KiwiCo

Director, Product Design (Physical Products)

Mountain View, CA · Director

Sponsorship not specifiedDetected 5 days ago

Graphic DesignProduct ManagementProduct StrategyInventory ManagementSolidWorksCreoFusion 360LeadershipCommunicationProblem SolvingMentoring

About the role

About KiwiCo: KiwiCo is an innovative eCommerce company dedicated to sparking creativity and curiosity in kids (and kids at heart!).
Our office is located in Mountain View, CA within walking distance to the Caltrain station.
This position follows a hybrid work schedule, with 3-4 office days per week (depending on your team) and the remainder of the week working remotely.

Own the strategy and execution of translating the KiwiCo brand to our physical subscription lines.
Create innovative product lines that exceed customer expectations, while pushing the boundaries of what can fit into a 3"x7"x10" crate.
Build and lead an exceptional product design team. Mentor and grow the team, while ensuring consistency and alignment. Manage a team of junior and mid-level product designers.
Maintain a high bar for quality around all products designed by the team. Ensure manufacturability, durability, safety, and cost targets are met, and that KiwiCo suppliers maintain the same standards in manufacturing.
Develop processes and systems that scale. Actively seek areas of continuous improvement across design, prototyping, and production workflows.
Work in a highly iterative and collaborative way, directly alongside sourcing, editorial, graphic design, and marketing.
Partner closely with suppliers and manufacturers (primarily overseas) to troubleshoot design challenges, optimize tooling, and ensure production quality.
Drive prototyping excellence, from early proof-of-concept models through production-ready prototypes.
Through both online and offline materials, we provide fun and engaging ways for kids to explore, create, and learn.
Our primary offering is a subscription service where we deliver "whoa awesome," hands-on projects to kids.

You must have a strong desire to learn and improve.
10+ years of experience designing and shipping physical consumer products, with a strong emphasis on industrial design and mechanical product development.
Strong understanding of design for manufacturing (DFM), design for assembly (DFA), and design for cost (DFC).
Hands-on experience with injection-molded plastics, mechanisms (gears, linkages, springs), and manufacturing processes (tooling, molding, fabrication).
Strong prototyping skills, including experience with 3D printing, laser cutting, and shop-based fabrication methods.
Ability to evaluate tolerances, material choices, durability, and safety considerations for children's products
Experience thriving in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced environment.
Experience designing toys or products with moving parts, mechanisms, or interactive features.
Familiarity with safety and compliance standards for children's products.

The starting pay range for this position is between $190,000 and $205,000 per year.

Establish product vision and direction, while efficiently and effectively driving project timelines.

We also manage an e-commerce storefront and a content platform to inspire and educate.
We take great pride and ownership in the products we build and in the community of parents and kids we serve.

This listing is sourced directly from KiwiCo's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.