Job Description
Are you a hands-on innovator who thrives in
collaborative,
design-driven environments?
Do you enjoy prototyping, experimenting with emerging materials, and working closely with engineering and design teams to bring ideas to life? If so, we may have the perfect opportunity for you!
We’re looking for a Model Maker to join our Wood Plant team in Grand Rapids. This full-time, on-site role is ideal for someone with a technical background and a passion for building, testing, and refining product concepts that shape the future of work.
Minimum Q
ualifications:
- 3-5 years of experience in model making, prototyping, or a related technical field
- Strong skills in reading and interpreting engineering drawings
- Proficiency in Fusion 360/AutoCAD, and/or CREO
What You’ll Do:
- Build, re-build, and refine: Create physical models from 2D and 3D drawings using tools like AutoCAD, Fusion 360, and CREO. Interpret engineering specs and translate them into tangible prototypes.
- Get into the details: From material selection to part sequencing, be the go-to expert for understanding how things fit, function, and feel.
- Collaborate with engineers: Work side-by-side with product development teams to iterate, validate, and improve concepts—often before they even hit production.
- Own the modeling process:
Breadboarding,
fixture building, feasibility testing—you’ll be hands-on with every step.
- Think creatively, act precisely: Balance artistic intuition with technical rigor to meet quality, cost, and timing expectations.
- Prototype using a variety of tools, materials, and emerging technologies
- Support the
Make/Draw/Prin
t methodology to accelerate innovation
- Apply systems thinking to product development and launch strategies
- Facilitate hands-on learning and knowledge sharing across teams
- Promote a culture of improvement and technical curiosity
What You Bring:
- Ability to identify materials, order them, and sequence builds effectively
- Passion for
problem-solvin
g, hands-on work, and continuous learning
- Technical expertise in modeling processes and materials
- Awareness of design,
manufacturabil
ity, and production processes
- Preferred: Degree or technical apprenticeship in model making or a related field
- Work Environment: Machine shop setting with exposure to chemicals and occasional heavy lifting
- 100% on-site role in Grand Rapids
Doing Better For People And Planet:
Steelcase is a global design and thought leader in the world of work. Along with our expansive community of brands, we design and manufacture innovative furnishings and solutions to help people do their best work in the many places where work happens.
Why People Choose to Work with Us:
At Steelcase, we put people at the center of everything we do. We understand the role of work and believe that it can bring meaning and purpose to the lives of our customers and our employees. We prioritize supporting our employees both in and out of work, in all aspects of their lives. When we bring our talents together, we make a positive lasting impact through our work and communities.
Steelcase provides employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants without regard to race, color, creed, genetic information, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, or veteran status and bases all employment decisions only on valid job requirements. If we can make the application process easier through
accommodation,
please email us at my
hr@steelcase.c
om
#LI-PB1
#Design #Engineering #Prototyping #Innovation
Job Tags
Full time, Apprenticeship,