Research & Development Manager

About the Company

King Living is a family-owned Australian design company with a global footprint, known for innovation, craftsmanship and timeless furniture design. The Rayong facility is a vertically integrated manufacturing site central to delivering King Living's products worldwide.

About the Role

As R&D Manager based at King Furniture Thailand in Rayong, you will lead the local R&D team and act as the primary link between the Sydney Design team and Thailand manufacturing. You will drive product innovation from concept to factory-ready production, ensuring designs are manufacturable, cost-effective and meet quality and safety standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end development of new furniture products, bridging the Australian Design team and Thailand manufacturing from brief through to production.
• Monitor and manage product design, ensuring specifications, drawings and technical documentation are accurate and aligned with factory capabilities.
• Oversee prototype development and product testing to ensure products meet safety, quality and regulatory standards before production.
• Collaborate with Production, Engineering and Quality teams to ensure smooth commercialisation, cost-optimised processes and resolution of production design issues.
• Plan and manage R&D projects, timelines and budgets; coordinate cross-functional teams and report progress to the General Manager.
• Identify and evaluate new materials, components and technologies with suppliers to drive continuous improvement in quality and cost effectiveness.
• Lead, develop and mentor R&D designers and engineers, setting standards for technical excellence and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Furniture Design, Industrial Design, Engineering or a related field.
• Minimum 8 years' experience in furniture product development or manufacturing with strong understanding of factory operations.
• Direct experience with APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, OEE, budget control, process design, line set-up and line balancing.
• Ability to interpret technical drawings; proficiency in AutoCAD, SolidWorks or StyleCAD is a strong advantage.
• Commercially minded with strong cost analysis capability across materials, labour and manufacturing processes.
• Proven ability to collaborate across design, engineering, production and procurement teams; calm under pressure and highly organised.
• Professional proficiency in English, both written and verbal, essential for collaboration with the Sydney Design team.
• Candidates must be based in Thailand or willing to relocate to Rayong.

Benefits

• Play a defining role in bringing award-winning Australian furniture design to life at a global manufacturing scale.
• Senior ownership role with direct influence over product innovation and R&D direction.
• Genuine opportunity for career growth and to shape the R&D function within a business that values innovation and continuous improvement.
• Collaborative culture working closely with the Sydney design team and a dedicated manufacturing team in Rayong.