Product Design Engineer

Skip; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Skip is building the next generation of wearable robots and seeks a hands-on mechanical engineer to join a 22-person startup. As an IC, you will own detailed CAD designs ready for scaling and manufacturing, working closely with senior engineers who contribute directly to product development.

You will own core CAD for sub-assemblies, manage vendor relationships (including travel to Asia), drive specs, select materials, lead design reviews, and write documentation.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of mechanical engineering in a professional setting.
• Excellent CAD design skills with SolidWorks and PDM.
• Experience designing parts for manufacturing processes (injection molding, machining, casting).
• Experience with FEA and thermal analysis.
• Willingness to travel and relocate to Bay Area.

Responsibilities

• Own core CAD for sub-assemblies from architecture to mass optimization.
• Manage vendor relationships and cost-reduction initiatives.
• Drive engineering specs from product requirements and cross-functional work.
• Select materials and processes meeting performance and durability.
• Lead cross-functional design reviews and develop specs, tests, and documentation.
• Prototype wear testing and data collection participation.
• Contribute to knowledge transfer to manufacturing partners.

Skills

CAD design

SolidWorks

PDM

DFM

FEA

Robotics experience

Tools

Plastic injection molding

Casting

Machining

Job description

Skip is on a mission to make life joyful through powered movement.

Movement is a powerful way to build physical, mental and social health. Yet it is elusive for 2 billion people due to age, injury, or disability. We are building products that will restore mobility for millions and enable a new frontier of joyful movement experiences. We want to build a future where a grandparent can easily outrun their grandkids and no one is left behind at the trailhead.

Skip is a 22-person early-stage start-up that spun out of Google X in 2023. With deep cross-disciplinary expertise and key partnerships (e.g. with Arc’teryx) we are uniquely positioned to launch the first commercially successful wearable robotic device, the MO/GO, develop a platform to launch future Movewear products and transform millions of lives in the coming years.

THE ROLE

We are seeking a highly motivated and adaptable individual who will explore the peaks and valleys of all problems that may come up while building a new generation of wearable robots for everyday life.

Our small team is exceptional at prototyping and invention, your job will be to own detailed designs that are ready to be scaled, manufactured and sent to consumers. We are a flat team of 22 phenomenal and senior engineers, where everyone contributes directly to product development, as such this will start as an IC role.

Some of the specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Own core CAD for critical sub-assemblies for our new product - from architecture, design, mass optimisation, design-for-manufacturing, tolerance analysis, implementation, testing, through commercialization
• Own and manage vendor relationships (including travel to Asia) and over time cost-reduction processes
• Drive engineering specifications from product requirements and work cross functionally
• Select materials and manufacturing processes that meet product performance and durability requirements.
• Lead cross-functional design reviews
• Develop specifications, requirements, test methods and protocols through formal verification to ensure functionality, safety and efficacy of design
• Write technical documentation and assembly instructions to ensure seamless knowledge transfer to manufacturing partners.
• Wearing prototypes several hours a week to participate in data collection, on-body testing and provide feedback
• Bring joy to the team, participate in embarrassing team events, tolerate KZ’s terrible music choices

Qualifications

• 5+ years’ experience in mechanical engineering in a professional setting
• Excellence in CAD design and software (SolidWorks, PDM)
• Expertise designing parts for a broad range of manufacturing processes, such as plastic injection molding, long chain glass or carbon filled plastics, machining, casting, etc.
• Experience in mechanical analysis including geometric, dimensioning and tolerancing,, static and dynamic analysis, FEA and thermal analysis
• Experience in DFM and a passion for making complex designs more practical and scalable. Ideally experience with a scaled consumer or medical product
• Experience with Asian-based NPI, willingness to travel
• Experience with robotics, mechatronics, or powered consumer electronics (e.g. drones, robot vacuums)
• Able to deliver quality work in a fast-paced startup environment
• Ability to relocate to work at the Skip Bay Area office
• Sense of humour, tolerant of Aussie & Canadian spelling

• Personal motivation to improve human movement

Skip is an equal opportunity employer. Our hiring decisions are based on need and competence to satisfy said need. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other legally protected status.

Any and all offers of employment extended by Skip are conditional on candidates’ ability to provide satisfactory proof of eligibility to maintain full-time employment in the United States.