Lead Industrial Designer

SummaryACE Partners are supporting a client of ours who are looking to bring industrial design capability in-house through a key full-time, onsite hire. The business currently works with external industrial design consultants and is now looking for an experienced designer to take ownership of the function internally, lead design execution, and help shape the long-term direction of the team.This is a highly visible role for someone who can define and develop the customer experience across a complex aircraft product portfolio, working at the intersection of cockpit, cabin, seating, exterior design, ergonomics, engineering, manufacturability and brand identity.The successful candidate will lead the development of compelling design solutions from early concept through prototyping, engineering collaboration and production-ready outcomes. They will work closely with leadership, engineering, manufacturing and external partners to balance design intent with safety, certification, weight, cost, usability, serviceability and production requirements.Over time, this individual will play a key role in establishing the standards, processes and tools required to support the growth of an internal industrial design function, with the opportunity to help build a team around them.ResponsibilitiesComplete ownership of the design process: concept development: research, ideation, prototyping, and execution.Create innovative, visually compelling cabin, cockpit, and exterior with exceptional ergonomics and usability.Collaborate with Engineering to achieve design intent while meeting manufacturability, serviceability, cost, certification, and weight targets.Lead visualization: create compelling renderings and reviews; create CGI and physical mockups (foam/clay/CNC/3D-print) to accelerate decisions.Work cross-functionally with CMF to integrate finishes into compelling user experiences.Support prototype builds with hands-on design and prototyping work to rapidly iterate designs.Drive creative exploration of design concepts that drive the companies brand forward.Create compelling design proposals with clear narratives and visual presentations.Engage with stakeholders to develop requirements, gather feedback, and ensure alignment with strategic objectives and customer expectations.Ensure human factors requirements are achieved including ergonomics and usability.Produce high-quality internal visualizations using tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Substance, Blender, and emerging AI platforms to effectively communicate CMF direction.Stay up to date on industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in design.Report project status, schedules, and risksDevelop design standards, guidelines, processes and tools to improve the effectiveness, quality, and efficiency of the work.Required Qualifications Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design, Transportation Design, Product Design or equivalent professional experience.Strong direct experience in a product design studio or as an aircraft industrial designer.A portfolio demonstrating a deep understanding of human centric design through concept to production outcomesExpert sketching, form-development, and surfacing skills; fluency in digital surface creation using Alias, Blender, or similar CAD tools; direct and collaborate with professional modelers.Extensive knowledge of materials used in aviation applications.Proficiency in visualization and presentation: Photoshop, Illustrator, KeyShot, Blender, Vred and presentation-building for design reviews.Strong grasp of design for manufacturing.Demonstrated collaboration with engineering; ability to navigate tradeoffs in weight, cost, complexity, reliability, and assembly efficiency.Hands on experience creating prototypes and physical models.Must be a proven self-starter requiring minimal supervision, with strong problem-solving skills.Demonstrated strong and effective verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.Preferred Qualifications Transportation design background with both exterior surfacing and interior design, including seating experience.Human factors and packaging literacy: SGRP or H-point, DEP, reach envelopes, and digital human modeling practices.Proficiency in parametric CAD (e.g., SolidWorks, CATIA, NX) sufficient to communicate interfaces and constraints with engineering.Familiarity with FAA certification requirements.Experience with vendor development and prototyping oversight.