Fastener Engineer

Socket.dev; Garden Grove (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

HDV health benefits

Stock options

401k and savings plans

PTO & parental leave

Annual vacation bonus

Wellness benefits

Cell phone stipend

Meals & stocked kitchens

Job summary

Harbinger is seeking a Fastener Engineer in California to be the technical authority for threaded fasteners, joining methods and torque-controlled systems across EV platforms. You will define standards, validate joints, and coordinate with design, manufacturing and quality to ensure safety-critical connections meet performance requirements.

The role covers material selection, coating specs, validation programs and process monitoring, including torque/angle data and supplier quality audits.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (or related) with 5+ years of relevant experience or Bachelor’s with 7+ years of relevant experience.
• 5+ years in fastener engineering or assembly joining with knowledge of joint validation and bolt testing.
• Experience with DC nutrunners, multi-spindle fixtures, and structural riveting tools; MES integration.
• Strong understanding of metric (ISO 261/262) and imperial (SAE J429) fastener specs and property classes 8.8, 10.9, 12.9.
• Experience with carbon steel fastener manufacturing and coatings like Zinc-Nickel and Geomet.
• Ability to interpret fastening data including torque/angle signatures and lot traceability.
• Willingness to travel up to 20% domestically for supplier quality audits and testing.

Responsibilities

• Author and maintain fastener standards, sizing spreadsheets, and supplier quality requirements.
• Define tightening strategies and validate torque-plus-angle for joints.
• Oversee installation and monitoring of structural fasteners and collect production data.
• Lead joint validation testing (torque-to-failure, pull-out) and monitor in-process criteria.
• Evaluate coating systems for corrosion resistance and clamp-load consistency.

Skills

Education: Master’s degree + 5 years

Fastening Expertise

Equipment Proficiency

Technical Standards

Materials & Coatings

Traceability & Data

Travel readiness

Education

Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering + 5 years

Bachelor’s degree + 7 years

Tools

DC nutrunners

Multi-spindle fixtures

Structural riveting tools

Closed-loop controllers & MES

Job description

About Harbinger

Harbinger is an American commercial electric vehicle (EV) company on a mission to transform an industry starving for innovation. Harbinger’s best‑in‑class team of EV, battery, and drivetrain experts have pooled their deep experience to bring a first‑of‑its‑kind EV platform to support the growing demand for medium‑duty EVs and Hybrids. Harbinger: Familiar Form, Revolutionary Foundation.

Role Overview

As a Fastener Engineer at Harbinger, you will be the primary technical authority for threaded fasteners, structural joining, and torque‑controlled fastening systems across our electric vehicle platforms. You will be responsible for defining, implementing, testing and maintaining fastener standards , ensuring that all safety‑critical joints—from suspension to HV battery packs—meet rigorous performance and quality requirements. This role bridges the gap between design engineering, manufacturing and quality, overseeing everything from initial material selection and coating specifications to the validation of DC nutrunner programs and inline process monitoring.

Key Responsibilities

• Standardization & Specification: Author and maintain fastener standards, sizing spreadsheet, defining supplier quality requirements, chemical composition and mechanical properties for bolts, nuts, Huks and shims.
• Torque Strategy Development: Define tightening strategies, testing bolts and joints to define the properties, validate the tightening including torque-plus-angle and review production torque data.
• Joining Process Management: Oversee the installation and monitoring of structural fasteners, support the production quality audit and data collection from the production team.
• Quality & Validation: Lead joint validation testing (torque-to-failure, push‑out/pull‑out) and establish in‑process monitoring criteria like torque/angle signatures and yield point validation.
• Surface & Coating Optimization: Evaluate coating systems (e.g., Geomet, Zinc‑Nickel) for corrosion resistance and friction factor consistency to ensure proper clamp load delivery.

Required Skills & Experience

• Education: Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (or a related field) + 5 years of relevant experience, OR a Bachelor’s degree + 7 years of relevant experience.
• Fastening Expertise: Minimum 5 years of experience in fastener engineering or assembly joining, with deep knowledge of joint validation and bolt testing.
• Equipment Proficiency: Experience with DC nutrunners, multi‑spindle fixtures, and structural riveting tools, including configuration of closed‑loop controllers and MES integration.
• Technical Standards: Strong understanding of metric (ISO 261/262) and imperial (SAE J429) fastener specifications, including property classes 8.8, 10.9, and 12.9.
• Materials & Coatings: Proven experience with carbon steel fastener manufacturing and advanced coating systems like Zinc‑Nickel and Geomet.
• Traceability & Data: Ability to manage and interpret complex fastening data, including torque/angle signatures and lot traceability.
• Travel: Willingness to travel up to 20% domestically for supplier quality audits, assembly plant support, and testing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Process Verification: Demonstrated success in Factory Acceptance Testing for multi‑spindle fixtures and Cpk validation for torque/angle repeatability.
• Problem Solving: Expert in root cause analysis (8D) for fastening failures, such as cross‑threading, strip detection, or collar swage issues.
• Commercial Acumen: Familiarity with the specific durability and payload requirements, as well as the typical failure modes, of the medium‑duty delivery and logistics sector.

Key Benefits & Perks:

• Comprehensive Health, Dental & Vision (HDV) – 100% employee covered
• Early‑stage Stock Options
• Robust Retirement Savings (401k, HSA, FSA)
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) & Parental Leave
• Annual Vacation Bonus
• Wellness & Fertility Benefits
• Cell Phone Stipend
• Complimentary Meals & Stocked Kitchens

California Pay Range

$140,000—$180,000 USD

Equal Opportunity

Harbinger is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Harbinger is committed to ensuring that our hiring process is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you have a disability or limitation, such as those covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, that requires accommodations to assist you in the search and application process, please email us at [e-mail].

Candidate Data Privacy

Harbinger may collect, use and disclose your personal information or personal data (within the meaning of the applicable data protection laws) when you apply for employment and/or participate in our recruitment processes (“Candidate Personal Data”). This data includes contact, demographic, communications, educational, professional, employment, social media/website, network/device, recruiting system usage/interaction, security and preference information. Harbinger may use your Candidate Personal Data for the purposes of (i) tracking interactions with our recruiting system; (ii) carrying out, analyzing and improving our application and recruitment process, including assessing you and your application and conducting employment, background and reference checks; (iii) establishing an employment relationship or entering into an employment contract with you; (iv) complying with our legal, regulatory and corporate governance obligations; (v) recordkeeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law.

Harbinger may share your Candidate Personal Data with (i) internal personnel who have a need to know such information in order to perform their duties, including individuals on our HR, legal, and finance teams, and the team(s) with the position(s) for which you are applying; (ii) Harbinger affiliates; and (iii) Harbinger’s service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services.

Harbinger may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union and in the cloud, and this data may be subject to the laws and accessible to the courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of such jurisdictions.

Please note that we are currently not accepting applications from third party application services. Any unsolicited resumes or candidate profiles submitted in response to our job posting shall be considered the property of Harbinger and are not subject to payment of referral or placement fees if any such candidate is later hired by Harbinger unless you have a signed written agreement in place with us which covers the applicable job posting.