Senior Manager - Industrial Design

 

 

Join Our Leadership Team as a Senior Manager - Industrial Design!

 

The Role:
Toyota Material Handling North America is seeking an accomplished Senior Manager – Industrial Design to lead our Industrial Design team within our Corporate Engineering department. This leader drives product design strategy, brand identity, and user centered innovation across Toyota and Raymond forklift product lines. The team combines expertise in surface design, injection molding, advanced form development, ergonomics, UI and UX design, and visual storytelling to deliver innovative material handling equipment solutions.

 

As Senior Manager of Industrial Design Engineering, you will define and execute the design vision, align cross functional initiatives with Corporate Strategic Objectives, and ensure global integration and consistency. This role provides executive oversight for styling, ergonomics, human machine interaction, and concept development while operating with significant autonomy and strategic influence.

 

We are seeking a forward-thinking design leader with strong business acumen, a solutions-oriented mindset, and a passion for building high performing, collaborative teams.

 

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Lead and manage a team of engineers and industrial designers in the development and visualization of innovative product concepts using CAD and advanced digital design tools.
• Drive industrial design strategy including form development, aesthetics, CMF development, branding, and ergonomics for powered industrial trucks and forklift products.
• Collaborate cross functionally with Engineering, R&D, Product Management, Manufacturing, Marketing, and global partners to deliver production ready solutions.
• Plan, assign, and monitor personnel and project commitments; oversee technical progress and adjust direction to meet engineering, product performance, quality, and business objectives.
• Serve as technical lead or project director for major new product development programs and platform initiatives.
• Evaluate technical outcomes of research and development efforts; prepare and deliver executive level presentations with actionable recommendations.
• Align engineering and industrial design initiatives with corporate strategy; provide input and thought leadership to senior and executive leadership teams.
• Lead workforce planning including hiring, performance management, succession planning, mentoring, and professional development.
• Represent Industrial Design Engineering in executive reviews, customer engagements, supplier meetings, and industry events; travel as required.
• Provide technical guidance related to regulatory standards and industry requirements within the forklift and material handling industry; participate in formal design reviews.
• Maintain a safe working environment and operate in a constant state of alertness.
• Perform other job-related duties as required.

 

What We’re Looking For:

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design, Industrial Design Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Product Design Engineering, or a related engineering or design discipline.

• 12+ years of progressive engineering experience, including 5+ years of leadership experience managing industrial design or product design teams.
• Demonstrated experience in industrial design engineering within manufacturing, automotive, heavy equipment, or material handling industries.
• Strong expertise in:
• Concept sketching and ideation
• CMF development and material selection
• Design language systems and visual identity development
• User experience and ergonomics analysis
• Surface modeling and CAD based design tools
• Injection molding and manufacturing processes
• Design strategy and product portfolio alignment
• Executive level presentations and visual communication of design intent

 

What Sets You Apart:

• Master’s degree in Industrial Design, Industrial Design Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Product Design Engineering, MBA, Engineering Management, or a related engineering or design discipline