Director of Industrial Design

About the Role

We’re looking for a Director of Industrial Design to lead and evolve our industrial design practice at Illumina. This senior leadership role requires a visionary and hands‑on design leader who can operate at strategic and execution levels. You will define how industrial design and its integration with digital experiences and packaging systems appears across our entire product ecosystem, lead a high‑performing team, shape a forward‑looking design vision, and partner cross‑functionally to bring products to market that are functional, manufacturable, intuitive, cohesive, and differentiated.
What you will Own

Design Vision & Strategy

Define and drive a clear, forward‑looking industrial design vision across Illumina.
Establish and champion a unified design vision spanning physical products, digital experiences, and packaging systems.
Elevate design as a strategic partner in product and business decision‑making.
Ensure consistency in design language, brand expression, and user experience across the portfolio.

Team Leadership

Build, lead, and develop a high‑performing industrial design team.
Foster a culture of creativity, innovation, and design excellence.
Operate as a player‑coach, providing direction while staying close to the work.
Coach and develop designers through feedback, mentorship, and clear expectations.

End‑to‑End Execution

Lead the design of complex products from early concept through production.
Oversee end‑to‑end product and packaging system design, ensuring quality, usability, and manufacturability at scale.
Balance user needs, technical constraints, cost, and operational realities.
Maintain a high bar for craft, detail, and innovation.

Packaging Systems Design Leadership

Define and drive packaging systems strategy as a core part of the product experience.
Integrate packaging into the full user journey — from unboxing to disposal or reuse.
Lead design decisions across materials, sustainability, logistics, and global scalability.
Ensure packaging aligns with brand, product, and operational goals.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

Partner with Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, and Operations.
Align stakeholders around a cohesive product and experience vision.
Influence senior leadership through clear storytelling and design rationale.

Operational Excellence

Establish scalable design processes, tools, and workflows.
Manage resources, timelines, and budgets across multiple programs.
Drive efficient execution without compromising quality.

Innovation & Thought Leadership

Champion bold thinking and creative exploration.
Bring new ideas, technologies, and methodologies into the organization.
Stay ahead of trends across industrial design, packaging, and connected experiences.

What you will Bring

10+ years of experience leading industrial design at the director level or above.
Advanced degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, or a related field.
Proven track record of delivering complex physical products and packaging systems at scale.
Expertise in industrial design fundamentals: form, materials, manufacturing, ergonomics, and human factors.
Strong experience leading and growing high‑performing teams in a player‑coach model.
Expertise in packaging systems design, including materials, manufacturing, sustainability, logistics, and cost optimization.
Experience working in regulated industries such as healthcare or life sciences (plus).
Strong systems thinking across end‑to‑end user experiences.
Excellent storytelling, communication, and executive presentation skills.
Proven ability to influence cross‑functional partners and senior leadership.
Experience designing connected or hybrid physical‑digital products.
Strong command of 3D design tools (e.g., SolidWorks, Rhino). Familiarity with UX/UI design tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch) is a plus.
Understanding of front‑end technologies (HTML/CSS) is a plus.
Typically requires a bachelor's degree and a minimum of 18 years of related experience, with 10+ years of management experience.
Benefits

Health, dental, and vision coverage.
Retirement benefits.
Paid time off.
Access to genomics sequencing and other wellness programs.
Opportunity for equity and variable cash compensation.
Salary

The estimated base salary range for the Director of Industrial Design role based in the United States of America is $205,100 – $307,700. The range reflects long‑term growth in the role. Most candidates are hired between the minimum and the middle of the range.
Equal Opportunity Employment

Illumina is an equal‑opportunity employer committed to providing employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, creed, color, gender, religion, marital status, domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, pregnancy, military or veteran status, citizenship status, and genetic information. Illumina conducts background checks on applicants for whom a conditional offer of employment has been made.
Illumina prohibits the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the application and interview process. If you require accommodation to complete the application or interview process, please contact accommodations@illumina.com.

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