Designer

Company: KiwiCo
Location: Mountain View
Posted on: May 3, 2021

Job Description:

About Us

KiwiCo is an innovative eCommerce company that sparks kids creativity and curiosity through offline and online materials and inspiration. We offer kids a delightful, engaging way to explore, create, and learn; and arm them with the creative confidence and tools to change the world. Our core offering is a subscription service that delivers hands-on projects to kids of all ages. We also have an online store and a content hub for families. We take great pride and ownership in the products and experiences we design and in the community of parents and kids we serve. Our office is located in Mountain View, within walking distance to the Caltrain station.

Role and Responsibilities:

Were looking for a Product Design Associate to join our team and develop compelling STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) projects for kids. You are an independent go-getter, with strong engineering intuition, interested in fulfilling our promise to delight kids and families with hands-on, educational projects and content. As a Product Design Associate, you will be on the front lines of our product development process, diving into and assisting with all aspects, from conception through manufacturing and shipment. Responsibilities include:

Ideation, brainstorming, and research of hands-on STEM product concepts. Were a fun, creative bunch. We love whiteboards, sticky notes, nerding out, and pushing the boundaries of whats possible to squeeze into a 3x7x10 crate.

Prototyping and design iteration. Physical prototyping is our bread and butter, a daily activity that brings life to our ideas, informs design decisions, and drives our process forward. We like to get our hands dirty, move quickly, and iterate often.

Product testing. We hold weekly product testing sessions with kids, and the feedback we glean from these sessions deeply impacts our product direction. We love em, and hope that you do too!

Material sourcing and sampling. As awesome as our ideas may be, the execution of these ideas is just as important. We work closely with our Sourcing and Operations teams, as well as our manufacturers to ensure that our products meet the highest quality standards.

Editorial. A project is only as good as its instructions. We work closely with our Editorial team to create compelling and clear instructions sets, as well as magazine content and DIY activities.

Required Qualifications

As a start-up celebrating creativity and development, we believe and encourage the same in our team. We seek team players with an infectious positive energy, great initiative, and a get-it-done attitude. Candidates must thrive in ambiguity and love a rapid pace. You must have a strong desire to learn and improve. A strong work ethic, communication skills, and high levels of empathy are crucial for the role. You:

Are passionate about kids and creativity. You love kids and the power of hands-on learning and development. STEM projects are your jam, and you love bringing a spark to a childs eye as they learn something fun and new.

Have 3+ years experience designing physical products. Experience with all aspects of the product development process, from conception through to a finished product. You are passionate about the design process and tirelessly pursue excellence in all aspects.

Have strong science and engineering fundamentals. Our projects cover a variety of STEM subjects, from physics to chemistry to biology, mechanics to electronics to material science. You dont need to be an expert in all things STEM, but strong fundamentals and intuition, paired with the ability to learn quickly are important for the job.

Have strong physical prototyping skills. Youre a pro with an X-acto knife, and can MacGyver your way through building almost anything. Taking an idea from your head to a physical prototype and then rapidly iterating comes naturally.

Are an effective problem solver, with a hands-on get things done mentality. You are eager and able to solve challenges and tackle opportunities, identify potential issues and hurdles, and develop ways to get around them. You can adapt quickly to figure out innovative ways to get things done.

Have great time management skills and the ability to multitask. We move fast. Effective prioritization and organization to stay positive and proactive in an ambiguous environment is a must. We always have several projects on the burner, so learning to parse and prioritize is essential.

Are detail & process-oriented. We move quickly, but we bring care and thoughtfulness to everything we do. We care deeply about the details, and strive for excellence in every aspect of the product development process.

Have great collaboration & communication skills. We work closely with our Operations, Sourcing, Editorial, and Marketing teams. You have exceptional communication skills that allow fluid cross-functional team discussions, projects, and collaborations. A true team player.

Are always learning. As a growing startup were always faced with new and exciting challenges. We enthusiastically own our many hats, and dive into the unknown. We love to learn, grow, and push the boundaries of whats possible.

More about you: You're positive, motivated, dynamic, thoughtful, creative, enthusiastic and entrepreneurial with excellent judgement.

Desired Qualifications

B.S. in Engineering, Science or Design.

Proficient in Adobe Suite.

Experience with 3D CAD modeling software.

Experience designing hands-on, educational projects for kids.

STEM enthusiast- a nerd and maker at heart.

If youre passionate about designing and producing enriching, delightful products for kids, wed love to hear from you!

Please include a cover letter highlighting your background and describing your interest in addition to your resume.

Diversity

KiwiCo is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Individuals seeking employment at KiwiCo are considered without regard to race, ethnicity, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected category.

Keywords: KiwiCo, Mountain View , Designer, Other , Mountain View, California