Department: Product (Furniture)

Location: Vancouver

Compensation: $70,000 - $80,000 / year

Description

Hi there, we're Article. 👋 Since 2013, we have been reinventing the furniture industry one sofa at a time, it's not easy — it requires solving challenging, meaningful problems. This is where you come in, as a ProductDesigner (Furniture), you'll work on concept development for our Upholstery category (Sofa's, Ottoman's, Headboards, etc…), enabling the Product Design Team to deliver New Product Introductions (NPI) to drive catalog growth.

Some things you will need to know about the role before you continue reading:

You will be traveling a minimum of 5 times per year for at least 10 days at a time (Vietnam/China/Malaysia/Mexico/USA)
This role needs to be based at our HQ in Vancouver.
You'll be working daily with Solidworks, so experience with Solidworks or another 3D tool is important.
You need to have previous experience designing furniture.
We are a hybrid team - you'll need to be in the office 3 days per week.

Why We Need You:

You will be partnering closely with our Category Management team (The team that decides what we sell) to help bring products from concept to production. Category Management will come to you with a need to expand or enhance our product assortment and you as the designer will come up with the concepts for each product.

Why Article?

As a Particle (people of Article), you will have a high level of autonomy to solve challenging, meaningful problems the best way you can. That means you're trusted to explore solutions you believe will work best (you're the expert, after all). You'll do all this while growing your skills within a company redefining the furniture industry.

About the Product Design team:

The Product Design team at Article works as a "Team". Every company says this but we really mean it. Everyone on the design team leaves their egos at the door. You will have to be comfortable operating in a team that gives each other regular unfiltered feedback on each other's designs and concepts.

This team first and unfiltered feedback allows them to work very fast together while pushing things along at the speed needed by the business. Because team collaboration is at the forefront of how the team operates, they can deliver well-thought-out concepts within days, not months.

A brief overview of how a Product is brought to life and where Product Design fits in:

The Category Management team provides product requests to the Design team, in turn, they create the product concepts. These concepts are shared with our Industrial Engineers in our Vietnam office to become technical drawings, and ultimately prototypes to be manufactured by our vendors. The Vendor prototypes are then reviewed by the Product Design team before going into production (and now you know the magic behind the scenes)

What You'll Do:

Create design concepts that embody Articles' beautiful, modern design elements.
Translate design concepts into fully realized detailed 3D renderings and technical product specifications.
Collaborate with the Product Design Leads and Sr. Product Design Manager in the review, assessment, and approval of new New Product Introductions (NPI).
Course-correct projects that fall behind schedule and communicate a plan for these situations.
Collaborate with the Product Development and Engineering, Category Management, Raw Materials, Sourcing, and QA teams to ensure the product design is meeting cost objectives and deadlines.
Oversee daily communication with cross functional partners.
Align with Category Management for all product reviews/selection meetings, participate in the discussions in regards to product design, function, materials, cost, and manufacturing insight.
Understand deeply the Design DNA for the Article catalog ensuring that the 'red thread' ties into and complements the broader Product DNA across all categories.
Interpret the functional and aesthetic needs described in product needs and propose design concepts for review and approval.
Cultivate an understanding of costs associated with raw materials, design detail choices, vendor manufacturing capabilities, and proficiencies.
Conduct product research to gain an understanding of industry design methods, new innovations, and construction advancements.
You'll be traveling for Market visits, tradeshows, and factory visits to support the conceptualization of product ideas and the continuation of strong partnerships.

Who You Are:

3+ years of experience as a Product Designer for Upholstered furniture, Product Developer or related position with at least two years working directly on furniture design - Experience in Upholstery is not a must but a strong preference.
A background in Industrial Design is an asset.
Previous experience designing for mass production.
Strong design and market sense with the creative ability to understand Article's design aesthetic and recognize products that fit our brand.
A deep passion in furniture design, modern furniture, décor and interior design.
A clear understanding of critical path or Go-To-Market methodology with the ability to support workflow and achieve deliverables.
Legally able to work in Canada.
Completion of criminal background check.
Ability to travel multiple times throughout the year and have a valid passport.

Perks & Benefits:

Life:

15 days of vacation*
6 well-being (sick) days
1 Inclusion and Diversity Day
Hybrid work: 3 days a week in the office
Work remotely (anywhere in the world) for up to 3 weeks
4% RRSP matched contributions through Wealthsimple

Total Health:

Excellent extended health and dental benefits packages
$1000 health/lifestyle spending account* for your total physical and mental well-being
TELUS Health App
Mental Health Assistance/Counseling
Virtual medical appointments

Office Space:

The Article HQ is a converted warehouse, with an open accessible layout and no offices (even for our founders)
Work from your desk, an Article sofa, collaboration spaces, or a private meeting room
Standup desks can be requested too
Our kitchens are stocked with salty, sweet and healthy snacks, & all the premium coffees and teas to keep you buzzing
Onsite fitness equipment with showers and towel service
A dog-friendly office - well-socialized pups are welcome

Getting here:

Free street parking (first come, first serve; no reserved spots for senior leaders)
Indoor secure bike storage with change rooms and showers
20-minute walk to either Main Street- Science World or VCC Clark Skytrain stations

Extra:

45% discount on our entire product range (15% for friends and family)

The expected salary is $70,000 to $80,000. The actual base pay can increase beyond this range and will be based on various factors, including transferable skills, training and certifications, work experience, business needs, and market demands.

Prorated

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Product Designer (Furniture)