Senior Structural Designer Lead

The Senior Structural Designer (Lead) is a working lead who develops retail-focused temporary display solutions that drive shopper engagement and support client brand objectives, and who leads a pod of structural designers within the Chicago structural design team. The role is roughly 60% hands-on structural design and 40% leading, reviewing, and developing the work of the pod.

This individual leads the structural development of complex corrugated, paperboard, hybrid and multi-material display programs from concept through production, assigns and balances work across the pod, checks drawings before release, and coaches designers to grow. We are looking for someone who enjoys leading and developing others as much as solving design problems, and who can run the pod day to day so the Structural Design Manager can focus on the department.

DIRECT REPORTS

The following positions report directly to the Senior Structural Designer (Lead):

• Structural Designers (3 to 5): develop structural concepts, dielines, samples and production specifications for temporary displays and specialty packaging under the Lead's direction and review.
• Contract Structural Designers (as assigned): supplement pod capacity during peak program periods.

SCOPE & ACCOUNTABILITY

• The Lead is accountable for the quality, on-time delivery and capacity of the pod's structural design work, and for the development of each designer in it.
• Lead a pod of 3 to 5 structural designers day to day, while carrying a personal design workload.
• Manage multiple design programs simultaneously from concept development through production release.
• Act as the primary structural design lead on key client accounts and strategic initiatives.
• Own the pod's work queue: every request has a named owner, an agreed turnaround date, and a status.
• Approve pod drawings, dielines and samples before release to estimating, prepress or production.
• Proactively identify risks, manufacturing challenges, and cost-saving opportunities throughout development.
• Cover for the Structural Design Manager when they are out, and escalate resourcing, quality or deadline risks early.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

People Leadership (about 40%)

• Assign projects, balance workload across the pod, and keep the pod's work queue current.
• Review pod drawings, dielines and samples for fit, structure, manufacturability, and cost before release.
• Coach and mentor designers through regular one-on-ones, design reviews and on-the-job training; agree a development goal with each designer and review progress quarterly.
• Onboard new designers and contractors and train them on Outform standards, tools and processes.
• Take part in hiring for the pod and provide structured input to performance reviews.

Structural Design (about 60%)

• Lead the structural design and engineering of temporary retail displays, including floor displays, pallets, power wings, sidekicks, endcaps, PDQs and club store solutions, plus specialty packaging.
• Translate creative concepts and customer objectives into manufacturable structures that balance functionality, shopper experience, sustainability and cost.
• Create structural concepts, engineering drawings, production specifications and assembly instructions in ArtiosCAD and related design software.
• Build and test samples on the sample table; conduct load analysis, pack-out studies, assembly evaluations and transit, load and retail compliance testing.
• Evaluate and recommend materials, board grades, construction methods and manufacturing processes (die-cut, litho-lam, flexo) to optimize performance and value, and ensure designs meet retailer specifications.
• Present structural concepts and recommendations to internal teams and clients, and support prototype reviews and production launches.
• Lead cost-reduction and value-engineering reviews on existing programs.

Process and Quality

• Apply and improve team standards for intake, file naming, drawing checks and milestone handoffs.
• Hold the pod to agreed turnaround times: acknowledge requests promptly, name an owner and set a due date.
• Track pod capacity and utilization and report it weekly to the Structural Design Manager.
• Document repeatable designs and lessons learned so the wider team can reuse them.

KEY INTERFACES (NON-REPORTING)

• Sales and Account Management: briefs, concept direction, client feedback and timelines.
• Development Project Managers: program schedules, milestones and handoffs to production.
• Industrial and Creative Designers: merging visual design intent with structural feasibility.
• Estimating: structural input for accurate quotes and cost-reduction options.
• Prepress: clean, release-ready dielines and print files.
• Production, Sourcing and Operations: manufacturability, converting, assembly and pack-out methods.
• Clients: concept presentations, prototype reviews and production launches, alongside Sales.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Success in this role will be measured against metrics including but not limited to:

• On-time delivery of pod design milestones against agreed program dates.
• Rework rate: drawings and dielines returned for correction after release.
• Turnaround discipline: requests acknowledged within one business day with an owner and due date.
• Pod capacity and utilization reported weekly, with no unassigned requests in the queue.
• Designer development: every pod designer has a documented development goal reviewed quarterly.
• Cost savings identified through value engineering on new and existing programs.
• Retention of designers in the pod.

First 90 days: owns the pod's work queue, reviews all pod drawings before release, and has agreed a development goal with each pod designer.

First 12 months: the pod runs day to day without the manager's involvement, including when the manager is out for a week or more; rework is falling; team design standards are documented and in use; and at least one pod designer is ready for more responsibility.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Packaging Engineering, Industrial Design, Product Development, Mechanical Engineering or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• 7+ years of experience designing POP displays, retail fixtures, packaging or corrugated structures.
• 2+ years leading designers as a supervisor, team lead or working lead: assigning work, reviewing output and developing people.
• Demonstrated interest in leading and developing others, with specific examples of people trained, mentored or promoted.
• Current, advanced proficiency in ArtiosCAD or a similar structural CAD program, shown through a recent portfolio and a practical design exercise at interview.
• Deep understanding of corrugated and paperboard structures and of die-cutting, litho-laminating, flexographic printing and assembly operations.
• Proven experience developing displays for mass, grocery, drug, convenience and club channels.
• Hands-on sample-making ability, including confident use of the sample table, hand tools and shop equipment.
• Strong presentation and communication skills with designers, sales, production and clients.

Preferred

• Experience working directly with major retailers such as Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club, Walgreens, CVS, Home Depot or Lowe's.
• Experience at a display or packaging manufacturer with an in-house converting plant.
• Mixed-material display experience (wood, metal, acrylic, semi-permanent fixtures).
• Knowledge of SolidWorks, Impact, Adobe Creative Suite and Esko workflow tools; plotter operation; parametric CAD or design automation.
• Experience setting up design standards, templates or workflows for a team.
• Experience leading client-facing design presentations and workshops.
• Familiarity with sustainability initiatives and alternative display materials.

LEADERSHIP ATTRIBUTES & PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

• Develops others: gets satisfaction from designers' growth; gives specific, timely feedback in design reviews and one-on-ones rather than redoing the work.
• Accountability: owns the pod's results, including missed dates and errors, and fixes the process behind them.
• Clear, respectful communication: sets expectations plainly and keeps a constructive tone with the pod and across sales, production and clients.
• Prioritization under pressure: balances personal design work with leading the pod and keeps the queue moving in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Manufacturing and cost mindset: designs for the plant and the budget, not only the rendering.
• Continuous improvement: stays current on materials and methods and turns repeat problems into team standards.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Work is split between an office environment and the sample room and production floor. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, bend, kneel and reach while building samples, and frequently lifts and moves materials and sample components weighing up to 50 pounds. Requires manual dexterity, use of hand and shop tools, and close visual acuity for design and detail work; successful performance requires good eyesight with or without corrective lenses. Requires long periods of time working at a computer. Production floor work involves exposure to noise, dust and moving machinery, and required PPE must be worn. Travel to plants, vendors and client sites up to 10% of the time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.

DISCLAIMER

The above information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification and may be amended at any time at the sole discretion of the Employer. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.