Rapid Prototyping Engineer

About the role

We are seeking a Rapid Prototyping Engineer to join our early‑stage hardware startup in San Francisco. In this hands‑on position you will bridge R&D and product engineering, turning early concepts for wearable devices into functional prototypes that can be tested and iterated quickly.

Key responsibilities

• Design and fabricate mechanical, electrical and sensor prototypes from sketches through CAD, fabrication, wiring and integration.
• Develop quick‑turn PCBs, flex circuits, wiring harnesses and cable assemblies for prototype electronics.
• Perform hands‑on soldering, including fine‑pitch and flex‑board work, and assemble sensor and RF components.
• Create and refine assembly and test fixtures, jigs and tooling to improve repeatability and cycle time.
• Collaborate with design engineers to provide DFM/DFA feedback and drive design iterations before production.
• Debug and troubleshoot electromechanical systems, identifying mechanical, electrical or process‑related failures.

Required profile

• Engineering generalist comfortable working across mechanical, electrical and sensor domains.
• Self‑starter who can operate with minimal supervision in an ambiguous, fast‑moving environment.
• Experience building prototypes for wearable or consumer‑electronics form factors.

Required skills

• CAD for mechanical design.
• PCB and flex‑circuit design.
• Soldering and fine‑pitch assembly.
• Sensor and actuator integration.
• Fixture and tooling design.
• Design for manufacturability (DFM) and design for assembly (DFA) principles.
• Debugging of electromechanical systems.