Index Ventures
305
companies
8,224
Jobs

Lead Product Design Engineer

Backbone

Backbone

Product, Design
Atherton, CA, USA
Posted on Apr 21, 2025

We're looking for an exceptional Hardware Product Design Lead with extensive experience shipping consumer products to join our devices team. You'll have the opportunity to lead an exciting future program through conception, development and mass production in close collaboration with the industry’s best industrial designers, electrical engineers, operations managers and software engineers.

This is an onsite role requiring in-office time at our Palo Alto hardware engineering office.

What you'll do:

  • Own a flagship hardware program end to end, from initial concept through shipping and sustaining engineering

  • Lead a talented cross-functional team of talented product design, electrical and quality engineers through a phase gate driven product development process

  • Create innovative design solutions based on first-principles and technical analysis followed by implementation in CAD (Onshape, Creo)Communicate and collaborate with executives and leads across software, packaging and operations

  • Create and own 2D documentation for parts, including GD&T, test/reliability instructions and datum schemes

  • Conduct regular design reviews, soliciting feedback and building alignment with other team members

  • Validate designs through physical prototypes (cardboard, 3D printing and CNC) and reliability, ergonomic and user research testing

  • Drive international vendors though DFM, engineering validation, design validation and mass production while ensuring rapid development and our standards of quality

  • Continually de-risk programs through engineering analysis and program management

  • Raise the bar for mechanical engineering and manufacturing best practices on the team

What's We're Looking For:

  • Demonstrated end-to-end experience owning 1-3+ shipped mass-market hardware programs on shipped mass-market products, including failure analysis/corrective action ownership

  • Exceptional communication and organization skills with ability to clearly articulate and document issues, including excellent presentation/slide skills

  • Demonstrated experience designing parts for injection molding, 2D processes (sheet metal stamping, die cut), CNC fabrication, die casting and extrusion

  • Exceptional proficiency with CAD (Creo preferred)

  • Exceptional proficiency with creating 2D drawings, including GD&T, linear tolerances, tolerance analysis, IQC/IPQC/OQC inspection procedures and assembly datums

  • Experience working in high-pressure, low-information environments requiring successful risk judgment, strong decision making skills and personal resiliency

  • Comfortable taking constructive feedback and improving performance at a dynamic and rapidly growing company

  • Able to work autonomously with strong commitment to ownership over tasks and prototypes, including accountability as a Directly Responsible Individual (DRI)

  • Ability to generate bursts of high-intensity output when needed

  • This role requires up to 25% international travel

Bonus Points:

  • Leadership role on mass-market gaming and/or smartphone products

  • Proficiency in statistical process control and other quality tools; experience with Tableau, JMP, ExcelProficiency in electrical engineering basics, including Gerber files, board layout and driving SMT vendors

  • Previous management experience with diverse cross-functional teams

  • Experience designing electrical and/or mechanical test rigs; experience designing mass production manufacturing jigs

  • Previous experience working on both small (startup) and large (big tech) teams

  • Experience with hands-on model construction and prototyping, including SLS, SLA and FDM 3D printing

  • Interest or experience in gaming industry, especially handhelds

  • BS/MS in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent

Benefits & Perks:

  • Bi-annual off-sites to spend time with the team

  • Offices in Seattle and the SF Bay Area (Atherton)

  • Hybrid office model

  • 401k match

  • Full medical, dental, and vision for all FTE roles

  • Free Backbone products (sometimes free games too!)