and fertility assistance, transgender medical support, breastmilk shipment, dependent care, pet insurance, flexible time off, paid holidays, and annual education and home office stipends.
• IDEO provides vision, dental, and healthcare coverage.