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Williams-Sonoma

Retailer of home furnishings and kitchenware

Designer – Lighting

Industrial DesignPosted on Nov 11
Full-timePortland, OR, USANo salary listed

About the Job

Requirements

  • Minimum 5 years of product design experience, preferably within lighting, furniture, architectural products, or home furnishings.
  • Proven track record of bringing products from concept through production on seasonal development timelines.
  • Strong understanding of lighting construction, materials, finishes, manufacturing methods, electrical components, and production processes.
  • Advanced proficiency in Rhino or comparable parametric computer-aided design software such as Autodesk Inventor or SolidWorks.
  • Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud, including Photoshop and InDesign.
  • Strong understanding of manufacturing documentation, technical drawings, specification development, and production communication.
  • Experience collaborating directly with manufacturing partners.
  • Ability to identify customer opportunities and translate trends, historical references, and market insights into commercially successful products.
  • Ability to work onsite in the Portland office Monday through Thursday.

Responsibilities

  • Partner with the Head Design Manager to develop seasonal lighting collections that align with quarterly concepts and long-term brand strategy.
  • Lead design development across assigned lighting categories from initial concept through production.
  • Identify assortment opportunities and customer white space by leveraging historical research, competitive analysis, market trends, and business insights.
  • Develop innovative concepts that balance timeless design, commercial viability, manufacturing feasibility, and cost targets.
  • Create presentation-quality renderings, computer-aided design models, technical drawings, and specification packages using Rhino, KeyShot, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Creative Cloud.
  • Partner with lighting engineers to create product specification documents for vendor communication and production.
  • Manage sample development, evaluate prototypes, and provide detailed engineering and quality comments throughout development.
  • Own communication with domestic and international vendors to guide design intent, resolve technical challenges, and maintain development timelines.
  • Participate in virtual and in-person vendor meetings to review concepts, materials, prototypes, engineering solutions, and production readiness.
  • Collaborate with the merchandising team to identify assortment gaps, pricing opportunities, finish expansion, and new product strategies.
  • Partner with engineering and sourcing to ensure products meet performance, quality, sustainability, and cost objectives.
  • Participate in and lead weekly product development meetings and quarterly design presentations.
  • Create presentations that communicate design inspiration, historical references, competitive landscape, technical development, and final product direction.
  • Identify new materials, finishes, manufacturing techniques, and construction methods that elevate the assortment while meeting quality and pricing goals.
  • Maintain development trackers, timelines, and sample organization to ensure on-time execution.
  • Travel domestically and internationally, as needed, to visit vendors, factories, trade shows, and design markets.
  • Share research, historical references, design inspiration, and emerging trends with the creative team.
  • Manage multiple projects simultaneously while delivering high-quality work on schedule.
  • Support sustainability initiatives by making intentional material and manufacturing decisions throughout product development.

Desired Qualifications

  • Preferably, product design experience within lighting, furniture, architectural products, or home furnishings.
  • Excellent presentation, storytelling, and communication skills.
  • Highly collaborative, with strong organizational and project management abilities.
  • Ability to prioritize multiple development calendars while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.
  • Strong problem-solving skills with a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset.
  • High standards for design excellence, craftsmanship, quality, and innovation.

About the Company

Williams-Sonoma

Retailer of home furnishings and kitchenware

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. operates through a multi-brand portfolio including Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, West Elm, and others, selling furniture, kitchen appliances, home decor, and specialty foods via stores and e-commerce. It differentiates itself with an upscale, curated brand lineup and an omnichannel shopping experience plus design services to help plan spaces. The company emphasizes sustainability and ethical sourcing, with certifications from Better Cotton, Fair Trade, FSC, and the Global Recycled Standard. Its goal is to serve both residential and business home-furnishing needs while maintaining responsible sourcing and environmental stewardship.

Company size
10,001+
Company stage
IPO
Headquarters
San Francisco, CA
Founded
1956

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