Engineering Program Manager

Design Observer; New York (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental and vision insurance

20 days of paid time off

401(k) plan

Job summary

Craighill, a Brooklyn-based design studio, seeks an Engineering Program Manager to own product programs from kickoff to mass production, guiding around ten launches annually. The role emphasizes mechanical engineering rigor, design intent, and schedule discipline across design, engineering, and factory partners.

You will report to the Chief Design Officer and be the first in this role as the team expands, helping shape our development processes and maintaining product quality and cost targets.

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years bringing physical consumer products from prototype to mass production.
• Hands-on experience coordinating factory partners through builds.

Responsibilities

• Drive execution of product programs against goals and schedules.
• Own development schedules, milestones and dependencies.
• Champion design tolerances and manufacturing specs with factories.
• Coordinate design, engineering, operations, marketing and suppliers.
• Lead EVT/DVT/PVT phases and ensure component readiness.
• Identify and resolve technical, material, and logistics risks.
• Manage budgets and cost targets; oversee releases and status reporting.
• Improve internal and external product development processes.

Skills

Program management

Mechanical engineering

Cross-functional leadership

Vendor/factory liaison

Education

BS in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

CAD/Design tools

Job description

Location: Brooklyn, NY | Compensation: $110,000 to $130,000 | Full-Time | On-Site

About Craighill

Craighill is a Brooklyn-based design studio and brand creating enduring, beautiful, and useful objects for everyday life. Rooted in curiosity and craftsmanship, we design and produce products that celebrate material, process, and enduring quality.

We work with manufacturing partners around the world to bring our designs to life at a level of craft that sets us apart. We’re independent, founder-owned and growing quickly, and we’re building a company whose objects last for generations.

Role Overview

As our first Engineering Program Manager, you’ll own the delivery of our product programs from kickoff through mass production, across a launch calendar of around ten new products a year. Most are metal objects with precise mechanisms and finishes and only feel right when the tolerances are held.

You’ll bring a mechanical engineering background and use it to spot risks in each design that could delay the schedule or hurt product quality. You’ll also champion each program’s design goals, starting with understanding what a designer is trying to achieve and why. You’ll carry those goals through every stage of the program and hold the team to them. You’ll lead across the team by raising problems as soon as you see them, delivering hard news with options, and seeing issues through until they’re solved.

Success means products that hit their build dates, quality, and cost targets, with their design goals intact. You’ll report to Hunter Craighill, co‑founder and Chief Design Officer.

You’ll be the first person in this role at Craighill, working directly with both co‑founders, and the role will grow as we continue to build out our product development teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive execution of product programs against technical and business goals
• Own development schedules, decision milestones, dependencies and critical paths
• Champion mechanical design requirements, so our factories build to our tolerances and specifications
• Coordinate design, engineering, operations, marketing and factory partners from kickoff
• Lead prototype and build phases (EVT, DVT and PVT), including component readiness and validation
• Identify technical, material and logistics risks and drive them to resolution
• Manage program budgets, scope changes and product cost against target
• Oversee the timely release of parts and final designs
• Report program status, risks and decisions to the team and leadership each week
• Improve the product development process used by the internal and external teams

Minimum Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or a related field
• 5+ years bringing physical consumer products from prototype to mass production, including program leadership
• Hands‑on experience driving factory partners, ideally in China, through engineering and production builds
• Strong grasp of tolerances, materials and manufacturing processesCandor, sound judgment and clear, concise writing
• Ability to travel internationally up to 15% of the year

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with metal parts and finishes, such as machining, casting, plating or anodizing

Experience Building Process At a Small Company Or Startup

Curiosity about how things are made, and a love for well‑designed objects

Pay and Benefits

Base salary of $110,000 to $130,000, depending on experience

Health, dental and vision insurance, 20 days of paid time off, and a 401(k) plan