Okay, I've searched for Product Design Manager roles in Naperville, IL, requiring 5+ years of experience, full-time positions with 401(k) benefits, and skills in industrial steel structure design. I have found several positions matching your criteria.

Sure. Here's the analysis:

Job Analysis:

The Product Design Manager role is fundamentally about leading a technically proficient engineering team to innovate, develop, and refine industrial steel structures and storage products, particularly serving areas like agriculture. This role demands not only design expertise—evidenced by the need for intimate knowledge of Inventor 3D, AutoCAD, Vault, and rigorous adherence to AISC, ACI, and ASCE guidelines—but also strategic leadership to blend creativity with structural integrity and regulatory compliance. The manager is expected to navigate complex product development lifecycles from conception through completion, addressing challenges such as balancing innovative design with practical manufacturing constraints and market expectations. Success here means delivering high-quality, functional, and well-designed products that meet client needs while fostering collaborative cross-functional teamwork. The role also implies ongoing technical mentorship and staying abreast of evolving industry standards and design technologies. Candidates must excel in both hard technical skills and the soft skills of leadership, communication, problem-solving, and managing ambiguity in a dynamic setting.

Company Analysis:

Jobot positions itself as an innovative disruptor in the recruiting and staffing industry by leveraging AI alongside human expertise while maintaining a culture centered on kindness, respect, and results. Having become employee-owned recently, the company’s culture likely emphasizes empowerment, collaboration, and a forward-thinking mindset. For a Product Design Manager, this means operating within an environment that values both technical excellence and interpersonal effectiveness, providing an opportunity to influence company success in a meaningful way. The company’s growth trajectory and focus on innovation suggest that this role is strategic—integral to delivering differentiated products to clients and supporting sustained expansion. Being part of a positive, inclusive culture with career advancement opportunities aligns with the role’s demand for leadership and motivation. The role likely enjoys significant visibility on the engineering team, acting as a bridge between design innovation and commercial success within a rapidly evolving organization.

Absolutely. Here are some mock interview questions that could come up:

• Behavioral: Tell me about a time when you led a team through a challenging product development cycle. How did you manage conflict and keep the project on track?
• Behavioral: Describe a situation where you had to implement a significant design improvement based on customer feedback. What was your approach and the outcome?
• Behavioral: How do you foster collaboration between cross-functional teams to ensure design and business goals are aligned?
• Behavioral: Share an example of when you had to stay motivated and drive a team forward during a high-pressure or fast-paced project.
• Technical: Can you walk us through your process for designing industrial steel structures using Inventor 3D and AutoCAD, ensuring compliance with AISC and ASCE standards?
• Technical: How do you integrate Vault into your product design workflow to manage versions and maintain design integrity?
• Technical: Discuss your experience interpreting and applying ACI guidelines in product designs. How do you balance regulatory compliance with creative problem-solving?
• Technical: What strategies do you use to stay current with emerging design technologies and industry trends, and how have you applied them in your past projects?
• Situational: Imagine your team encounters a discrepancy between design specifications and regulatory standards mid-project. How do you address this without delaying delivery?
• Situational: If a cross-functional stakeholder pushes for design changes that might compromise structural integrity, how would you handle the situation?
• Situational: You notice that a junior engineer on your team is struggling to meet design quality expectations. What steps would you take to support their development?
• Company Fit: What interests you most about working at Jobot, especially given our unique intersection of AI and human expertise in a disruptive staffing environment?
• Company Fit: How do your leadership values and working style align with Jobot's emphasis on kindness, respect, and results?
• Company Fit: Given Jobot is an employee-owned company, how do you see that influencing your motivation and contribution as a Product Design Manager?
• Candidate Questions: Can you describe how engineering teams at Jobot interact with other departments, such as sales or client services?
• Candidate Questions: What are the current biggest challenges in your product design initiatives, and how would this role be expected to address them?
• Candidate Questions: How does Jobot invest in professional development and keeping engineering skills current with evolving industry standards?