To support our mission to educate, entertain and enrich the lives of our readers, putting books in their hands, wherever, however and whenever they choose, we need exceptional people! Quarto Seattle is looking for a talented Product Developer to join our SmartLab Team. This person will work closely within our creative product development group to conceptualize, design, and execute a wide range of educational toys, science kits, and books with components for both children and adults.

The ideal candidate will have a wide range of industrial design and product development capabilities and experience, and have a solid understanding of product design for manufacturing. They must have a professional understanding of three-dimensional design principals using a variety of toolsets including solids modeling CAD (e.g: Autodesk Fusion 360 and/or Solidworks required), Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator required), and 3D printing and prototyping (using in-house printers and external services). Candidates should be proficient with both Mac and PC operating systems and demonstrate a working knowledge of manufacturing materials and technologies.

Key Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
• Professional knowledge of industrial design practices required to manage product design and development processes from initial concept, through prototyping and manufacturing, to finished product ready for shipping.
• Excellent sketching (analog and digital) abilities required.
• Intermediate to advanced proficiency with CAD 3D surface and solids modeling software (Autodesk Fusion 360 and/or Solidworks experience required, with other 3D software knowledge desired).
• Experience with 3D printing and prototyping (additive and reductive) processes required.
• Knowledge of hard and soft manufacturing processes, overseas sourcing, and rapid prototyping.
• Children's toy, games, and/or educational/science product development experience desired.
• Excellent computer skills using both current Apple Mac OS and Microsoft Windows platforms preferred; Apple Mac OS experience is the preference. Proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud required, with intermediate to advanced proficiency using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
• Strong organization, communication, and planning skills necessary. Must be able to manage multiple projects ranging in complexity and status simultaneously.
• Sound creative and critical thinking skills essential.
• Strong oral + written communication, and excellent design presentation skills desired.
• A self-starter who takes initiative and can develop and deliver complex 2D and 3D designs.
• Ability to inspire, collaborate with, and assist other Team members where necessary to brainstorm ideas and move a project forward.
• Organized and self-directed; Able to work both independently and in a team environment, keeping projects and files organized when working in a team, and able to prioritize responsibilities, communicate progress, and deliver on time.
• Detailed and process-oriented, ensuring that designs meet established design guidelines and standards.
Responsibilities and Duties:
• Help develop innovative, appropriate, and marketable product designs and all associated specifications and assets for educational toys, science kits, and books with components for both children and adults.
• Collaborate directly with staff Product Developers, Designers, Editors, Production Specialists, Sales, and Marketing team members on components, packaging, content, books, and more.
• Work directly with freelancers, vendors, suppliers, and contractors.
• Help move products from original concepts through comprehensive design and development to 3D prototypes to pre-production CAD and production-ready files.
• Help define original design directions, compose project proposals, and execute production of all required and supporting materials to both rigid and informal timelines.
• Prepare all draft and final files for approval processes, tooling and modifications, and final art mechanicals.
• Collaborate with and support editorial, design, and production staff to meet all necessary deliverables and deadlines.
• Contribute to the production of models, mock-ups, and 3D prototypes to prove concepts and approve manufacturing, and to help support company marketing, sales, and management needs.
• Communicate progress with peers, managers, and senior management regularly on a daily and weekly basis via open, verbal, and email communications.
• Provide input, feedback, and response to peer product developers and graphic designers, and product developers on the creative team.
• Make recommendations regarding design-centric issues and creative processes company-wide.
• Make initiatives to improve internal creative processes, project management, and design production.
• Execute and/or manage product and artwork photography and videography where necessary per design project.
• Additional duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Experience & Education Requirements:
• At least 3-6 full years of professional industrial design and product development experience required.
• BA, BFA, or BID in Industrial Design, Product Design and Engineering, or equivalent educational experience and degree. Masters graduates in Industrial Design, Product Design and Engineering also welcome.
• Previous team collaborative experience and limited staff management experience helpful.
• May be required to execute a design test.
To apply please submit cover letter, salary requirements and resume by email.
We offer a wide range of competitive benefits! Please visit our website at: https://www.quarto.com/careers
QuartoUS is an equal opportunity employer; M/F/D/V are encouraged to apply.