Industrial Designer

About WTI

WTI is a product development consultancy in Kitchener. We take products from early concept through to manufacturing for startups and established companies, with industrial design, mechanical engineering, electronics and firmware under one roof. Our work spans consumer electronics, connected devices, and medical and industrial equipment. We’re a small team, so designers work directly with engineers, clients and our manufacturing partners.

The role

We’re hiring an in-house industrial designer to lead concept development on client projects, working full-time from our Kitchener studio alongside our engineering and prototyping team. You’ll take projects from the brief to a validated concept: research, sketching, CAD, prototypes, and the design reviews that help a client make a decision. You’ll report to our Creative Director.

What you’ll do

• Turn client briefs into concept directions through fast hand sketching, then develop the chosen direction in CAD.
• Use AI tools such as Vizcom to explore and refine concepts quickly, alongside sketching and CAD.
• Build and test rough and validation prototypes using our 3D printers and shop, and use what you learn to drive the next round.
• Work closely with mechanical and electrical engineers so designs account for PCBs, batteries, internal layouts and manufacturing from the start.
• Prepare design reviews, renderings and client-facing material.
• Do front-end research on users, competitors and the market before a design direction is set.
• Own your deliverables against a defined scope, timeline and hours budget.

What we’re looking for

• 2 to 6 years of industrial design experience, ideally in consumer tech or consumer products.
• Experience designing products with integrated electronics is strongly preferred.
• Strong, fast hand sketching that communicates ideas clearly to engineers and clients.
• Hands-on experience with rapid prototyping (FDM and resin printing, basic shop work), or a clear willingness to learn quickly.
• Working knowledge of CAD (SolidWorks, Fusion or Rhino) and rendering (KeyShot or similar).
• Experience with AI design tools (Vizcom or similar) for concept exploration and refinement, with good judgment about where they help.
• Clear communication and a habit of closing the loop: plan, build, test, report, iterate.
• A portfolio that shows process (sketches, prototypes, decisions, and real products), not only final renders.

Nice to have

• Design for injection molding and experience working with overseas manufacturers.
• Consultancy or other client-facing experience.

Details

• Location: Our studio at 100 Ahrens St. W, Kitchener, ON. Full-time, in office.
• Employment type: Full-time, permanent.
• Benefits: Company-paid health and dental plan.
• This posting is for a current vacancy.
• AI tools may be used to assess how well applicants match the role and the company.

How to apply

Send your resume and a portfolio link via LinkedIn. Applications without a portfolio won’t be reviewed.