Fast Facts

Join Learning Resources as a Senior Industrial Designer to lead the innovation and design of educational toys and pet products in a collaborative, family-oriented environment.

Responsibilities: Lead the design, prototyping, and development of innovative toy products; conduct user testing; and mentor junior designers while ensuring alignment with brand guidelines.

Skills: Expertise in toy design, CAD modeling (Rhinoceros), 3D printing, and proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite is required, along with strong communication and teamwork abilities.

Qualifications: A BS/BA in Industrial Design or related field, plus 6+ years of experience in consumer product development focused on children's or pet toys are ideal qualifications.

Location: This position is based in Vernon Hills, IL.

Compensation: $100000 - $108000 / Annually

About Learning Resources:

We are on a mission to bring learning to life! We are Learning Resources®, and learning is where we play. Voted one of the Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces every year for the last six years, we’re a 150-person strong, family-owned company who make award-winning educational toys, including top sellers Pretend & Play® Calculator Cash Register, Farmer’s Market Color Sorting Set and Toy of the Year winners Botley® the Coding Robot and Coding Critters®. We share that dedication to learning across our family of companies. Learning Resources team members work closely with the curriculum experts at hand2mind, as well as Educational Insights, makers of hit viral products including Kanoodle®, GeoSafari® Jr., and Playfoam®. We even help pets learn and grow through our pet brands Brightkins® and Hunger for Words™. We pride ourselves on being committed to our employee’s personal and professional development, a thriving culture and a diverse, creative atmosphere. Along with our culture and competitive benefits package, we offer a variety of opportunities for training and development. We are looking for professionals who are truly just kids at heart! Come join our award-winning team today!

Team & Position Description:

This position offers a dynamic, fun, and collaborative team culture that encourages creativity and innovation, the chance to work on a diverse range of toy brands (including pet toys), and the opportunity to help shape the retail presence of our growing, innovative company. If you're passionate about toy design and want to make an impact in an innovative, family-oriented company, we’d love to hear from you!

What you’ll do day to day:

• Toy Product Design & Development

1. Lead the design and prototyping of 15–20 Learning Resources toy products annually, ensuring concepts are playful, durable, and innovative.
2. Drive the design and prototyping of 10–14 Brightkins and Hunger for Words pet products per year, with a strong focus on toy design principles and child development.
3. Develop sketches, 3D models, renderings, and specification documents to communicate toy concepts to internal teams and external vendors.
4. Operate 3D printers with ability to fix and troubleshoot printing errors.
5. Create CAD models in Rhinoceros (expert level) for toy prototypes, assembly reviews, and user testing.

• Expertise in Toy Design

1. Demonstrate deep experience in toy design, including knowledge of play patterns, safety standards, and current trends in the toy industry.
2. Prepare finished renderings for presentations, product reviews, and sales pitches, showcasing innovative and on-trend toy designs.

• Collaboration & Innovation

1. Participate in cross-functional brainstorming sessions, contributing creative toy ideas and solutions.
2. Incorporate feedback from collaborative sessions, showing adaptability and refinement in toy design concepts.
3. Support user testing and online surveys to validate toy designs with children, parents, and educators.

• Mentorship & Team Development

1. Provide mentorship to junior designers, focusing on toy design principles, project execution, and career development.
2. Foster an inclusive, supportive, and creative culture within the design team.

What we’re looking for (Key Performance Objectives):

• Deliver 100% of assigned toy designs within project deadlines, maintaining a 95% approval rate from design and marketing teams.
• Ensure 100% of toy designs align with product and brand guidelines, collaborating with cross-functional teams to meet project milestones.
• Support the professional growth of junior designers, contributing to a positive team environment.

Requirements/Ideal Attributes:

• Applicants are required to submit a portfolio of toy design work that demonstrates creativity, innovation, and an understanding of the toy industry and retail space.
• BS/BA in Industrial Design, Toy Design, or equivalent
• 6+ years of consumer product development experience with a focus on children or pet toys.
• Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), Rhinoceros, KeyShot, and 3D printing.
• Strong prototyping skills in a variety of skillsets.
• Intimate knowledge of plastic materials, design for manufacturing, and general toy manufacturing processes.
• Effective communicator with stakeholders, including colleagues, executives, vendors, and customers
• Creative Thinker: Generates innovative toy concepts that stand out in the market.
• Team Player: Collaborates well across departments and communicates ideas clearly.
• Proactive and Resourceful: Takes initiative and solves problems independently.
• Deadline-Oriented: Manages multiple projects and meets deadlines.
• Detail-Oriented: Maintains high standards for quality, compliance, and functionality.
• Independent Thinker: Approaches challenges with originality and resourcefulness, proactively identifying solutions and solving problems with minimal supervision.

We are a drug-free workplace and an EEO employer.

Please note: This role will be filled by our internal recruitment team, so no assistance is needed from any outside staffing agency at this time.

Compensation Range: $100,000 – $108,000 annual salary – Actual compensation may vary due to other factors such as: years of experience, skill set and location. Total compensation includes profit sharing bonus potential, 401k matching, and a variety of other benefits (details can be found here). 

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