Senior Manager - NPD/R&D (Office Chair)

Wakefit's Office Chair vertical has crossed ₹100 crore in revenue and is on track for ₹250+ crore within two years. We manufacture over 2 lakh chairs annually, backed by growing in-house capabilities.
We build comfortable, ergonomic, durable, value-for-money seating for modern workspaces — owning the full product lifecycle, from consumer research and conceptualisation through design, engineering, prototyping, testing, and mass production. Our work spans chair ergonomics, mechanisms, injection-moulded components, metal structures, PU foam, mesh, and upholstery.
With an expanding portfolio and in-house manufacturing, we're developing innovative office and executive chairs by combining global product insights, engineering strength, and customer feedback.
We're growing our NPD and R&D team — looking for people who can develop new product technologies, sharpen existing designs, and take products from concept to mass production.
Role Overview:
Wakefit is looking for a hands-on NPD / R&D Manager to drive the development of new office and executive chairs.
The candidate will be responsible for developing products from concept to mass production, including chair design, ergonomics, mechanism development, material selection, prototyping, and manufacturing feasibility.
We are looking for someone who can study global products and technologies, identify proven solutions that can be adapted to our products, and develop innovative, comfortable, durable and cost-effective office chairs.
Key Responsibilities
1. Product Research & Development
• Study international office chair brands, products, designs and emerging technologies.
• Identify innovative features, mechanisms, and existing technologies that can be adapted to Wakefit products.
• Explore opportunities to integrate already-developed mechanisms and components to reduce development time and cost.
• Develop new office and executive chair designs based on consumer needs and market trends.
• Work on improving existing chair designs, comfort, ergonomics, and functionality.
2. Product Design & Engineering
• Develop chair structures, seats, backrests, armrests, headrests, and lumbar support systems.
• Create 3D models, engineering drawings and product assemblies using SolidWorks, Creo or similar software.
• Work on plastic, metal, and other chair components.
• Ensure designs are practical, durable and easy to manufacture.
3. Material & Component Development
• Work on injection-moulded plastic components, metal structures, PU foam, mesh and upholstery.
• Identify suitable materials, components and manufacturing processes.
• Work with mould manufacturers and component vendors for new product development.
• Explore opportunities for component commonality and cost optimisation.
4. Prototyping & Testing
• Develop physical prototypes and drive design improvements.
• Test chairs for comfort, stability, strength and durability.
• Identify product failures and work on corrective actions.
• Ensure products meet required quality and performance standards.
5. Cross-functional Coordination & Manufacturing
• Work closely with the Quality team to define testing requirements, validate products and resolve quality issues.
• Coordinate with the Purchase team for vendor identification, component sourcing, cost negotiations, and supplier development.
• Work with manufacturing teams to ensure designs are production-ready.
• Coordinate with mould manufacturers for tooling and mould development.
• Ensure smooth transition from product development to mass production.
6. NPD Execution
• Own the development process from initial concept to mass production.
• Prepare BOMs, engineering drawings, and product specifications.
• Manage development timelines, vendor dependencies, and prototype iterations.
• Drive faster product development by leveraging existing designs, components, and proven technologies.
Required Skills & Experience
• Proficiency in SolidWorks, Creo, CATIA or similar CAD software.
• Understanding of injection moulding and plastic component development.
• Knowledge of metal fabrication, PU foam and other manufacturing processes.
• Experience in product prototyping and testing.
• Good problem-solving and project management skills.
• Ability to work with cross-functional teams and external vendors.
Preferred Industry Experience:
• Office furniture and chair manufacturing.
• Automotive seating and interiors.
• Consumer durables and furniture.

Skills
Project Management, Prototyping, Sourcing, SolidWorks, CATIA

Experience
5+ yrs

Work arrangement
No