Job Description

Role: Softgoods Designer (Plush / Character Products)

Department: Engineering

Reports To: CTO

Location: Onsite in Santa Clarita, CA

Employment Type: Full-time

FLSA Status: Exempt

Salary Range: 85-110k

About Tombot

Tombot is a robotics startup company based in the greater Los Angeles area. Jennie, our robotic puppy, was named a Best of CES® Award winner at CES 2026, and was designed to support over 50 million seniors with dementia worldwide. We’re building a passionate team to help deliver these life-changing robotic companions to the people who need them most.

Job Overview

We are seeking a Softgoods Designer to support the design, development, and manufacturing of Jennie’s external softgoods systems, including fur, fabric structures, and sewn assemblies.

The core challenge of this role is to create softgoods that look, feel, and behave like a real animal, while meeting the constraints of a scalable, manufacturable consumer product and ensuring compliance with consumer product safety and durability requirements.

You will work closely with mechanical engineering, industrial design, and manufacturing partners to bring concepts through prototype, validation, and production. This is a hands-on role requiring both physical prototyping and production-minded design thinking, with a strong emphasis on realism, durability, user safety, and integration with robotic systems.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop softgoods components, including fur covers, fabric structures, and internal textile assemblies, from concept through production
• Translate design intent into manufacturable solutions that balance realism, durability, safety and scalability
• Build and iterate prototypes to validate fit, motion, and interaction with underlying mechanical systems
• Develop construction methods that support natural movement and expressive behavior in coordination with robotic mechanisms
• Evaluate and refine fur behavior, including direction, density, attachment methods and overall realism
• Select and validate materials (fabrics, foams, stitching, finishes) based on performance, durability, safety, and user experience
• Partner with engineering, design, and external manufacturers to bring products to production
• Support product validation activities, including safety testing, durability testing, and certification readiness
• Support production builds, sample reviews, and issue resolution during manufacturing

Required Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Apparel Design, Softgoods Engineering, Industrial Design, or related field (or equivalent practical experience)
• 3+ years of experience in softgoods, plush products, sewn goods, pattern making, or related field

Skills and Competencies

• Understanding of softgoods construction techniques (patterning, sewing, materials, assembly methods)
• Hands-on prototyping ability, including sewing and building physical samples
• Ability to translate design intent into practical, manufacturable solutions
• Strong attention to detail in fit, finish, material behavior, and user safety considerations
• Understanding of how materials and construction impact tactile feel, perceived realism, and user interaction
• Ability to iterate quickly and work through ambiguity
• Strong collaboration skills across engineering, design, and external partners
• Basic understanding of how softgoods interact with mechanical systems (fit, movement, wear points)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working on plush toys, character products, or realistic animal representations
• Experience working with faux fur (pile direction, cutting, finishing techniques)
• Familiarity with creating products where appearance and tactile realism are critical to user experience
• Familiarity with toy or consumer product safety standards (e.g., ASTM F963, CPSIA, or similar)
• Experience working with overseas manufacturers or contract manufacturers
• Familiarity with pattern-making tools or CAD systems for softgoods
• Experience supporting products from prototype through production

Portfolio Requirement

Applicants must provide a portfolio demonstrating relevant work, including examples of plush products, sewn assemblies, or softgoods designs. Work showcasing attention to detail in form, texture, and realism is highly preferred.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Compensation & Benefits

Final compensation will be determined based on experience, skills, internal equity, and market factors. The base salary for this role is expected to be between $85k and $110k per year. In addition to cash compensation, this role may be eligible for equity awards, aligning individual impact with Tombot’s long-term success. Benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents.

Workplace Model & Collaboration Expectations

Tombot is currently an in-office organization. We believe that real-time, in-person collaboration supports innovation, strengthens cross-functional partnership, and enables the rapid iteration required to build complex, human-centered robotic products.

Team members are expected to work onsite at our Santa Clarita, CA office during standard business hours (though occasional extended hours may be required to meet project deadlines or product development milestones). While we support flexibility for personal appointments and individual needs and have Flexible Fridays where employees may choose to work remotely on Fridays; our work is primarily designed to be performed in person to support teamwork, communication, and product development success.

We recognize that flexibility is important and encourage open communication with managers to support reasonable scheduling needs while maintaining our collaborative, onsite-first culture.

Work Authorization

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. Tombot does not currently provide employment visa sponsorship. 

Tombot participates in E-Verify to confirm work authorization. E-Verify compares information provided by employees on Form I-9 with federal government records to confirm eligibility to work in the United States. Additional information about E-Verify is available upon request. Tombot does not use E-Verify to pre-screen applicants.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Tombot is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply.

Reasonable Accommodation

Tombot is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability during the application or interview process, please inform our hiring team.

Employment with Tombot is at-will, meaning that either the employee or Tombot may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, subject to applicable law.

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with this role. Responsibilities may change based on business needs.

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