Chief Industrial Designer

Available Job Role: Chief Industrial Designer Job location: Kimbal is at the forefront of building a smarter and cleaner energy future. We enable utilities to modernize and scale through cutting-edge smart metering, RF-based connectivity, cloud-native platforms, and advanced energy management solutions. As the energy landscape evolves rapidly, we empower our partners to future-proof their networks with unmatched reliability, agility, and intelligence. In a fast-paced and innovation-driven environment, we design and deliver solutions that address urgent industry needs while shaping long-term transformation.

Our vision is to create resilient, affordable, and adaptable power grids that thrive in complex energy ecosystems—driving meaningful progress toward carbon neutrality and sustainable growth. Kimbal Private Limited (formerly Crystal) is the fastest-rising Indian energy-tech enterprise, building tools to modernize the distribution grid since 2011.

Kimbal is looking for a visionary Chief Industrial Designer to shape the future of our next generation energy solutions. This role blends customer-centric research, market insight, and cutting-edge design leadership to define products that are not only functional but also distinctive, reliable, and aligned with Kimbal’s brand identity.

As the Industrial Designer, you will lead the end-to-end design of 1-phase and 3-phase LT/HT meters and rack-mounted devices, ensuring every product embodies simplicity, consistency, and innovation. You will translate customer needs and business requirements into minimalist, brand-consistent designs that balance cost efficiency, durability, and ease of manufacturing. Beyond aesthetics, your work will set new benchmarks for usability, manufacturability, and scalability—positioning Kimbal as a design leader in the smart energy space.

Conduct in-depth field visits with utilities and AMISPs, engaging stakeholders across levels—from junior engineers to senior executives.
Identify and quantify real-world pain points such as installation time, tool requirements, operational challenges, and overall user experience.
Translate insights into a comprehensive Design Requirements Document that serves as the blueprint for product development.
Apply a holistic “warehouse-to-site” perspective to ensure product design addresses every stage of deployment and operation.

Industrial Design
Lead the industrial design of next-generation 1P & 3P LT/HT meters and rack-mounted devices.
Define a minimalist, brand-consistent design language that delivers on functionality, aesthetics, cost, and reliability.
Balance design innovation with ease of manufacturing, cost efficiency, and long-term usability—avoiding unnecessary complexity or over-engineering.
Incorporate user interface and interaction studies to ensure intuitive product experience.
Develop design strategies that differentiate Kimbal in the market, aiming to establish leadership with a significantly higher market share over competitors.
Integrate emerging design trends, materials, and sustainable practices into the product roadmap.
Ensure all products meet global quality and reliability standards, with lifespans of 15–20 years in demanding field environments.
Continuously push the boundaries of industrial design to reinforce Kimbal’s reputation as an innovation-driven, market-leading brand.

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, or a related field. (10–15 years of experience in industrial design, ideally with high-volume electronic or hardware products.
~ Strong expertise in field research, usability studies, requirement gathering, and manufacturing processes.
~ Demonstrated ability to build and lead small, high-performing design teams.
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