Character Designer Jobs in Colorado (NOW HIRING)

JOB SUMMARY:

At Outward Hound, we create thoughtful, innovative products that strengthen the bond between pets and their people. We love creating products that are not only cute and full of personality, but also innovative, functional, and genuinely fun to use - bringing playful ideas to life in ways that surprise and delight customers every day. We are looking for a Senior Industrial Designer to help lead product design and innovation initiatives across our portfolio and help shape the future direction of our brands.

We are looking for someone who is deeply passionate about pets, consumer products, and innovation - someone energized by building meaningful products and contributing beyond the minimum expectations of the role. This role is intended for a highly experienced industrial designer who can operate independently, influence cross-functional decision-making, and drive products from opportunity definition through commercialization.

We are specifically looking for a designer with deep experience across both hard goods and soft goods product design, as well as a strong ability to create emotionally engaging products through character-driven design, storytelling, and brand expression. For this role, you will come with experience combining exceptional design judgment with strong business awareness, manufacturing expertise, and the ability to lead at a systems level.

Work Performed:

Tasks:

DESIGN

• Exceptional storytelling skills - clearly communicating vision, impact, and rationale to leaders and partners
• Strong ability to create emotionally engaging, character-driven products with broad consumer appeal, particularly for female-driven purchasing audiences
• Design across multiple pet categories, including both dog and cat products, spanning a portfolio of distinct brands
• Ability to design cohesive products across plush, textiles, molded toys, and hybrid construction products while maintaining strong emotional appeal, functionality, and manufacturable execution
• Strong understanding of form, proportion, usability, and emotional product experience
• Strong eye for color, print/pattern and material finish, with the ability to create cohesive palettes and make thoughtful color choices that enhance brand identity and visual appeal
• Ability to distinguish between meaningful innovation and unnecessary complexity
• Create initial tech pack drawings for handoff to soft goods development team and suppliers
• Maintain and develop brand identity via the established visual design language
• Hold consistent high standards of design refinement and detail resolution
• Experience with safety-focused product design for toys and accessories. Able to integrate consumer safety standards and risk mitigation throughout the design process, while partnering closely with Product Integrity (PI) teams to evaluate materials, testing protocols, and product performance to ensure safe, compliant, and durable products
• Demonstrated adaptability and flexibility by quickly shifting between projects, evolving business priorities, and cross-functional needs while maintaining high-quality design execution and collaboration across teams
• Comfortable handling detailed, repetitive production tasks at times

LEADERSHIP, AUTONOMY, COMMUNICATION

• Independently drive momentum and product design initiatives with minimal day to day direction or oversight in fast-moving environments
• Proactively identify risks, gaps, and development challenges before they escalate
• Bring forward solutions, recommendations, and clear decision-making rationale
• Consistently deliver high-quality work on schedule through strong prioritization, proactive communication, and disciplined time management
• Identify opportunities for innovation before they are formally defined
• Partner with VP to lead ideation efforts that push beyond incremental improvements toward meaningful product innovation. Bring a strong, consistent point of view on trends, play patterns, consumer behavior, and future product opportunities
• Actively identify whitespace opportunities, emerging consumer needs, and unmet market opportunities across categories
• Contribute original thinking that helps shape category direction and long-term portfolio growth
• Operate as a creative force within the organization, consistently generating new product concepts, systems, and experiences
• Skilled at effectively managing upward communication
• Understanding that successful product development requires both creative innovation and consistent execution, with the ability to stay engaged through refinement, problem-solving, and production details
• Thrive in a fast paced product development environment with the resilience, initiative, and work ethic needed to push projects forward and deliver exceptional results
• Influence design outcomes through mentoring other design stafF
• Consistently bring a positive, enthusiastic attitude to the team, collaborate well with others, and follow specific direction effectively
•  KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES:

• Design storytelling and visual communication
• Injection molding design principles
• DFM/DFA (Design for Manufacturing & Assembly)
• Plastics material selections
• Tooling and manufacturing process knowledge
• Durability and performance-driven product design
• Cost-conscious design and development collaboration
• Prototype evaluation and iterative refinement
• Soft goods construction methods
• Plush and textile product development
• Fabric/material specification and sourcing
• Hybrid soft/hard goods integration
• Trim, embroidery, applique, and character detailing
• CAD modeling (Fusion 360 preferred)
• 3D printing skillset
• Knowledge of AI tools used to expedite workflow
• Rapid prototyping
• Keyshot or equivalent rendering software
• Adobe Creative Suite proficiency
• Physical prototyping and model-making
• Personal interest and experience as a pet owner is a plus
• Familiarity with IP/patent process is a plus

Education:  Bachelor's degree required.  Degree in Industrial or Toy Design required

Years of experience: 6+ years of Design experience required; experience in Consumer Products preferred

Salary range: $105,000-$125,000 Depending on experience

 Our Benefits (for full-time employees)

• Medical / Dental / Vision/Accident 
• HSA
• 401K & 100% Employer Match (Fully vested after 1 year)
• Flexible Paid Time Off (includes vacation and sick time)
• Paid Family Leave
• Basic Term Life and AD&D (Employer Paid)
• Voluntary Term Life and AD&D
• Pet Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Annual Bonus Potential

We invite all candidates to apply!

Outward Hound is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity and we strive to create an inclusive and equitable environment for all our employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, color, national origin, gender identity, age, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability, or any other protected status.