Google advertising for a “wearable design team” senior director of industrial design

Google has begun advertising for a director of industrial design to head up its wearable design team, within its wholly owned smartphone and tablet hardware subsidiary Motorola.

The advertisement, which appeared on the company’s official jobs site, is looking for a senior director of industrial design to head up a “multi discipline” wearables design team based in Chicago, Illinois.

The job advertisement also stresses the importance wearable electronics will play as Google attempts to “create the new Motorola”.

“Specifically, the Industrial Design Team collaborates closely with our internal work partners to create compelling, usable and innovative products that define our brand with over a million consumers worldwide. The wearables design team will lead the establishment of our brand in the massive competitive and growing space of wearable connected products,” the job ad states.

“The Senior Director of Industrial Design will be based in Chicago, Il. The ideal candidate will provide strategic leadership, champion innovation and institute best practices to create a new world-class wearable’s design group within Motorola.

“Reporting to the Senior Vice President of CXD, the Senior Director of Industrial Design will define and execute design strategies for all Motorola wearable devices.”

While Google has been open about the development of its Google Glass goggles, there has been some unconfirmed speculation the company is also working on a smartwatch, which first surfaced in March.

With Canalys predicting over five million smartwatches will be sold next year, a number of major hardware manufacturers are set to enter the wearable device market, including Microsoft, Samsung, LG and Apple.