Industrial Designer (CMF) - Shenzhen at Plaud

About Plaud Inc. Plaud is building the world's most trusted AI work companion for professionals to elevate productivity and performance through note-taking solutions, loved by over 1,500,000 users worldwide since 2023. With a mission to amplify human intelligence, Plaud is building the next-generation intelligence infrastructure and interfaces to capture, extract, and utilize what you say, hear, see, and think. Plaud Inc. is a Delaware-incorporated, San Francisco-based company pushing the boundary of human–AI intelligence through a hardware–software combination. With SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO27001, ISO27701, and EN18031 compliance, Plaud is committed to the highest standards of data security and privacy protection. To learn more about Plaud, please visit [Upgrade to PRO to see link] and follow along on Instagram [Upgrade to PRO to see link] [Upgrade to PRO to see link] [Upgrade to PRO to see link] Facebook [Upgrade to PRO to see link] LinkedIn [Upgrade to PRO to see link] and YouTube [Upgrade to PRO to see link] Why You Should Join Us Plaud is building the next generation intelligence infrastructure and interfaces to capture, extract, and utilize intelligence from what people say, hear, see, and think. - Plaud is a bootstrapped, skyrocketing, profitable company with a $250M revenue run rate achieved in just three years. - Define the next-gen paradigm for human-AI interaction. - Gain exposure to cutting-edge AI for Pro tools and play a direct role in our global expansion. - Work with passionate teammates who value innovation, collaboration, and customer success. - Grow your career in a culture that champions continuous learning and fast career development. - Market-competitive compensation, global exposure, and a vibrant, creativity-fueled work atmosphere. What You Will Do - Design Translation (The ""Bridge"") Intent to Reality: Turn SF’s aesthetic concepts and mood boards into technical specs factories can actually build. HQ Sync: Act as the ""eyes and hands"" for the SF Director; manage physical sample reviews and shipping logistics to HQ. - Sourcing & Innovation (The ""Hunter"") Local Scouting: Find new materials, textiles, and coatings in the China supply chain that fit the wearable category. Supplier Management: On-site collaboration with vendors to push the limits of finishes (anodizing, textures, etc.). - Quality & Execution (The ""Guardian"") Golden Samples: Define the ""Perfect Sample"" and create ""Limit Samples"" (the range of acceptable variation) for the factory. Mass Production (MP) Readiness: Solve CMF failures (e.g., durability, color shift) during the engineering pilot runs (EVT/DVT). Documentation: Maintain bilingual CMF Control Drawings to ensure no ""lost in translation"" errors on the shop floor. Skills, Qualifications and Experience We Look for - Technical Skills (The "Hard""Skills) Material Science Expertise: Deep knowledge of materials relevant to wearables (e.g., performance textiles, skin-safe silicones, advanced polymers, and lightweight alloys like Aluminum or Titanium). Manufacturing Processes: Mastery of finishing techniques such as PVD coating, CNC machining textures, IMD/IML, anodizing, and soft-touch spraying. Color Science: Professional-level understanding of color matching systems (Pantone, NCS, RAL) and the ability to use spectrophotometers to manage ΔE (Delta-E) tolerances. Software Proficiency: Experience with Keyshot (or similar) for CMF rendering and Adobe Creative Suite for creating high-fidelity CMF specification documents. - Qualifications Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Industrial Design, Material Design, or a related field (e.g., Textile Design). Bilingual Communication: Fluency in Mandarin and English is mandatory to communicate design nuances to HQ and technical specs to local vendors. Documentation: Proven ability to create professional CMF Control Drawings and ""limit sample"" boards for factory quality control. - Professional Experience Hardware Track Record: 5+ years of experience in a hardware-focused CMF role, ideally within consumer electronics or wearable startups. On-Site Factory Experience: Extensive experience working directly on the factory floor in China to troubleshoot production issues in real-time. Global Collaboration: Experience working for a multi-national company or reporting to a remote HQ (specifically North American or European design teams). Wearable Focus: Specific experience with the durability requirements of wearables (e.g., resistance to sweat, UV, cosmetics, and abrasion). Plaud is and will continue to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.