Senior Product Design Engineer at BioLite

BioLite is looking for an experienced, mechanically-oriented, senior product engineer to join us in developing our next generation of clean energy solutions for both outdoor recreation and emerging markets.  In this position you'll play a crucial role in developing a range of exciting new products with potential for massive global health and environmental impacts.

TITLE: Senior Product Design Engineer
HOURS: Full-time  

LOCATION: Brooklyn, New York

REPORTS TO: Director of Engineering

COMPENSATION: Salary is competitive with other early-stage companies, including benefits, bonus plan, and equity stock options.

The Company  

BioLite is a for-profit social enterprise that develops, manufactures and markets distributed energy solutions for off-grid communities around the world. Our business serves two distinct markets: emerging-market families living in energy poverty, and outdoor enthusiasts seeking fuel-independent cooking and off gird electricity.

This is a unique opportunity to join a fast-moving startup with both a technical and creative environment in the heart of Brooklyn. If you are looking to work with an agile and ambitious product development group with a passion for the outdoors and a powerful social mission, we’re your company. As an engineer at BioLite you’ll solve challenging and interesting problems, work with an exceptional team, take ideas from concept through to large-scale production, and make a real positive impact on things that matter.

Key Activities

• Lead Product Development Programs—Strategize, plan and drive individual product development programs to meet milestones and market launch timelines. Mentor interns and entry level engineers.
• Product Engineering—Perform mechanical and electro-mechanical design and detailing for a range of clean-energy products across cooking, charging and lighting technologies. Collaborate with industrial design, EE, R&D, manufacturing and marketing teams.
• Design for Manufacturing (DFM)– Execute and deliver production-ready 3D CAD files and Bills of Materials, including components material specifications, tolerances, and finishes. Travel to and liaise with prototype vendors and manufacturing partners.
• Skill Building and Facilities—Build and integrate mechanical and prototyping capabilities within the company. Procure, maintain, and evolve computer, shop, and lab equipment. Help shape the strategic direction of product pipelines, technology and design development.
• Technology Development—As part of our broader team, identify and develop technologies that can be applied to emerging and outdoor recreation markets in various areas including cooking, energy-access, lighting and off-grid living.

Key Attributes  

• 5-10 years’ experience in high-volume consumer product engineering
• Experience with consumer electronics preferred
• Demonstrated ability to develop ideas and concepts into real products
• Experience working on multidisciplinary product teams and collaborating with industrial design, manufacturing, electronics, and user interface/user experience

• Experience with experimentation, testing, analysis and research
• Demonstrated experience leading teams and projects
• Enthusiasm for new technology, design and innovation
• Accountability, sense of humor, proactive nature and work ethic
• Self-managing and motivated; experience in a start-up environment a plus
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Experience in electronics, thermal systems, LED lights and power storage a plus

Technical skills

• Advanced 3D CAD skills in Solidworks, or other common modeling package including curvature-continuous surface modeling and multi-part mechanical assemblies
• Working knowledge in designing parts for high volume manufacturing processes, including tooling, production and assembly processes for metal forming and plastics molding
• Proficiency in performing tolerance stack-up analyses
• Technical knowledge of a wide range of materials, coatings, joining, and assembly techniques
• Working knowledge of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics
• Familiarity with digital electronics, sensors, circuits, and data acquisition
• Extensive knowledge of prototyping processes, including use of 3D printing
• Hands-on machine shop experience; ability to create through physical fabrication