Industrial Designer
About Heath
Heath Ceramics is a California company making dinnerware and architectural tile of good and enduring design for over 70 years. We are design-led, with the mission of creating products of beauty and integrity, while designing, manufacturing, and running our business in a way that's better for society and our planet. By taking responsibility for the entire lifecycle, we offer better products and experiences from beginning to end. We believe in the benefits of local manufacturing and support a community of people committed to and inspired by the process of designing, making, and sharing. We believe in providing a living wage, full health and welfare benefits, and a place for meaningful work.
Position Summary
Heath is a unique company that leads by design, does its own manufacturing and sells its own products in its own showrooms. Thus creating a broad and holistic design challenge where we create and control product design, materials, manufacturing, and the narrative environment in which our products are presented.
As a member of the Heath Creative team and working closely with Heath’s Design Director, this role is focused on the design & development of material artifacts across Heath’s core businesses of dinnerware, tile, and third-party merchandise. Activities include dinnerware & tile new product development, glaze development, design/color/material development for non-ceramic products, and organization of internal systems pertaining to the above activities. This position will focus on several perennial new product launches within our existing offerings and may support special projects on a case-by-case basis (clay studio, events, collaborative products/projects, showroom displays, and fixtures, etc).
Responsibilities
Design new Heath products by generating ideas, visualizing, and prototyping concepts that meet project intent, are rooted in our material and legacy, and keep Heath honestly interesting. For Heath-manufactured products, this is centered on glaze palette and techniques, patterns, and ceramic process exploration as applied to dinnerware and tile. For non-Heath manufactured products, this may range from creating color/material/finish specs to completely new designs such as flatware, wood accessories, or softgoods.
Assist the Design Director by visualizing, developing, or detailing designs based on provided concepts or direction.
Develop and implement new designs by working closely with production, operations, and engineering teams to ensure design intent is met and processes are suited to production capabilities.
Document processes, trials, instructions, and quality standards in a thorough and accessible fashion so that Heath can build upon past experiments and maintain design intent for products in production.
Gather and present useful information by researching materials, vendors, processes, and industry developments to inform decisions about future projects.
Design for the physical experience of Heath spaces (factories, showrooms, facilities) by designing and coordinating the fabrication+installation of fixtures, displays, equipment, and other materials that embody Heath’s design-led culture and improve the physical brand experience.
Contribute to collaborations and custom projects through designing, communicating, and documenting with outside collaborators to enable Heath to participate in interesting and unexpected creative opportunities.
Preferred/Desirable Skills and Experience
- Interest and experience working with craft mediums is a plus
- Experience with ceramics is a plus
Required skills, knowledge, and experience
- Bachelor’s degree in industrial design or related field
- 3-5 years experience in product design and development
- Direct experience with the product development and manufacturing process in multiple materials
- Willing to work hands-on with development in our factories and learn specific technical knowledge of Heath's clay, glazes, and other materials we are exploring
- Inherent understanding of design and aesthetics to integrate a high level of design into diverse areas of the company
- Ability to work cross-functionally and collaboratively, supporting other designers, engineers, and production teams throughout the design and development process
- Clear, proactive communication style, in-person and digitally
- Ability to take initiative and work independently when appropriate and create, communicate, and implement design processes, solutions, and proposals
- Quick learner, ability to pick up new tasks or skills easily
- Open to lending a hand on tasks outside of product design on a project basis as part of a multi-talented team
- Integrates design direction and process guidance from leaders into their work
- Detail-oriented and organized
- Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite software such as Photoshop and Illustrator.
- Must have proficiency working in G Suite applications to create and manage work collaboratively
Work Environment/ Hours / Compensation
This position is a full-time, exempt role that requires working onsite at both our facilities, in San Francisco and Sausalito. Some remote work is possible, approximately 20 -30% of the time. This position pays $95,000 to $100,000, based on experience. The working hours for this position are Monday - Friday, 40 hours per week. This position reports to the Design Director.
Only Bay Area residents will be considered.
Benefits
We are committed to your health and well-being. Heath offers a comprehensive benefits package for full-time employees that includes a choice of medical plans, dental, vision, acupuncture, and chiropractic, as well life insurance – premiums are 100% paid for employees. An annual 401(k) contribution that grows with job tenure. Our Employee Stock Ownership Plan provides an additional retirement benefit linked to the long-term performance of the company. We offer a generous time-off allocation and a great discount on all Heath Ceramics products.
Proud Equal Opportunity Employer
At Heath, we don’t just accept differences — we celebrate it, we support it. Heath is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. Our goal is to be a diverse workforce at all job levels. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, transgender status, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
How to Apply
If you would like to be considered for this role please apply through this application process, attaching your resume. Thank you for your interest!