Industrial Designer

Description

Career Area:

Job Description:

JOB SUMMARY: The Caterpillar Industrial Design team has a 60-year history developing CAT brand products in collaboration with our global product teams. Our team is growing, and we are looking for a multi-talented, passionate designer who wants to make a serious impact designing a broad spectrum of products. This role will be in North Carolina working as part of a small team in a dynamic, rewarding and fast paced environment.

JOB PURPOSE: The Industrial Designer position requires interfacing with all levels of engineering and product management in order to create and convey key Product Identity elements and lead compliance / brand infusion into final designs. Each project presents many design challenges forcing the designer to balance cost, manufacturability, customer use / expectation, market needs and brand promise execution. The Industrial Designer creates future product concepts to New Product Introduction (NPI) offerings.

JOB DUTIES:

• Develop concepts to final designs for NPI that embody Product Identity (brand infusion), Styling, and optimized UX / UI
• Develop concepts for Multi Generation Product Plans (future product / service - vision casting)
• Develop “blue dot” product / service concepts (disruptive / innovative / novel) to guide future NPI
• Develop final designs of new machines, cabs, components or related products – Major and minor.
• Develop differentiated product / component designs that make Cat brand more desirable than other offerings.
• Consult directly to BU Product Mgrs., NPI Mgrs. Marketing Mgrs., Project Engineers, Dealers, and End Users in order to understand project or product needs
• Gather project information including current product and competitive product photographs / observations
• Participate in / respond to market / customer research, dialog, surveys, or needs for future products
• Leverage / understand CID expectations, end user, CAT Brand DNA, Product Identity and Styling requirements
• Leverage CID expert product operators to understand the operation of machines to help make decisions as to operator needs, visibility requirements and help to understand cab to machine interface.  
• Generate 2D / 3D product design concepts for current product revision, future products or exploratory purposes
• Present 2D / 3D design concepts as hand sketches, electronic renderings or 3D models
• Present design concepts to Product / Industrial Design teams in person or via WebEx calls anywhere in world
• Modify / refine concepts to meet updated BU / market needs, changes, or future product requirements and re-present
• Deliver updated 3D electronic models / sketches to engineering for interpretation and new 3D data construction
• Consult with / to component supplier as needed to resolve product design intent / manufacturing issues
• Facilitate initial communication between product team and model shop for mockup construction if needed.
• Oversee mockup construction through Model Builders and generate clarification sketches / electronic models if needed
• Facilitate initial communication between product team and model shop for mockup construction if needed.
• Oversee mockup construction through Model Builders and generate clarification sketches / electronic models if needed
• Participate/advise in product quality, safety and serviceability reviews
• Advise/Create / Revise Product Identity / Brand touch point design guideline
• Develop consistent look and feel design elements with proper brand DNA
• Excellent 2D Hand sketching, 2D electronic rendering and electronic photo-retouching
• Excellent 3D electronic model retrieval and manipulation
• Strong 3D electronic “A” surface modeling to convey concepts & transfer to engineering and /or suppliers
• Strong visual and oral presentation with emphasis on world class concept rendering for clarity
• Develop/Present “industrial design” and its roll at Caterpillar

BACKGROUND/EXPERIENCE:

Basic Qualifications:

• Position requires a four year degree from an accredited college or university with Industrial Design
• 3 plus years of relevant work experience

Top Candidates Will Also Have:

• Portfolio that demonstrates
  • Excellent 2D skills [sketching]
  • Strong concept CAD skills [Alias preferred]
  • Strong visualization skills [KeyShot]
  • Excellent knowledge of form development
• Ability to verbally communicate design intent to non-designers
• Passion for design
• Experience executing design to production
• Knowledge of materials and processes
• Experience leading projects

Please include portfolio when applying.

This employer is not currently hiring foreign national applicants that require or will require sponsorship tied to a specific employer, such as H, L, TN, F, J, E, O.  As a global company, Caterpillar offers many job opportunities outside of the U.S. which can be found through our employment website at www.caterpillar.com/careers

EEO/AA Employer.  All qualified individuals - Including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities - are encouraged to apply.

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