Product Designer & Engineer (Hybrid Role)

ABOUT COVERLAND

Coverland is a fast-growing DTC eCommerce brand in the automotive accessories space. We design, manufacture, and sell premium vehicle protection products including car covers, seat covers, floor mats, and a growing lineup of in-cabin accessories. We sell across our Shopify Plus storefront, Amazon, and major marketplaces, with over 2 million drivers trusting our products. We’re building toward becoming the leading automotive accessories brand in North America, and product quality is at the core of that vision.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We’re looking for a Product Designer & Engineer to lead the design and development of our next generation of automotive accessories. This is a hybrid role that combines industrial design and product engineering, ideal for someone who can take a product from initial concept sketch all the way through to manufacturable spec sheets and final production. You’ll work directly with the CEO to define the product vision, collaborate with our manufacturing partners overseas, and build the foundation for a world-class in-house product development function. This is a high-impact role with significant ownership, perfect for someone who wants to shape the future of an entire product line rather than execute someone else’s vision. Our goal is simple: we want to make automotive accessories that customers love. Whether it’s a phone mount, an air freshener, a sun shade, or our next seat cover redesign, we want products that look great, feel premium, work flawlessly, and stand out from everything else on the market.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Product Design

Lead end to end design of new automotive accessory products, from initial concept through final production specs

Develop product sketches, 3D models, renderings, and prototypes

Define product aesthetics including form, color, material, and finish (CMF)

Research industry trends, materials, and design directions that align with our brand

Conduct competitive analysis and identify opportunities for differentiation

Apply ergonomic and user experience principles to ensure products are intuitive and comfortable to use

Product Engineering

Translate design concepts into manufacturable products with proper engineering specifications

Design for Manufacturing (DFM), ensuring products can be produced at scale without quality issues

Select appropriate materials, components, and manufacturing processes

Develop technical drawings, tolerances, and assembly specifications

Build and test prototypes to validate design and engineering decisions

Solve mechanical, structural, and material challenges that emerge during development

Manufacturing Partnership

Develop technical packs and specification documents that factories can execute against

Review samples, provide feedback, and iterate with factories on prototypes

Troubleshoot production issues and adjust designs when needed

Build relationships with new suppliers and manufacturers as we product lines

Quality & Testing

Define testing protocols for new products including durability, fit, safety, and performance

Establish quality standards and acceptance criteria

Review production samples and approve or reject based on quality benchmarks

Investigate product issues from customer feedback and implement improvements

Strategy & Roadmap

Partner with the CEO and marketing team to identify new product opportunities

Maintain a product development roadmap with clear timelines and milestones

Advise on pricing strategy based on COGS, materials, and competitive positioning

Help build the product development function over time, including future hires

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

5+ years of experience in industrial design, product design, or product engineering for physical consumer products

Hands-on experience taking products from concept to mass production, with at least 2 to 3 shipped products you can point to

Strong proficiency in 3D CAD software such as SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Rhino, or similar

Design rendering skills using KeyShot, V-Ray, or equivalent

Understanding of manufacturing processes including injection molding, sewing, leather and textile work, stamping, and assembly

Design for Manufacturing (DFM) experience with proven ability to design products that can be produced at scale

Strong portfolio demonstrating both aesthetic design sensibility and engineering rigor

Excellent communication skills for working with factories, vendors, and cross-functional teams

Self-directed and comfortable owning projects end to end without heavy oversight

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Experience in automotive accessories, consumer electronics, or related categories

Background working with overseas manufacturers, especially in China, Vietnam, or Mexico

Knowledge of automotive interior materials such as leather, neoprene, polyester, foam, and PVC

Familiarity with automotive industry standards including FMVSS, SGS testing, and airbag compatibility requirements

Experience designing for specific vehicle fitment (year, make, model precision)

Adobe Creative Suite proficiency (Illustrator, Photoshop) for marketing collateral and packaging design

Background at brands like Weathertech, Covercraft, Husky Liners, Anker, Belkin, or similar product-driven companies

Education from leading industrial design programs such as ArtCenter College of Design, RISD, Pratt, CCS, or equivalent

Experience with 3D scanning for precise vehicle fitment data

Patent filing experience for innovative product designs

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN THIS ROLE

At 90 days: You’ve completed a deep audit of our existing product line, identified 3 to 5 immediate improvement opportunities, and shipped your first design iteration on an existing product. At 6 months: You’ve designed and launched at least one new product or major product revision that’s now shipping to customers. You’ve established working relationships with our manufacturing partners and built efficient design to factory workflows. At 12 months: You’re the trusted product authority at Coverland. You’ve built a multi-product roadmap, launched 3 to 5 new products or major updates, and our product reviews and customer satisfaction scores reflect the improvements. The product development function is starting to scale beyond just you.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR (BEYOND THE RESUME)

A maker at heart who actually loves building things, not just designing them on screen

Quality-obsessed with a high bar for what’s good enough

Pragmatic about balancing design ambition with manufacturing reality

Curious about cars and the people who buy automotive accessories

Comfortable with ambiguity in a growing company where processes are still being built

Driven by impact rather than ego or credit

Benefits:

Health insurance

Paid time off

Sick Days

Employee discount

Pay: $100,000.00 - $140,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person