Head of Hardware Engineering

Wood Pond Search Partners; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Wood Pond Search Partners in the Bay Area is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to lead hardware initiatives and partner with founders to move from concept to production. The role emphasizes hands-on design, system integration, and mentoring a growing hardware team in a fast-moving startup environment.

The position is fully onsite in the Bay Area, with responsibilities spanning from prototyping through deployment, and a strong emphasis on delivering reliable, scalable equipment.

Qualifications

• Typically 5+ years of hands-on mechanical, hardware, or mechatronics experience.
• A track record of personally taking machinery or physical systems from design to operation.
• Strong mechanical design skills with practical exposure to controls and automation.
• The ability to make decisions, solve problems, and keep building in a small, fast-moving team.
• Experience in robotics, custom equipment, aerospace, defense, or advanced manufacturing would translate well.

Responsibilities

• Mechanical and robotic systems, from concept through build, testing, and installation.
• Equipment integration and troubleshooting on the production floor.
• Improvements that take prototypes into reliable, scalable production.
• Engineering practices, mentoring, and helping grow the hardware team.

Skills

Mechanical/Hardware/Mechatronics

Prototyping to production

Controls & automation exposure

Decision making & problem solving

Job description

Mechanical Engineer | Head of Early Hardware Leadership Opportunity

Bay Area, CA - Fully Onsite

Design it. Build it. Get it running.

We’re partnering with an early-stage industrial technology company building automated systems to recover valuable materials and strengthen domestic supply chains.

As an early senior hardware hire, you’ll work directly with the founders to turn mechanical designs and robotic equipment into a working production operation. Your decisions will shape the machinery, the engineering standards, and the team that grows around them.

What you’ll own

• Mechanical and robotic systems, from concept through build, testing, and installation.
• Equipment integration and troubleshooting on the production floor.
• Improvements that take prototypes into reliable, scalable production.
• Engineering practices, mentoring, and helping grow the hardware team.

What you’ll bring

• Typically 5+ years of hands-on mechanical, hardware, or mechatronics experience.
• A track record of personally taking machinery or physical systems from design to operation.
• Strong mechanical design skills and practical exposure to controls and automation.
• The ability to make decisions, solve problems, and keep building in a small, fast-moving team.

Experience in robotics, custom equipment, aerospace, defense, or advanced manufacturing would translate well. Materials-processing experience is a plus.

Why make the move?

You’ll have direct access to the founders, ownership across the full equipment lifecycle, and room to grow your leadership scope as the business scales.

This is a fully onsite, hands-on role in the Bay Area. Expect 10-12-hour weekdays and a Saturday half-day.