Junior CAD Designer / Product Designer

Junior CAD Designer / Product Designer

Blue Core | Marine Upholstery Manufacturing

Location: Greenville, SC

Job Type: Full-Time, On-Site

Starting Salary: $60,000 annually

90-Day Salary Opportunity: $75,000 annually based on performance

About Blue Core

Blue Core is a rapidly growing marine upholstery manufacturing company in Greenville, South Carolina. We design and manufacture premium seating, cushions, and upholstered components for leading boat manufacturers.

We are seeking a motivated Junior CAD Designer / Product Designer with strong CAD skills, a passion for product development, and a desire to learn and grow with our company.

Position Overview

This is an excellent opportunity for a recent college graduate or early-career designer who enjoys solving problems, working with their hands, and seeing designs turn into finished products.

The ideal candidate is a quick learner, self-motivated, detail-oriented, and comfortable taking initiative.

We are willing to train the right candidate on our specialized software and manufacturing processes. However, applicants must already have a strong CAD foundation, the ability to learn quickly, and the initiative to become increasingly independent.

Key Responsibilities

Product Design & Development

• Develop new marine seating, cushions, and components from concept through 3D modeling and physical prototypes.
• Create accurate 3D models using SolidWorks and/or Rhino.
• Reverse engineer existing components and customer samples into CAD models.
• Optimize designs for manufacturability, quality, and production efficiency.
• Support prototyping, first-article approvals, and new-product development.

Technical Documentation & Production

• Create detailed 2D drawings, specifications, and bills of materials (BOMs).
• Prepare production-ready design files and documentation.
• Work directly with production and upholstery teams to ensure designs can be efficiently manufactured.
• Support quoting, design improvements, and troubleshooting manufacturing challenges.
• Ensure designs meet applicable quality, performance, and safety requirements.

Qualifications

Required

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design, Product Design, or related field, or equivalent demonstrated CAD skills.
• Strong proficiency in SolidWorks and/or Rhino.
• Ability to create and interpret 2D drawings and 3D models.
• Strong problem-solving skills and mechanical aptitude.
• Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and able to learn new processes quickly.
• Willingness to take ownership of projects and work independently.

Preferred but Not Required

• Experience with Optitex or ExactFlat.
• Experience with reverse engineering, prototyping, or manufacturing.
• Familiarity with CNC machining, upholstery, foam, or plastic components.

Previous marine industry experience is not required.

Compensation & Growth Opportunity

We reward employees based on ability, performance, and productivity rather than years of experience.

• Starting Salary: $60,000 annually.
• 90-Day Review: Opportunity to increase to $75,000 annually if capable of independently designing a complete helm seat or boat set of cushions, including production-ready documentation.
• Future Growth: Additional salary increases based on technical development, productivity, independence, and increased responsibilities.

Who We're Looking For

We want someone who is driven, curious, and excited to learn. Someone who takes initiative, figures things out, and continually looks for ways to improve.

At Blue Core, you'll work directly with experienced team members, gain hands-on manufacturing experience, and see your designs become real products.

This is an opportunity to take on meaningful responsibility early in your career and grow quickly as your skills develop.

If you're talented with CAD, eager to learn, and looking for a career where your performance directly impacts your growth, we'd like to hear from you.