Creative Designer - Surface Fx

Our vision at Haartz is to Inspire, Empower & Innovate

Who we are looking for…

Are you passionate about working in the 2D and3D facet of material surface design (texture topography, pattern, color, and sustainable raw materials etc.)? Then come join our team to lead the interface with 1 or more Automotive OEMs designing and developing new surface FX for Haartz automotive interior materials. We are a small team, so if you enjoy autonomy and the ability to be involved in many areas of design then we are the team for you. 

What you’ll do…

• Support the Haartz Vision of Innovation and Sustainability through continuous research on current trends, sustainable materials, colors, patterns, textures etc., and able to present findings to both internal and external cross functional teams.  
• Visually interpret design trends and customer image boards into 3D and 2D design elements of the material surface, both practically and efficiently using the sampling equipment in the Detroit Surface FX Studio (e.g., vacuum former, UV printer, Heat press etc.) and lab equipment in a Haartz plant.  
• Learn how Haartz materials are processed at the plant and Tier 1 customer, and how this can impact the surface appearance design. 
• When necessary, support lab and production design trials at Haartz or at a customer plant.  
• Communicate the status of any design development with the Haartz Sales, Design, R&D, and other internal personnel, and the customer.  

Job Location:  Bloomfield Hills, MI

What you’ll need to have…

• Bachelor's degree (or higher) in industrial or product design, fine arts, fashion, textiles, CMF or related field. 
• Ideally 2+ year of experience in automotive/industrial/mobility with color and material design or development including work in product design or textile design (internship and/or co-op experience allowed)  
• A portfolio exhibiting pattern development (specifically a repeat), 2D design and 3D hands-on design. Including the ability to research and interpret consumer, interior, fashion etc. Trends. 
• Strong, demonstrated understanding of color theory (hue, value, chroma, etc.) and can pass the “Farnsworth-Munsell 100 hue test”. 
• Is a motivated self-starter, who is flexible, self-sufficient, hands-on, practical, problem solver and can multi-task.  
• Excellent communicator who can build relationships with OEM designers to gain approval and/or specification of Haartz designed product on future programs.   
• Respect for people at all levels and effectively communicate designs with cross functional teams, both internally and externally. 
• Proficient in Adobe Suite tools (i.e., Photoshop, Illustrator) and Microsoft Suit tools (i.e., TEAMs, Planner, PowerPoint, Excel, Word etc.).  
• Accuracy and neatness in following and documenting work so all team members can understand the project status. 
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, percentage, and decimals.  
• Able to lift/move material rolls that can weigh around 10-15lbs. 

About The Haartz Corporation

The Haartz Corporation is a world leader in highly engineered and uniquely designed convertible toppings and interior surface materials. The company's world headquarters and North American manufacturing operations are located in Acton, Massachusetts, with additional manufacturing in Mannheim, Germany. Beyond these manufacturing locations, Haartz maintains offices in Detroit, Munich, Tokyo, Irapuato, Mexico, Shanghai and Chongqing, China. Employing over 400 people worldwide, Haartz has been a trusted automotive supplier since 1907, and continues to be privately owned and operated by the Haartz family. For more information, visit www.haartz.com. Join the conversation on Twitter, @Haartz.  

During your interview process, our team will fill you in on all the details of our industry-leading benefits and career development opportunities. A few highlights include:

• Competitive pay, annual reviews, a biannual bonus program for all employees and overtime after 8 hours for some hourly positions
• Career advancement opportunities and a demonstrated history of promoting from within! We offer a variety of technical career paths; clearly defining a path for future growth based upon overall attitude, skills and potential!
• Comprehensive health care and wellness plans with VERY LOW deductibles and out of pocket costs for your entire family available on date of hire
• Paid time off including 11 paid holidays, vacation & sick leave
• Once eligibility is met, Haartz provides a 401(k) Savings Plan featuring a company match, as well as an annual retirement contribution that is based profitability regardless of whether you contribute.
• A variety of schedule options. Depending on where you work, schedules may include full-time, reduced-time, or part-time, all with the option of working additional hours if needed.
• As a thank you for helping us find great people, we offer a substantial employee referral bonus to make it easy for you to help us build our team!

To save time applying, Haartz does not offer sponsorship of job applicants for employment-based visas or any other work authorization for this position at this time.

Here are some of things you will love about Haartz!

All we accomplish is grounded in our core values! Here are a few ways that our employees know Haartz CARES!

C - Collaborate – Haartz promotes a safe team first environment where people work toward a common goal! Your safety is very important to us, so we provide and pay for protective gear including safety glasses, uniforms with a cleaning service and we contribute 75% of the cost of up to 2 pairs of safety shoes a year! Employees are encouraged to get involved and participate in cross functional teams and stretch their mind as they continue to learn and grow!

A - Appreciate – We hope our employees have an attitude for gratitude, take the time to recognize others and celebrate success!  Haartz encourages peer to peer recognition with our Driven program allowing employees to feel good and obtain company swag with miles earned!  Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn to see what is it like to work at Haartz!

R - Respect – We foster an environment where people act with integrity and accountability, show compassion and empathy while acknowledging and embracing our differences! We are proud to have a diverse workforce and strive to learn from each other every day! We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and applicants for our positions are considered without regard to race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, religion, military or veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by law.

E - Enthusiasm – We strive to inspire and be inspired!  We know how important it is to like spending time with the people you work with and for so we encourage people to lead with energy and passion and hope everyone learns something new every day! To help accomplish this, we provide comprehensive training programs, professional growth & development including 100% tuition reimbursement!

S - Service – We value our customers and world while striving for excellence and doing our best to make a difference!  We organize drives for local charities, host Manufacturing Day events to encourage students and teachers to learn about our industry in hopes of continuing to keep manufacturing close to home!

Don’t miss this opportunity! Apply Today!