R&D Hardware Product Designer
Product Designer
Join Smartbox and make a meaningful impact as our newest team member!Are you a passionate Product Designer who wants to play a part in creating technology that gives a voice to those without speech? Smartbox is seeking a dedicated and talented individual like you to join our team and make a real difference in the lives of people with disabilities.
At Smartbox, we take pride in being a leading company in assistive communication technology. Our innovative products, combining specialised hardware, advanced software, and engaging content, are used by individuals with diverse needs worldwide.All around the world, our products, accomplishments and aspirations are a reflection of our teams’ values: passionate, caring, empowering, achieving together and enabling change.
We believe that everyone deserves a voice, and our inclusive culture reflects this belief. By joining Smartbox, you will become part of a team that values diversity, fosters collaboration, and supports a community of users who rely on our technology to communicate effectively.
In addition to the rewarding nature of our work, you will collaborate with talented professionals who share a common goal of pushing the boundaries of innovation while considering the environmental impact of our products and processes. We strive to develop sustainable solutions that minimise our carbon footprint and promote a greener world.By joining Smartbox, you will have the chance to shape a more inclusive society while actively contributing to our sustainability efforts. Together, let's make a difference that extends beyond communication technology and leaves a positive mark on our planet.
How will you be making a difference?- Hands-on research: Diving deep to comprehend the fundamental needs and challenges of our target users, focusing on the people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and those who support them. You will use this understanding to influence every stage of product development to meet these core needs effectively
- Cultivating Collaboration: Organising regular workshops and sprints to solve problems and build a new future using teamwork
- Creative solutions: Conceptualising and prototyping novel products and features that are useful, highly intuitive, and just work
- CAD modelling: Using CAD to develop detailed designs that are viable for manufacture with our engineers and suppliers
- User testing: Constantly seeking to observe users, testing features and iterating
- Beautiful presentation: Sketching, rendering, animating, photographing and making videos of our products for huge impact and engagement
- Leading on style: Developing a design language that is distinctive, yet unobtrusive and mature. Selecting colours, materials and finishes that promote usability and achieve a feeling that is high quality and long-lasting
- Balancing cost and value: Developing a clear understanding of proposed value and project costs, working with colleagues to achieve good value for our users and partners
- Design evangelist: Telling the user’s story and the design journey to elevate product launches and win the hearts of customers, as well as sales, marketing, service and operational teams
- Data-driven decision making: Using qualitative and quantitative data to inform decision-making and optimise product performance
- Industry awareness: Staying updated with the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in assistive technology, AAC and product management
- Minimum of 5 years of prior experience in a product design capacity.
- Demonstrated track record in the development and successful delivery of products.
- Expertise in leading user research initiatives encompassing personas, journey mapping, and user testing.
- Proficiency in applying accessibility and inclusive design principles.
- Confidence in creating and developing concepts through sketching, visual storytelling, prototypes and models, leaning into feedback and challenge.
- Diverse technical skills, including CAD modelling and render generation.
- Strategic acumen in leveraging brand identity through colour schemes, materials, and finishes.
- Proficiency in graphic design including typography, layout, and colour to produce beautiful labels and manuals.
- Proficiency in packaging design.
- The ability to collate and analyse complex and conflicting needs, distilling them effectively and communicating vision, trade-offs, and recommendations clearly to senior leadership, guiding them towards sensible, well-informed decisions.
- Ability to establish and maintain momentum, avoiding over-analysis, empowering decision-makers to take calculated risks, and offering clarity and direction in uncertain circumstances.
- Exceptional problem-solving abilities, demonstrating both strategic thinking and tactical action.
- Strong collaborative skills, adept at working effectively in a compact, dynamic team environment and engaging with stakeholders across a larger organisation.
- Outstanding communication skills, both oral and written, capable of articulating complex ideas clearly and engagingly.
- Hands-on, down-to-earth, customer-centric approach.
- Readiness to travel to various Smartbox and client locations, potentially on an international scale.
