at the Kia Europe Design Center in Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
As a CMF Designer within the Next Design Studio at Kia Europe, you will create innovative colour, material, and finish solutions that enhance the visual, tactile, and emotional quality of our vehicles. Working across interior and exterior design programmes, you will translate creative concepts into production-feasible CMF strategies that strengthen Kia’s design identity and elevate the customer experience.
You will collaborate closely with Design, Engineering, Procurement, Visualization, Design Strategy, Production, and Global Design teams to develop and implement CMF concepts from early research through production validation, ensuring consistency, manufacturability, and sustainability throughout the design process.
At Next Interior Design, we are a multidisciplinary team of designers driven by curiosity, innovation, and a shared passion for shaping the future of mobility.
We believe exceptional CMF design goes beyond aesthetics - it creates meaningful connections between people and products through colour, materiality, texture, and craftsmanship. We encourage experimentation, collaboration, and forward-thinking design to develop distinctive experiences that define the Kia brand.
CMF Design Responsibilities
Develop innovative CMF concepts into refined, production-ready colour, material, and finish solutions.
Research and explore emerging materials, finishes, textures, manufacturing processes, and sustainable technologies to drive future design innovation.
Create cohesive colour and material strategies that enhance perceived quality, craftsmanship, and the overall user experience.
Integrate CMF solutions that reinforce Kia’s design language across both interior and exterior programmes.
Develop CMF proposals from concept through validation, including material selection, sample development, prototypes, and design specifications.
Evaluate materials for their visual, tactile, functional, and environmental performance while considering manufacturing feasibility and quality standards.
Transform functional components into premium user experiences through thoughtful application of colour, texture, gloss, grain, and surface detailing.
Collaborate with engineering and development teams to ensure design intent is successfully translated into production.
Project Collaboration
Take ownership of key CMF workstreams within small- and medium-scale design programmes, ensuring timely delivery and design excellence.
Present and communicate CMF concepts during design reviews, workshops, and cross-functional discussions.
Collaborate with Engineering, Procurement, Visualization, Design Strategy, and Production teams to balance creativity with technical feasibility, regulatory requirements, sustainability objectives, and cost considerations.
Maintain consistency of CMF execution throughout project development while supporting a premium and cohesive design experience.
Contribute to design decision-making through material research, trend forecasting, consumer insights, and benchmarking activities.
Studio Team Contribution
Actively participate in creative workshops, brainstorming sessions, and studio initiatives that foster innovation and collaboration.
Share knowledge on emerging trends, materials, technologies, sustainability, and evolving customer expectations across multidisciplinary teams.
Support the continuous development of CMF methodologies, material libraries, and design best practices within the studio.
Contribute to a collaborative and inspiring studio culture that encourages creativity, experimentation, and knowledge sharing.
Education
Bachelor or Master degree in Colour and Material Design, Textile Design, Fashion Design, Industrial Design, Transportation Design, Product Design, or a related discipline.
Experience
4-6+ years of relevant experience in CMF design within the automotive, mobility, industrial, lifestyle, or product design industries.
Proven experience developing CMF concepts from early ideation through advanced design or production implementation.
Experience working with colour, materials, finishes, textures, surface treatments, and CMF documentation.
Strong understanding of material development, manufacturing processes, production feasibility, and validation.
Experience collaborating within multidisciplinary design teams and cross-functional development environments.
Experience working with suppliers, material partners, or external development teams is advantageous.
Skills
Strong sense of colour,
Exceptional sensitivity to colour, material, texture, finish, proportion, and perceived quality.
Strong knowledge of CMF development processes and production constraints.
Excellent visual communication, presentation, and storytelling skills.
Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced design environment.
Collaborative mindset with strong organisational and interpersonal skills.
Curious, proactive, and motivated to explore innovative and sustainable material solutions.
Fluent in English; Korean language skills are considered an advantage.
Willingness to travel internationally as required.
If you are passionate about shaping the future of mobility through innovative colour, material, and finish design, please apply via the web portal. We would love to hear from you!
