Job summary:

 The role of the Senior Designer & Continual Improvement Manager is to perform all elements of furniture design for King Living and reports to the Head of Product.

The role also ensures designs and related processes are commercial and in line with King Living’s Brand and Product DNA of premium quality, elegant understatement, engineered for comfort, contemporary furniture designs.

Objectives:

Furniture Design and Product Development

Duties

• Designs, develops and delivers new furniture projects from briefing through to production
• Works in a fast-paced product development environment
• Ensures all projects uphold a high standard of functional and technical performance
• Manages inputs from key stakeholders
• Produces production documentation
• Produces prototypes using in-house R&D workshop
• Ensures designs are delivered in line with agreed design direction, quality requirements, critical path timelines, sales and profit targets
• Design supported to drive cost at development stage
• Ensures quality and workmanship of product are in line with King Livings Brand and Product DNA
• Works collaboratively with local and overseas production and related cross- functional teams
• Works with retail, engineering and manufacturing on design, distribution and product specifications and changes, as needed
• Creates a Product information pack for every product designed for all relevant departments
• Ensures when changes are made in production at GL that an ECN is issued. These changes need to be managed and communicated throughout the business in a format and language that can be understood by all relevant departments
• Creates Product Services manuals for the Customer Service team and service technicians
• Ensures designs are product tested and with electrical certification, as required
• Performs product training on own designs, as required
• Is proactive, autonomous and self-sufficient

Key Performance Indicators

• Product is commercial and reflects Brand DNA
• Designs executed in line with agreed quality standards, timeline and budgets.
• Achievement of agreed sales and profit targets for Design categories
• Critical path and quality in line with agreed timeframes and standards

Continual Improvement

Duties

• Manage & Improve with Engineering department quality reporting, process and standards for new and existing product ranges.
• Review and Advise on Quality issue priorities.
• Review and Advise on remedial action from a design related perspective of known quality issues.
• Establish where quality improvements could be aided by a Design change and oversee improvement.
• ECN’s – Review and Sign-off all major product changes
• Ensure engineering communication of improvements is accurate, relevant and reaches all necessary personnel.

Key Performance Indicators

• Establish Quality as a high-level objective for Design, Engineering and GL.
• Develop with Engineering clear standards for product development and testing.
• Short-term – Reduce genuine production quality issues to a rate lower than 10% of delivered sales.
• Long-term – Reduce genuine production quality issues to a rate lower than 3% of delivered sales.

Teamwork

Duties

• Demonstrates a ‘can do’ attitude
• Works collaboratively with all relevant departments to achieve team objectives
• Clear and positive communication with all departments
• Carries out any other task, as requested by Management
• Promotes a positive work environment

Key Performance Indicators

• High levels of engagement and positive feedback from suppliers, stakeholders and peers.
• Broader objectives of the business are embraced and implemented.

Role Specific Competencies:

Work Standards 

Setting high standards of performance for self and others; assuming responsibility and accountability for successfully completing assignments or tasks; self-imposing standards of excellence rather than having standards imposed.

Planning and Organising

Establishing course of action for self and others to ensure that work is completed efficiently.

Customer Focus

Making customers and their needs a primary focus of one’s actions; developing and sustaining productive customer relationships.

Quality Orientation (Attention to Detail)

Accomplishing tasks by considering all areas involved, no matter how small; showing concern for all aspects of the job; accurately checking processes and tasks; being watchful over a period of time.

Time Management

Effectively managing one’s time and resources to ensure that work is completed efficiently.

Creativity and Innovation

Generating creative and innovative solutions; trying different and novel ways to deal with work problems and opportunities.

Building Positive Working Relationships

Developing and using collaborative relationships to facilitate the accomplishment of work goals.

Contributing to Team Success

Develops and uses collaborative relationships to facilitate the accomplishment of work goals.

Qualification and Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design or equivalent
• 3+ years furniture or equivalent design experience
• Experience with upholstery and soft furnishings design
• Experience with variety of manufacturing processes, especially metal fabrication, injection moulding, metal casting and CNC machining, etc
• Practical knowledge of materials, material properties and material finishing
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, SolidWorks and Keyshot
• Proficiency in producing production documentation
• Proficiency in producing prototypes using in-house R&D workshop

Role Requirements and Working Conditions:

• Able to travel as required by Company, both internationally and domestically.

Apply Now At: mikki.birnbaum@kingliving.com.au for the opportunity to join a well-established growing Australian owned Company!