- This is a hybrid role based in the Bristol location, with the requirement to come into the office twice a week
- The salary for this position will be determined based on the applicant's education, skills and experience
Here at Smartbox, we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, and encouraging all staff to engage in a diverse range of year-round learning and personal development opportunities. In addition, you will work alongside highly motivated colleagues in an environment of strong teamwork whilst also having fun.
This is a hugely rewarding role and a career to be proud of where every day you will go home knowing you made a positive difference in the lives of disabled people.
Rewards and benefitsAt Smartbox our employees always do their best, which is why we give so much in return. In addition to your competitive salary, private medical insurance, and whooping 25 days of holiday plus public holidays, we’ll shower you with perks, including:
Dress: We want you to feel comfortable in the office, smart casual is perfect.
Food: You can find free healthy office snacks in our kitchens.
Hybrid working: Two days a week in the office, for the rest of the week feel free to skip the commute and hit your deadlines from home. Laptop and home working IT kit provided.Flexible work schedule: balance is key to innovation, and we want to make sure you are at the top of your game with a schedule that will work for you (prior agreement from your line manager is required).
Give back to the community: Each year every member of staff will get the opportunity to spend one paid day volunteering for a good cause of their choice.
You, our best asset: We believe in investing in you and your development. Stay with us and grow with us! We will reward you with more holidays for your long service!
Wellness: Stretch away the stress every morning with our online trainers, available via our cooperative perk website or hit the gym. We provide gym discounts too!
Wellbeing: You gain unlimited access to a benefit and Wellbeing app Yulife, providing store discounts and wellbeing services.Mental health: You will have access to the 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme for a wide range of support, advice and resources about Family, Health, Life, Money and Work.
Peace of mind: Every employee benefit from a company pension, group life assurance, and income protection.
Fun: Complimentary theatre and cinema tickets to Malvern Theatres. We organise many free social events including team outings and get-togethers.
Eco-friendly: You can sign up for a cycle scheme (save 25%-39% on a new bike or E-bike by cycling to work), or lease an electric car through a salary sacrifice scheme after 2 years of service.
Bonus potential: We work hard and Smartbox recognizes that with a discretionary annual bonus.
Finances: Enjoy a wide variety of savings and discounts with Corporate Perks. You can save on electronics, food shopping, fashion, fitness, entertainment and all things travel.
Our Commitments
At Smartbox, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable work environment where every individual's unique background and perspective are valued and respected, but how are we doing it?We are proud to have been awarded Disability Confident Employer status by the UK Government’s Department of Work and Pensions. We are also the Founding Partner of Purple Tuesday. You can find out more on thinksmartbox.com.
We are committed to ensuring that our recruitment practices are barrier-free and as inclusive as possible. This includes making adjustments during the job application process and throughout your future career with us. Please email jobs@thinksmartbox.com to discuss any such adjustments that we can make.
At Smartbox, it’s not about fitting into our culture – it’s about adding to it. Our diverse team brings together unique talents and inspires each other to create amazing products that reflect the diversity of our users and customers.We’d love to hear from you.
Our ever-evolving team powers the business across the world and brings the next generation of AAC solutions to life. Together we experiment, innovate and create across the full product lifecycle. And, in a collaborative and close-knit culture, we support each other to search for better.
We support our community and contribute to a sustainable future for our business and the planet.
Join us as a Product Designer and take our technology and your career into new territories.We look forward to receiving your application.
For a full job description, please visit: https://thinksmartbox.com/join-the-team/
Agencies
Please respect that at this current time, we wish to try and recruit directly from the market rather than engage support from an agency.
Job Types: Full-time, PermanentPay: From £40,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Enhanced maternity leave
- Enhanced paternity leave
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Private medical insurance
- Referral programme
- Sick pay
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Bristol: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)
Application question(s):
- Will you now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status?
Experience:
- product design: 5 years (preferred)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (preferred)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Bristol