LIFE FLOOR DESIGNER
USA-Based (Part-Time, Remote)
Life Floor seeks a part-time (20 hr/wk) Designer who is skilled in graphic design or pattern layout and has experience with architectural drawings. The ideal candidate is a problem solving, positive collaborator with proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and AutoCAD. This individual is required to balance their time between designing tile flooring patterns, collaborating with Life Floor team members, and assisting on other graphic design or technical drawing projects. They will represent our growing Studio team and Life Floor brand in all of their work. The Studio is Life Floor’s virtual design shop, an internal design agency within our larger organization. Studio members are responsible for advocating for design and design literacy within the company’s team, guiding Life Floor’s product and industrial design, designing Life Floor tile installations, and supporting partnering architects, designers, and installers in completing projects for customers. Studio members work independently and remotely, but come together weekly and quarterly in a collegial atmosphere with the goal of creating high-quality and authentic design solutions via critique, encouragement, and communal brainstorming. Candidate must have a proven ability to work independently and remotely on deadlines. Because the Life Floor Designer will be representing our Studio division, coordinating with our internal team members and external partners, this position requires experience in architectural design and the ability to complete Life Floor tile installation designs as part of our growing portfolio of projects. They must be literate and experienced in AutoCAD and Adobe Illustrator to be able to create new designs as well as update previous iterations as needed. As such, the Life Floor Designer will be tasked with creating technical documents and communicating the design possibilities of our product. These conversations will be facilitated primarily by virtual presentations, meetings, and communications. Beyond creating tile installation designs, the ideal candidate will be capable of ideating and designing materials to support the Life Floor Marketing team (technical details, print collateral, web content, etc.) to clearly articulate the design practices of Life Floor. It is possible that the Life Floor designer could have 3-4 trips per year related to internal company meetings, customer meetings, trade shows or conferences.
OUR COMPANY
Life Floor is a rapidly growing, Minneapolis-based company delivering an industry-leading and award-winning aquatic surfacing solution that people love. We believe that safety happens by design. That's why we created the first inclusive play surface for aquatics. Life Floor delivers industry-leading traction, comfort, and durability, with infinite design possibilities including the launch of our new Mural Tile product in November 2023. All over the world, people trust Life Floor to make their outdoor and indoor aquatic environments look and feel extraordinary. We serve customers in major markets including waterparks (Universal, Disney, Great Wolf Lodge, LEGOLAND), cruise lines (Carnival, MSC, Royal Caribbean), municipalities, hotels and resorts (Atlantis, Baha Mar, Palace Resorts), and aquatic centers/natatoriums.
Life Floor is a shaped tile made from a proprietary EVA/PE blended, closed cell, cross-linked foam and is available in several shapes, sizes, thicknesses, and an array of amazing colors. Life Floor manufactures its product for the western hemisphere in South Dakota and Minnesota is one of only a few companies manufacturing this type of foam in the US. For the eastern hemisphere, the company manufactures in China. You can read all about Life Floor and its product portfolio at lifefloor.com.
OUR CULTURE AND CORE VALUES
Life Floor is a company that thrives because of its culture, which is centered around our mission and our core values. Our mission is to make all aquatic surfaces safe and beautiful by incorporating industry-leading tiles to deliver vibrant, cushioned, slip-resistant, and inclusive play surfaces. We deliver on this mission through a culture of core values that we elevate and hold each other accountable to every day. If you exemplify these values, you will love being a part of our team.
People
We are committed to serving people by improving the lives of those who interact with Life Floor.
Innovation
We are driven by the needs of the people we interact with. We enjoy creating unique solutions that help aquatic recreation flourish.
Integrity
We believe in doing the right thing. If we do not achieve our expected results, we strive to make things right.
Excellence
We're passionate about delivering the best experiences for people.
Positivity
We like to have fun, pursue everything we do with the best intentions, and assume the best in others.
Collaboration
We believe we're better when we work together. We advocate for diverse thoughts and backgrounds to create meaningful interactions.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Life Floor Designer will have accountabilities in the following areas:
Life Floor Installation Design
Accountability for providing design solutions to our Sales team, strategic partners, and customers
Independent design of Life Floor installations under the oversight of the VP Design
Ability to provide tile quantities per project for estimates and quotes
Ability to take creative direction, respond to and incorporate critical notes professionally, and meet deadlines
Additional Responsibilities May Include
Creation of technical cut files in AutoCAD for coordination with our manufacturing facilities
Developing details and layouts which installers can use to properly execute a Life Floor installation
Assistance on product design and development
Feedback, ideation, or design for Marketing materials and web content
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
This Life Floor Designer position reports directly to the VP Design and is directly responsible for the day-to-day execution of Life Floor designs coordinating with people across the organization. The following lists those key internal positions the Life Floor Designer will interact with:
VP Design: The VP Design leads both the Design and Marketing divisions at Life Floor, determining strategy, driving creative vision, and guiding new product development. They engage in key design projects, provide oversight for all Design and Marketing projects, and work to uphold our brand standards across all external communications and materials. They are also responsible for advocating for design and educating internal team members, external partners, and key customers on the possibilities when designing with Life Floor. The Life Floor Designer will report directly to the VP Design.
Marketing Manager: The Marketing Manager is responsible for the execution and creation of collateral, communications, and branded materials at Life Floor. They also manage trade shows, social media, and our website while coordinating with our external partners to offer marketing support. The Designer may occasionally assist on graphic design projects related to Life Floor’s Marketing needs.
Other Relationships
Sales Team - The Sales Team will be facilitating design requests coming from customers and prospective customers. The Designer will work hand-in-hand with the sales team to deliver beautiful designs for our clients.
Sales Support Specialist - The Designer will provide tile quantities per project to the Sales Support Specialist for the development of estimates and quotes.
Senior Procurement Manager - The Senior Procurement Manager manages the purchasing for the entire company across our different manufacturing partners and vendors as well as our inventory levels. The Designer may be tasked with creating technical CAD files for production when they are required from the Senior Procurement manager.
Project Manager/Operations Manager - The day-to-day project management and operations are driven by this individual and the Designer. They will interact with them to help make sure designs get properly executed in the field.
Installation Specialist - The Installation Specialist trains, certifies, and maintains our installer network and our global network of install supervisors. The Designer may work with them to make sure projects are executing well in the field.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Proficiency in AutoCAD and Adobe Illustrator
2+ years in creating designs projects for clients or within an organization
Experience reading and creating architectural drawings, especially floor plans and details
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
Values and culture fit
Trustworthy and independent worker
Experience effectively communicating over phone, email, and texting
Offer will be contingent upon a drug test and background check
Preferred Skills
Proficiency in Adobe InDesign
Familiarity with G Suite, Netsuite, and/or Slack
Graphic design experience
Experience working in aquatics, landscape architecture, or themed entertainment
ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands and environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
General office environment in which this position includes periods of telephone and computer work that may require sitting for periods of time and meeting virtually via video conferencing (Google Meet).
Ability to occasionally work in a manufacturing or construction environment.
COMPENSATION
Market competitive salary (base plus bonus/commission, profit sharing, and potential for company equity) $36K+ per year for half time (20 hrs/wk)
Benefits include Medical, Dental, 401(k), Professional Development, and Paid Time Off (PTO)
HOW TO APPLY
To apply, please include your resume along with the following:
A cover letter explaining why you are interested in working at Life Floor and previous examples of how you’ve exemplified the Life Floor Core Values in previous workplaces.
Design portfolio including any relevant architectural, interior, landscape, industrial, themed entertainment, or graphic design projects
For more information, visit our website at lifefloor.com
Life Floor Designer
