Manager, Engineering

turtlebox; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Turtlebox Audio, based in Texas, is seeking a Manager of Engineering to lead and develop a small, hands-on team responsible for mechanical, electrical, audio, and validation.

You will set the technical direction for product development across disciplines and drive it from concept through mass production, reporting to the Product Director and collaborating with design, product management, quality and manufacturing partners.

Qualifications

• 10–15 years of engineering experience in consumer electronics.
• Proven ability to lead engineering organizations through full product development cycles.
• Deep expertise in plastic injection molding: tool design, DFM, production validation.
• Strong working knowledge of PCB and SMT processes and supplier qualification.
• Hands-on firmware familiarity to review firmware scope and communicate with embedded engineers.
• Experience working with contract manufacturers in Asia and traveling for on-site support.
• Track record developing engineering talent and building high-performance teams.
• Clear technical communicator capable of briefings with leadership and suppliers.
• Experience implementing PLM systems and change/revision control processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop Turtlebox's engineering team across mechanical, electrical, audio, validation, and technicians.
• Set the technical standards for product development, design quality, documentation, testing, and manufacturing readiness.
• Ensure designs are manufacturable and rugged for outdoor use from plastics to PCB layout and firmware integration.
• Drive design reviews, DFMEA/EVT/ DVT processes, and engineering gate decisions across active programs.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Cross-disciplinary teams

Plastic injection molding

PCB and SMT

Firmware familiarity

OEM liaison

Talent development

Technical communication

PLM systems

Change control

Tools

SolidWorks

Altium Designer

PCB design

Job description

About Turtlebox Audio

The first Turtlebox was born out of necessity. After breaking every “loud” product on the market through routine outdoor use, the idea of the Turtlebox was born in our garage, not as a business but just for personal use. Nothing else could get the job done.

Most portable speakers aren’t actually meant for the outdoors and can’t withstand the elements, the ones that can aren’t loud enough to be heard. When you’re at the beach or on an ATV, you need sound to carry in order to hear it over the wind, waves, and boat engines, you need a Turtlebox.

We soon realized that there was a huge need for the Turtlebox among likeminded adventurers and our journey began to set out to make the world’s loudest most rugged outdoor portable speaker.

Click here for a peek inside our workplace!

Role Overview:

The engineering team at Turtlebox is responsible for everything that makes the product work — the mechanical architecture, the electronics, the audio performance, and the validation that proves it will survive the conditions our customers put it through. It's a small team right now, and the work is hands-on. That's not changing as we grow — we're adding depth, not layers.

We're looking for a Manager of Engineering to lead and develop this team. You'll own the technical direction for product development across mechanical, electrical, and validation — setting the standard for how we design, test, and ship products. You'll report to the Product Director and work closely with Industrial Design, Product Management, Quality, and our manufacturing partners.

This role is for someone who is genuinely a strong engineer — not someone who moved into management because they hit a technical ceiling, but someone who chose to lead because they know how to make a team better than the sum of its parts. You'll be doing real engineering work alongside managing, particularly in the early stages. That's not a transitional phase — it's how this team operates.

Key Responsibilities:

Lead the Engineering Team

• Manage and develop Turtlebox's engineering team — mechanical, electrical, audio, validation, and technician roles
• Set the technical standard for product development: design quality, documentation, test rigor, and manufacturing readiness
• Build an engineering culture that moves fast, owns its decisions, and doesn't repeat the same mistakes
• Hire and onboard engineering talent as the team grows to meet the product roadmap

Own Technical Product Development

• Lead engineering on priority development programs from concept through mass production
• Make the tough technical tradeoffs — performance vs. cost, schedule vs. quality — and own the outcomes
• Ensure designs are manufacturable, testable, and built to survive real-world outdoor use — from plastic part geometry through SMT layout and firmware integration
• Drive design reviews, DFM reviews, and engineering gate decisions across all active programs

Manufacturing and Supplier Engineering

• Work directly with contract manufacturers and component suppliers to translate designs into manufactured product
• Drive tooling approvals, first-article inspections, and production validation — including plastic mold qualification and SMT line setup
• Identify and resolve engineering issues at the factory — you travel when the work requires it
• Build an engineering relationship with manufacturing partners that goes beyond PO management

Build Technical Systems and Standards

• Develop and maintain engineering documentation standards — drawings, specs, BOMs, and change control
• Own the technical side of Turtlebox's product data management — structured, current, and usable
• Build a test and validation infrastructure that catches problems before production, not after

Qualifications:

• 10–15 years of engineering experience in consumer electronics, with a track record of managing complex, cross-disciplinary teams
• Proven ability to lead engineering organizations through full product development cycles — concept through mass production — on multiple simultaneous programs
• Deep expertise in plastic injection molding: tool design, DFM, first-article qualification, and production validation
• Strong working knowledge of PCB and SMT processes — layout constraints, manufacturing yield, and supplier qualification
• Hands-on firmware familiarity — enough to review firmware scope, communicate requirements to embedded engineers, and identify risk
• Experience working directly with contract manufacturers in Asia — you've been to the factory, walked the line, and solved problems in person
• Demonstrated track record developing engineering talent — hiring, growing, and holding a team to a high technical standard
• Clear technical communicator — you can brief leadership and go deep with a supplier engineer in the same day
• Experience implementing or managing a PLM system and engineering change/revision control processes — you've built this infrastructure, not just used it
• Honest about what you know and what you don't — and good at building teams that fill the gaps

Preferred Experience:

• Consumer audio, speaker, or electronics product experience
• Experience with IP-rated, ruggedized, or outdoor product design
• Familiarity with acoustic engineering or speaker system design
• Background in startup or small-team consumer hardware development
• Advanced SolidWorks proficiency — complex assemblies, surfacing, GD&T drawings; ability to review, mark up, and work directly in engineering files
• Familiarity with PRD, DFMEA, EVT/DVT development models.
• Familiarity with Altium Designer or equivalent PCB design tool — enough to conduct meaningful design reviews, assess layout decisions, and communicate requirements to electrical engineers
• Working knowledge of Bluetooth system integration, EMI/EMC considerations, and mixed-signal PCB design constraints

Work Environment and Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to lift 50lbs
• Must be able to work in multiple environments. Indoor and outdoor environments, depending on job details.
• Must be able and willing to travel domestically and internationally up to 20% as needed including China and Southeast Asia.
• Must be legally authorized to work in Texas without requiring visa sponsorship.