Toronto, Canada
Staff designer
at Jamie Wolfond Studio
Jamie Wolfond Studio is seeking a staff designer to join its team in Toronto, Canada.
Jamie Wolfond Studio designs useful objects and creates artwork for brands, galleries and interior designers. While the studio works across many disciplines, every project is connected by a physical approach to research. Wolfond develops a design through a series of hand-made experiments, each one building on the knowledge gained from the experience of making the last. The results of Wolfond’s process are objects which are simultaneously logical and unexpected, each one providing the narrative of its own creation.
Job description
Jamie Wolfond Studio is looking for a staff designer to join our small team. The staff designer will work in all aspects of the design process. The studio’s primary purpose is to license designs for production. Our practice is enriched by in-house editions, independent installations, and curatorial endeavours. As part of a three person team, the staff designer will work on physical models and prototypes, represent concepts two dimensionally, and assist with the daily operations of the workshop. We are looking for a staff designer who is invested in creating excellent work and passionate about contemporary furniture design. This is a full-time role, based onsite at the studio in Toronto, Canada.
Experience and skills:
- two plus years’ in an industrial or furniture designer or similar role
- degree in industrial or furniture design or equivalent
- several years of woodworking including but not limited to furniture production, joinery, and carpentry
- drafting, 3D modeling, and rendering is a must. A high level of proficiency in Solidworks is required
- advanced knowledge of Adobe Suite (Illustrator, Indesign, and Photoshop)
- knowledge of Google Suite
- basic knowledge of wiring and electronics, especially as it relates to LED lighting
- experience with power tools and power tool safety
- welding experience is not required but it is an asset
- product photography is not required but is an asset
Attributes:
- strong critical thinking skills and high attention to detail
- able to both take specific direction and independently conceive of creative solutions to problems/obstacles
- ability to manage time and prioritise tasks across multiple projects and when to ask for feedback/support
- has good organizational habits, including putting tools and materials away and saving digital files to the correct locations
- basic math skills, mainly related to the ability to measure and cut materials properly
- physical ability to lift/move large building materials; regularly lift and move up to 10 lbs, frequently lift and move up to 25 lbs, and occasionally lift and move up to 40 lbs
Reporting to Jamie Wolfond and the studio manager, the staff designer will be involved in the designing products for industrial production, creating in-house editions, maintaining the studio/workshop areas and supporting independent installations and curatorial endeavours.
Responsibilities:
- work closely with Jamie Wolfond to produce to-scale models, finished objects, prototypes, production drawings, and renderings
- attend and contribute to regular internal design meetings. This includes verbal design dialogue, going back and forth to quickly communicate ideas via sketching and creating small models
- balance projects with organization. The studio is an exciting place and it is easy to get lost in the projects; the staff designer will need to be able to assess the needs of the studio (such as cleaning a workstation before moving onto another project) before moving forward with the next task.
- Keep the studio areas clean and tidy, this includes the woodshop, welding studio, photo studio, and storage areas, along with keeping the material storages in all areas organized
- Support the creation of client presentation decks, including producing renders, creating clean technical drawings, and editing photos.
Please send a relevant portfolio (PDF or website) along with a resume and cover letter (PDF) to hello[at]jamiewolfond.com. We are a small team and are only able to respond to applications that will be considered further.
To apply
- cover letters should express your interest in this role and why you’re applying, maximum 250 words
- PDF Portfolios should contain five to seven projects, maximum 18 pages. Longer portfolios will not be reviewed
- any large files need to be compressed or linked to a url that will not expire soon. We will not follow-up to get expired portfolio links
- please note where you’re currently based and whether you can legally work in Canada
- candidates without permanent status in Canada will be considered, however these candidates have to qualify and apply for a temporary visa during a probationary period before the studio offers a long-term employment and the corresponding visa