Director, Hardware Engineering

Iconcareers; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Iconcareers is seeking a Director, Hardware Engineering to lead the hardware lifecycle for advanced 3D printing robotics. This role requires extensive engineering experience and involves managing teams across various engineering disciplines to ensure excellence in new product development and sustaining engineering.

The ideal candidate has a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and over 10 years of experience, including significant people management responsibilities. The Director will be based in Austin, TX, and report to the VP of Technology.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of engineering experience in high-complexity hardware environments.
• 5+ years of direct people management experience.
• Proven track record of navigating ambiguity in fast-paced, high-growth environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Own the technical definition and roadmap for next-generation hardware systems.
• Establish key performance indicators for reliability.

Skills

Engineering Leadership

Hardware Architecture Development

Reliability & Performance Tracking

Engineering Change Management

Cross-Functional Product Ownership

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, or Electrical Engineering

Tools

PLM software

Job description

ICON is seeking a Director, Hardware Engineering to lead the end-to-end hardware lifecycle for our advanced 3D printing robotics and manufacturing systems, encompassing both New Product Development (NPD) and Sustaining Engineering. This leader will own the architectural integrity and execution across all Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering programs, from initial concept and Design for Excellence (DfX) through to rigorous validation, reliable field deployment, and continuous lifecycle enhancement. As a Director, you are accountable for managing departmental strategy, budget, resource allocation, and institutionalizing high-bar engineering standards that ensure our technology is reliable, manufacturable, and cost-effective.

This role is based at ICON’s Austin, TX office and reports to the VP of Technology and Products.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Engineering Leadership & Management: Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary team spanning Electrical, Mechanical, and Systems Engineering disciplines. Drive excellence across both New Product Development and Sustaining functions, fostering a proactive "Design for Excellence" (DfX) culture. Ensure proper delegation of authority to 'trusted lieutenants' to remove bottlenecks and increase operational speed.


• Hardware Architecture & Development: Own the technical definition and architectural roadmap for next-generation hardware systems. Drive the execution of new product development programs from concept/spec through rigorous validation (DVT) and transition to manufacturing, ensuring alignment with aggressive quality goals (e.g., 0 critical defects).


• Reliability & Performance Tracking: Establish and own key performance indicators (KPIs) for the fleet, including Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), Mean Time to Repair (MTTR), and Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) reduction via design and sustaining improvements.


• Engineering Change Management (ECM): Own the end‑to‑end Engineering Change Control process for all hardware assets (NPD and field‑deployed). Lead the review, approval, and implementation of Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) and Engineering Change Requests (ECRs), ensuring rigorous impact analysis and seamless field integration.


• Closed‑Loop Engineering: Create formal feedback loops between Field Operations, Sustaining Engineering, and the New Product Development (NPD) teams. Ensure that field data directly influences long‑term product roadmaps to systematically improve serviceability and reliability (Defect‑to‑Design Feedback Loop).


• Standardization & QMS: Develop and enforce operational objectives, policies, and Root Cause Analysis (RCA) procedures. Ensure compliance with Quality Management Systems (QMS) and high industry standards (e.g., ISO 9001 or equivalent).


• Cross‑Functional Product Ownership: Serve as the final technical authority for hardware, partnering with Program Management, Manufacturing, and Industrial Design to manage the full hardware lifecycle. Resolve cross‑functional structural conflicts to unblock critical‑path hardware development (e.g., the e‑boom redesign).


• Operational & Financial Management: Own and manage the multi‑disciplinary hardware departmental budget and resource allocation. Drive the selection and implementation of engineering and data tools (e.g., Foundry for PM&A, PLM/ERP) to establish a data‑driven culture and systemic defect resolution.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.


• 10+ years of engineering experience in high‑complexity, multidisciplinary hardware environments (Robotics, Aerospace, Automotive, or Industrial Automation).


• 5+ years of direct people management experience, including managing 'managers' and demonstrated success leading combined Electrical and Mechanical Engineering organizations.


• Deep expertise in the full hardware lifecycle, including New Product Introduction (NPI), Engineering Change Management (ECM), and configuration control. Demonstrated experience implementing Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA).


• Exceptional ability to translate complex field telemetry, technical failures, and NPD progress into actionable executive summaries for non‑technical stakeholders.


• Proven track record of navigating ambiguity and building structural rigor in fast‑paced, high‑growth startup environments.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Certifications: Lean Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt) or CRE (Certified Reliability Engineer) credentials.


• Tooling: Mastery of PLM software (e.g., Duro, Arena, Propel, Windchill) specifically for managing the ECO/ECR lifecycle and Bill of Materials (BOM) revisions.


• Systems Thinking: Experience with "Digital Twin" concepts or using cloud‑based data (GCP/AWS or Palantir Foundry) to perform Predictive Maintenance and OEE analysis.


• Sustainable Engineering: A passion for ICON’s mission, including an interest in sustainable construction practices and reducing the environmental footprint of automated manufacturing.


• Networking: Knowledge of basic networking principles and industrial communication protocols (EtherCAT, CANOpen, etc.).

ICON is an equal‑opportunity employer committed to fostering an innovative, inclusive, diverse and discrimination‑free work environment. Employment with ICON is based on merit, competence, and qualifications. It is our policy to administer all personnel actions, including recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting employees, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or ancestry, age, disability, marital status, veteran status or any other legally protected classification in accordance with applicable federal and state laws. Consistent with the obligations of these laws, ICON will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

Furthermore, as a federal government contractor, the Company maintains an affirmative action program which furthers its commitment and complies with record‑keeping and reporting requirements under certain federal civil rights laws and regulations, including Executive Order 11246, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended) and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (as amended).

As part of our compliance with these obligations, the Company invites you to voluntarily self‑identify as set forth below. Provision of such information is entirely voluntary and a decision to provide or not provide such information will not have any effect on your employment or subject you to any adverse treatment. Any and all information provided will be considered confidential, will be kept separate from your application and/or personnel file, and will only be used in accordance with applicable laws, orders and regulations, including those that require the information to be summarized and reported to the federal government for civil rights enforcement purposes.