Industrial Designer
Saronic Technologies.com
Office
Austin, Texas
Full Time
Saronic Technologies is a leader in revolutionizing autonomy at sea, dedicated to developing state-of-the-art solutions that enhance maritime operations through autonomous and intelligent platforms.
About the Role:Saronic is seeking an Industrial Designer to join our growing design team. In this role, you’ll shape the physical form and identity of next-generation maritime systems — from hulls and deck structures to enclosures, payload modules, and launch systems.
You’ll collaborate closely with engineering and fabrication teams, transforming functional requirements into refined, manufacturable forms that reflect Saronic’s design language. The ideal candidate has both an artist’s eye and a builder’s practical skills—someone who’s creative but also hands-on, and comfortable sketching ideas, modeling shapes, and making physical prototypes.
This role partners directly with mechanical and naval engineering teams — engineering owns functional and structural design; industrial design owns form, proportion, and aesthetic integration.
This role requires access to export-controlled information or items that require “U.S. Person” status. As defined by U.S. law, individuals who are any one of the following are considered to be a “U.S. Person”: (1) U.S. citizens, (2) legal permanent residents (a.k.a. green card holders), and (3) certain protected classes of asylees and refugees, as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).
Saronic does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits.
About the Role:Saronic is seeking an Industrial Designer to join our growing design team. In this role, you’ll shape the physical form and identity of next-generation maritime systems — from hulls and deck structures to enclosures, payload modules, and launch systems.
You’ll collaborate closely with engineering and fabrication teams, transforming functional requirements into refined, manufacturable forms that reflect Saronic’s design language. The ideal candidate has both an artist’s eye and a builder’s practical skills—someone who’s creative but also hands-on, and comfortable sketching ideas, modeling shapes, and making physical prototypes.
This role partners directly with mechanical and naval engineering teams — engineering owns functional and structural design; industrial design owns form, proportion, and aesthetic integration.
Key Responsibilities:
- Concept and Form Development:
- Generate and visualize concepts that translate engineering-defined requirements into cohesive, functional forms. Create proportionally accurate surfaces and visual models that express Saronic’s industrial design language.
- Surface Modeling and Visualization:
- Use Rhino or similar surface modeling tools to develop 3D concept geometry for review and refinement. Produce high-quality renderings and visualization assets using tools such as KeyShot or Blender to communicate design intent.
- Aesthetic Consistency and CMF:
- Contribute to the development and maintenance of Saronic’s design language across vessels and supporting hardware. Support color, material, and finish (CMF) definition in collaboration with product and engineering leads.
Prototype Support:
- Build or coordinate fabrication of visual mockups and presentation models for design reviews, trade shows, or stakeholder evaluations. Ensure all mockups align with engineering constraints and undergo product team approval.
CrossFunctional Collaboration:
- Work closely with engineers and fabricators to ensure design intent complements structural and mechanical realities. Participate in design reviews, integrating feedback while maintaining the balance between form and function.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Industrial Design, Transportation Design, Product Design, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
- 5–10+ years of experience designing physical products — ideally in marine, aerospace, defense, robotics, or transportation sectors.
- Strong portfolio demonstrating concept ideation, 3D surface modeling, visualization, and physical prototyping.
- Proficiency in Rhino, Alias, or similar surface modeling software; rendering experience with KeyShot, V-Ray, or Blender.
- Skilled in sketching and form exploration — able to rapidly express ideas in both analog and digital media.
- Understanding of materials, manufacturing methods, and environmental durability in ruggedized hardware.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills; ability to work effectively with engineering, fabrication, and leadership teams.
- Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to export-controlled information or facilities.
Preferred Experience:
- Background in designing marine or aerospace products, or similar large-scale hardware systems.
- Familiarity with composite fabrication, metal forming, or additive manufacturing processes.
- Experience creating show-quality models or mockups for demonstrations and events.
- Strong grasp of ergonomics, maintenance accessibility, and usability in operational environments.
This role requires access to export-controlled information or items that require “U.S. Person” status. As defined by U.S. law, individuals who are any one of the following are considered to be a “U.S. Person”: (1) U.S. citizens, (2) legal permanent residents (a.k.a. green card holders), and (3) certain protected classes of asylees and refugees, as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).
Saronic does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits.
