Industrial Designer

Location: Carlsbad, CA (Hybrid)

Status: Full Time, Regular

Reporting To: Chief Design Officer

About JLab:

JLab imagines and delivers the personal technology products that consumers want. With our line of personal audio gear and office accessories, we’re innovating absolutely everything to make way better personal tech. Based in San Diego, we’ve been offering the right sound, the right features, and the right value since 2005.

Role Overview

JLab is seeking an experienced and creative Industrial Designer to help shape the next generation of consumer audio and tech accessories. In this role, you will take products from the first “napkin sketch” through tooling-ready CAD, ensuring every earbud, headphone, speaker, and peripheral reflects our commitment to innovation, value, and user-centric design.

You’ll work hands-on across the full product development lifecycle—sketching, prototyping, refining, and preparing designs for high-volume manufacturing—while collaborating closely with internal teams and overseas manufacturing partners. Your work will directly influence how JLab products look, feel, and perform in the hands of customers around the world.

The ideal candidate is self-motivated and curious, thrives in a fast-paced, hands-on product development environment, and enjoys balancing creative exploration with technical execution. If this sounds like you, we encourage you to apply and share your portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

Product Design & Development

• Translate early concepts and sketches into production-ready industrial designs
• Develop tooling-ready CAD geometry for consumer electronics products, including complex mechanical assemblies
• Create and refine product forms with a strong focus on ergonomics, usability, and visual identity
• Support multiple product programs simultaneously while meeting development timelines

Prototyping & Visualization

• Produce hand sketches, 3D prints, and physical prototypes to quickly iterate on form and function
• Create high-fidelity renderings and animations for internal reviews, packaging, and marketing assets
• Clearly communicate design intent through visual and physical artifacts

Manufacturing, Materials & CMF

• Apply knowledge of high-volume manufacturing processes, including injection molding and metal finishing
• Define and refine Color, Material, and Finish (CMF) selections in alignment with brand direction
• Partner with engineering and manufacturing teams to ensure designs are feasible, durable, and cost-effective
• Support tooling development and production ramp-up, including factory reviews as needed

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with product management, purchasing, and marketing teams
• Coordinate with overseas ODM/OEM partners to resolve design, tooling, and production issues
• Use Figma and related tools to support alignment between hardware design and software/UX

Leveling & Scope

This role may be filled at either the Mid-Level or Senior-Level, depending on experience and demonstrated capability.

Mid-Level Industrial Designer

• Executes defined design workstreams with growing independence
• Translates concepts into manufacturable designs with guidance
• Applies established CMF standards and manufacturing practices
• Typically 3–5 years of consumer electronics industrial design experience

Senior Industrial Designer

• Owns industrial design from early concept through production handoff
• Drives design decisions balancing user experience, brand, manufacturability, and cost
• Leads complex CAD development and resolves advanced manufacturing challenges
• Influences CMF direction and design standards across product lines
• Typically 5–8+ years of consumer electronics industrial design experience

Qualifications

• Required:
  • 3–5+ years (mid-level) or 5–8+ years (senior-level) of professional industrial design experience within consumer electronics
  • Advanced proficiency in Autodesk Fusion or SolidWorks, including the ability to produce complex, tooling-ready geometry and understand mechanical assemblies
  • Expert-level skills in KeyShot for photorealistic rendering and animation
  • Strong sketching, form development, and physical prototyping (3D printing) capabilities
  • Deep understanding of manufacturing processes, including high-volume injection molding (plastics and silicone), CNC/stamping/PVD/Electroplating (metals)
  • Ability to travel internationally, including anticipated travel to Asia approximately 2–3 weeks per year to visit factory partners and support production tooling and manufacturing activities
  • Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for this position at the time of hire and must maintain work authorization for the duration of their employment. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time
• Preferred / Bonus:
  • Experience in audio or acoustic-related product design (e.g., drivers, component placement, ear ergonomics)
  • Direct experience working with overseas manufacturing partners (ODM/OEM)
  • Proficiency in Figma to support alignment between physical product design and software/UX experiences.
  • Experience producing packaging dielines to support high-quality, user-centered packaging solutions
  • Exposure to sustainable materials, emerging technologies, or advanced production methods

Portfolio Requirements

Please submit a digital portfolio by either uploading a PDF in the Additional Documents section on the application, or by providing a link in your resume. Ensure your portfolio showcases:

• Process: Evidence of sketching and iterative form development.
• Execution: High-fidelity renderings and examples of technical CAD work.
• Real-world results: Images/links of ready-made products in the market.

Compensation

• Salary Range: $85,000 – $135,000/year. Placement within the range determined by level (Mid-Level or Senior-Level), experience, and skills
• Eligible for an annual discretionary bonus, target 5-10% of base salary, based on level (Mid-Level or Senior-Level), individual and company performance.

Benefits & Perks (to name a few!)

• Flexible hybrid schedule (2 days WFH, after 90 days)
• Work From Anywhere program (up to 2 weeks per year)
• 100% employer-paid medical plan option, plus additional coverage choices to fit your needs
• Unlimited Vacation
• 401(k) with company match
• Dog-friendly office
• Quarterly company-wide events
• Complimentary bi-monthly JLab product allotment
• Casual and fun workplace culture, including in-office happy hours

JLab is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruiting process. In accordance with California law, we will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities to support participation in the application, interview, and hiring process. If you need an accommodation at any stage of the recruiting process, please let us know. Requesting an accommodation will not impact your consideration for employment.