Mechanical Engineering Design Lead

IDEO • San Francisco, CA

1d • $110,000 - $130,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

IDEO is in search of a Lead Mechanical Engineer to guide and shape the work of our world-class interdisciplinary teams. The ideal candidate will bring deep industry knowledge of product development lifecycles & maintenance; a drive to iterate quickly through prototyping; and an inclusive collaboration style. This hire will have the unique opportunity to help evolve IDEO’s practice of engineering high-impact physical products, building on our diverse network of Design Directors, Partners, and Business Leaders. The Lead Mechanical Engineer is directly responsible for leading physical product development efforts for our exceptionally creative clients across industries. We are especially excited to meet candidates with exceptional project management skills; visual storytelling abilities; a drive to get tangible by prototyping in both digital and physical realms; and a grounding in core design for manufacturing (DFM) principles and practices. This hire must be within a commutable distance of IDEO’s San Francisco studio. IDEO proudly supports flexible work.

Requirements

• 5-7+ years of experience in mechanical engineering or product design
• Proven ability to guide product development through ambiguous problem spaces
• Deep proficiency in 3D CAD (SolidWorks preferred), Adobe Creative Suite, and rapid physical prototyping tools beyond 3D printing (machining, CNC lasercutting, foamcore, paper prototyping, etc)
• Experience launching products and sourcing key manufacturing partners
• Professional leadership & production experience with one or more of the following: Complex Mechanism Design, Packaging, Health and Life Sciences Products, Injection Molded Plastic Part Design, Design for Manufacturing and Assembly, Proof of Concept Prototyping, Research Model Prototyping
• Experience mentoring junior designers and leading small teams
• Experience working in startups or client-service studios, and a systems-thinking mindset

Nice To Haves

• A leading craft edge in one or more of the following skills… UI/UX design (figma, framer, protopie, etc)
• Coding/Software Development (Mechatronics, Arduino, Python, etc)
• Storytelling tools such as photography, videography

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage mechanical design efforts on complex projects from concept to implementation.
• Be the key technical voice on multi-disciplinary teams, translating between form and function.
• Elevate clients’ climate goals and sustainability best practices through 0-1 physical product development, materials science research, and life cycle analysis (LCA).
• Mentor and guide junior engineers and designers in the craft of physical product realization, sourcing partner manufacturers, and design for manufacturing principles.
• Present design direction through CAD, physical prototypes, and visual storytelling.
• Partner with research, design, and business stakeholders to define project strategies and product direction.
• Build, test, and iterate high-fidelity functional prototypes using 3D printers and machine tools.
• Contribute to and occasionally lead user research throughout concepting and pilot production phases.
• Represent IDEO in client communications, workshops, and presentations.

Benefits

• Vision, Dental, Healthcare
• 401K matching
• Parental Leave, Adoption Assistance, Fertility Assistance, Transgender Medical Assistance, Breastmilk shipment, Back-up/Dependent Care, Pet Insurance
• Flexible Work, Flexible Time Off, Paid Holidays, Annual Education Stipend, Home Office Stipend

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed