Director of Product Design

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Tayco is currently looking for an ambitious and enthusiastic Director of Product Design to join our extraordinary Team. Tayco is an office furniture manufacturer focused on creating meaningful and inspirational work experiences. As such, we are looking for someone who is aligned with our core values of Ownership, Progressive, Efficient and Enjoyable Experiences.

The Opportunity

The Product Design Director will lead Tayco’s product design vision, innovation strategy, and new product development execution across workplace furniture solutions. This role is responsible for driving the creation of market-leading products that align with Tayco’s growth strategy, dealer network requirements, OEM partnerships, manufacturing capabilities, and evolving workplace trends.

The ideal candidate combines strong industrial design leadership with deep understanding of office furniture manufacturing, engineering integration, materials, ergonomics, customer experience, and commercialization. The role requires close collaboration with sales, engineering, manufacturing, sourcing, marketing, and executive leadership teams.

This position plays a critical role in shaping Tayco’s future product portfolio, strengthening the company’s premium market positioning, and supporting strategic growth initiatives including OEM partnerships and Haworth channel opportunities

Product Design Leadership

• Lead the overall product design strategy and innovation roadmap for Tayco.
• Build and maintain a cohesive Tayco product language and design identity.
• Ensure all products align with market positioning, customer expectations, and brand standards.
• Drive innovation in workplace furniture solutions, functionality, aesthetics, sustainability, and user experience.
• Develop both short-term and long-term product design strategies aligned with the company’s 2030 vision.

New Product Development (NPD)

• Lead the design phase of all new product development initiatives from concept to commercialization.
• Work closely with engineering and operations teams to ensure designs are manufacturable, scalable, and cost effective.
• Participate in product feasibility reviews, prototype evaluations, testing, and launch readiness.
• Ensure products meet performance, ergonomic, safety, and quality standards.
• Support rapid development cycles and quick-to-market initiatives.

Market & Trend Intelligence

• Research workplace trends, competitor products, dealer feedback, and global design movements.
• Monitor emerging materials, finishes, sustainability trends, and workspace behaviors.
• Translate market insights into actionable product opportunities.
• Benchmark Tayco products against leading industry brands and international competitors.

OEM & Strategic Partnership Support

• Support OEM development opportunities and strategic partnerships including Haworth-related initiatives.
• Collaborate with external partners on co-developed products when required.
• Ensure product designs meet OEM standards, specifications, and scalability requirements.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work collaboratively with Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Sales, Marketing, Customer Experience and Executive Leadership.
• Participate in strategic planning and product prioritization meetings.
• Ensure alignment between design intent and operational execution.

Manufacturing and Operational Alignment

• Ensure products are designed with operational efficiency in mind.
• Collaborate with manufacturing teams on assembly efficiencies, material optimization, packaging improvements, installation simplification and cost reduction opportunities.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives across product platforms.

Team Leadership

• Lead and mentor the product design team.
• Build a high-performance culture focused on creativity, accountability, and execution.
• Establish clear priorities, timelines, and deliverables.
• Support professional growth and development of team members.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design, Furniture Design, Product Design, Architecture, Engineering, or a related field.
• Master’s degree is considered an asset.
• 10+ years of experience in product or industrial design.
• 5+ years in a senior leadership role.
• Experience in office furniture, workplace solutions, architectural products, or related manufacturing industries strongly preferred.
• Strong experience working within manufacturing-driven environments.
• Proven track record of successful product launches.
• Strong understanding of furniture construction, ergonomics, materials and finishes, manufacturing processes, costing principles, and product lifecycle management.
• Experience with SolidWorks, CET, AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite and rendering and visualization tools.
• Familiarity with ERP-integrated product development environments is an asset.

• Extended Healthcare Plan (Medical, Disability, Dental & Vision) after the first 3 and 6 months of employment.
• Active Social Committee with wonderful company culture.
• Opportunities for growth and development.
• Great people to work with!

Due to a high volume of applications, only those candidates who are selected for interviews will be contacted.

Tayco endeavors to fill positions with the best available candidates who have the appropriate combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Tayco is committed to equity and values diversity. We welcome applications from qualified individuals of all genders and sexual orientations, persons with disabilities, Aboriginal persons and persons of a visible minority.

At Tayco, we are embracing innovative technologies, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be used to pre-screen applicants to enhance our recruitment process. AI-driven tools help us streamline candidate sourcing, improve the quality of our hiring decisions, and ensure a more efficient and personalized experience for both candidates and hiring teams.