Junior Design Engineer for AM (FFF) Footwear

Antler; Ventura (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Antler is seeking a skilled footwear design engineer to turn concepts into manufacturable 3D geometry. You will hand models to the production team for printing, providing iterations that print well on first runs.

You will collaborate with designers, pattern makers and production through sampling and pre-production. The role emphasizes clean, parametric files, attention to printability constraints, and strong Blender-based workflow, with a focus on last/upper/midsole/outsole integration and

Qualifications

• Degree in product design, industrial design or footwear design; hands-on experience acceptable.
• Proficient in 3D modelling workflows, clean topology and design-for-AM considerations.
• Strong Blender proficiency for modeling and rendering and comfortable with cycles/eevee.
• Good English written and spoken for design reviews and collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Model upper midsole, outsole and structural components for FFF from concept to release-ready files.
• Apply design-for-additive manufacturing constraints in geometry, including wall thickness and orientation.
• Build and grade parts across full size runs from lasts and fit data.
• Collaborate with production to incorporate printability feedback and revise geometry.
• Maintain clean, parametric files so models can be regraded and revised without rebuilding.
• Collaborate with designers, pattern makers and production through sampling and pre-production.

Skills

Blender

Poly/ Sub-d Modelling

UV unwrapping

Rendering

English proficiency

File organization

Education

Degree in product design or related

Tools

Blender

Grasshopper

nTop

Shoemaster

ICad / Romans CAD

Python scripting

Job description

The role

You'll turn footwear concepts into manufacturable 3D geometry. Our production team handles slicing and printing; your job is to hand them models that print well the first time. Expect a fast loop between your models and their test parts.

What you'll do

• Model Upper midsole, outsole and structural components for FFF, from concept geometry to release-ready files
• Apply design-for-AM constraints in the geometry itself: self-supporting angles, wall thickness, orientation-aware features, tolerance and shrinkage compensation
• Build and grade parts across a full size run, working from lasts and fit data
• Work closely with the production team on printability feedback, and revise geometry based on what comes off the machines
• Maintain clean, parametric, well-organised files so models can be regraded and revised without rebuilding
• Collaborate with designers, pattern makers and production through sampling and pre-production

What we’re looking for:

Essential

• Degree in product design engineering, industrial design, footwear design, 3D/digital design or equivalent hands‑on experience
• Proficient in poly and sub-d modelling — clean topology, controlled edge flow, creasing and support loops, the ability to hold a surface where it matters and let it relax where it doesn't
• UV unwrapping — sensible seam placement, minimal distortion, packed and consistent texel density
• Rendering — you can light and present a shoe well enough for design reviews and client‑facing imagery (Cycles/Eevee, or comparable)
• Blender as your primary tool, or fluency in something close enough that you'll be up to speed in weeks
• Working understanding of FFF constraints and how they shape geometry — overhangs, wall behavior, layer adhesion, anisotropy, warping
• Clean, organized, revisable file habits — someone else should be able to open your scene and change it
• Understanding of how a shoe is built: last, upper, midsole, outsole, fit and sizing
• Comfortable with iteration and being wrong quickly
• English, written and spoken

Strongly preferred

• Blender geometry nodes — we use procedural setups heavily to keep our modelling non‑destructive and editable. Comfort building and reading node trees, working with attributes, instancing and field‑driven geometry matters more here than any specific technique. Strongest signal in this whole application.
• Computational or generative design background: Grasshopper, nTop, Python scripting, or your own tooling
• Understanding of how flexible materials (TPU/TPE across shore hardnesses) behave when printed, and how to design around it
• Hands‑on printing experience of your own — not part of the job, but it shows in the geometry
• Familiarity with FEA or simulation for compliant structures
• Footwear‑specific software (Shoemaster, ICad, Romans CAD) or last modification experience
• Sports or biomechanics knowledge — gait, pressure mapping, foot anatomy