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JOB: Industrial Design Specialist (Wizard of Unique Makeology) for ThinkGeek

Very interesting job opportunity, a=
s long as you’re willing to live in Fairfax, Virginia….

Corey Menscher
corey.menscher@nyu.edu

http://crackblur.com

http://www.thinkgeek.com/jobs/?cpg=3D=
98H#id

Industrial Design Specialist (Wizard of Uniq=
ue Makeology)

Posted: July 7, 2009

Become part of a dynamic group at ThinkGeek developing custom m=
anufactured retail products.

Your job will be to help facilitate the process of taking =
a new product idea from conception, to prototype, to final finished item. Pr=
oducts can be as simple as a custom plush toy or as complex as an electronic=
gadget. You will coordinate with our existing partners in the US and Asia. =
You will also work to find new partners depending on the product requirement=
s and existing vendor strengths and weaknesses. You will be specifically res=
ponsible for negotiating costs, aggressively managing timetables and resourc=
es, researching and applying for patents and copyrights, quality control pro=
cesses, packaging, licensing opportunities, and delivery arrangements for th=
e product(s).

ThinkGeek is looking for someone who understands products well. What is f=
easible to create… what is not? What are the general processes needed to c=
reate the item desired? What improvements or analysis can you add to help im=
prove the product? You don’t need to be able to build an electronic circuit =
from the ground up, but you do need to have a good understanding of generall=
y how gadgets and technology work, an eye for design and know what is able t=
o be realistically created at a certain retail price point.


This is a hands on job. You=
might be asked to build a simple physical mock-up product one day, write so=
me instructions for a product another day, or fly to China and meet with our=
vendors. If you love to build things and want to help ThinkGeek create the =
coolest most unique geeky products around, then we have a great job for you!=
Please Kee=
p in Mind!
We have specific requirements for people applying for the Industrial Desi=
gn Specialist position. Please read the “How To Apply” section below to make=
sure you apply correctly or your application will not be considered.
=

Requirements

   &n=
bsp;* College degree or equivalent
    * Hands on experience with mak=
ing things or modding existing products. Electronics, crafts, tinkering… e=
tc.
&nbs=
p;   * Highly detail oriented and organized
    * Understan=
ding of product style and ergonomics
    * Strong understanding of re=
tail price points and technical capabilities of consumer products

   &nbsp=
;* Strong negotiation/sales skills
    * Keen familiarity with popula=
r tech culture (gaming, science, computers, internet culture, etc.)

   &nb=
sp;* Independently motivated with a strong work ethic
    * Excellent=
person-to-person, communication & written skills
    * Travel ab=
road 2-3 times/year (China/Hong Kong/Japan)
    * Very strong spreads=
heet and word processing skills.
    * Very strong computer and inter=
net use skills.
    * Team oriented personality with only occasional =
bouts of solipsism.
    * Ability to grok ThinkGeek.

    * An=
appreciation for Star Wars, good beer, dogs, monkeys and smoked bbq ribs is=
a plus.

    * This position is on site in our Fairfax, Virginia offi=
ce only. No outsourcing or freelance positions for this job will be consider=
ed. Not even you Mighty Mouse.


Strongly Desired

    * E-commerce experience

   &nbsp=
;* Manufacturing experience
    * Chinese Language skills a plus (Man=
darin and/or Cantonese)
    * Patent, Trademark, Copyright and Licens=
ing experience a plus


How To Apply
ThinkGeek is a small, close-knit group of fun, weird, and ent=
husiastic people who run one of the most successful niche e-commerce sites o=
n the Internets. As part of SourceForge, Inc, a publicly held company, Think=
Geek employees receive an excellent benefits package while enjoying the perk=
s of working in an exciting start-up environment in our Fairfax, Virginia of=
fice. This posting is for a permanent, full time position in our Fairfax, Vi=
rginia office. Only local applicants or those willing to relocate at their o=
wn expense will be considered.

In addition to your cover letter, resume and salary requ=
irements please complete the following simple assignment. Failure to include=
everything, including the assignment will cause your application to not be =
considered. (no hard feelings, but we need to make sure you really want the =
job… ok?)

Industrial Design Specialist Assignment
Please submit a list of your 4 favorite exi=
sting retail products, with links to photos and/or product listings. The ret=
ail price for each item should be $50 or less. For each product answer the f=
ollowing questions:

   1. Why did you choose this product? What is unique, t=
echnically interesting, or visually appealing about it?
   2. What technic=
al and design challenges do you think the manufacturer faced when creating t=
his product?
   3. What would you change about this product to improve it?=
 &=
nbsp; 4. Obviously you know the retail price to the consumer, but what do yo=
u think it cost the manufacturer to make this product?
Please submit your assignment in=
your cover letter, or as part of your PDF, HTML or plain-text resume.

=




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