Product Development Engineer

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Physical Product Development

Apply Here or send your resume and cover letter to with the subject line "Product Development Engineer"

Remote with 25% domestic and international travel. Preference to candidates in North Carolina.

The Product Development Engineer will be an integral member of the Shibumi design team, tasked with bringing Shibumi’s product vision to life. This role is responsible for developing highly innovative shade and sit products with a focus on solving complex mechanical challenges and pushing the boundaries of what’s technically possible.

The Product Development Engineer will convert designs into manufacturable, high-performance products that can meet both consumer needs and business goals.

The position requires strong engineering skills, a passion for innovative product development, and an ability to work across multiple product categories and stages of development.

• Product Development and Engineering: Transform product concepts into fully realized designs that balance aesthetics, functionality, and manufacturability. Create detailed 3D models, technical drawings, and specifications for prototyping and manufacturing.
• Material Selection: Evaluate and select appropriate materials and manufacturing processes based on performance, cost, and production requirements.
• Functional Analysis and Proactive Problem Solving: Conduct functional analysis to ensure all components and assemblies work together seamlessly as a complete system. Identify potential design issues early and develop creative solutions that maintain design intent.
• Design for Manufacturability: Ensure designs are manufacturable, scalable, and cost‑effective. Assess production feasibility of designs and provide recommendations for manufacturability improvements. Collaborate with manufacturing partners on tooling design and production processes. Create detailed manufacturing documentation including assembly instructions.
• Prototyping: Build and refine functional prototypes to validate design concepts and mechanical performance using 3D printing, CNC machining, other rapid prototyping methods and working with external suppliers. Iterate designs quickly based on prototype testing results and user feedback. Document testing procedures, results, and design improvements.
• Develop Testing Protocols: Collaborate with the Director of Product to test prototypes and refine designs based on feedback from testing, consumer insights, and market trends. Determine strength and durability testing plan for all products to ensure products meet performance specifications.
• Problem Solving & Innovation: Develop creative engineering solutions that push the boundaries of what’s possible. Stay on top of industry trends, emerging technologies, and consumer behavior to inform new product concepts and design improvements.
• Design Documentation: Create and maintain design documentation, including tech packs and 3‑D models to ensure clarity throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Maintain Brand Consistency: Design products that align with Shibumi’s brand aesthetics, values, and overall product vision. Contribute to maintaining a strong, consistent brand identity across product lines.
• Collaborative Design: Work alongside the Director of Product and Design team to ideate, design, and iterate on product concepts for both existing and new products while ensuring technical feasibility. Use customer research (e.g., surveys, focus groups, user testing) to inform product‑design decisions, ensuring the final product resonates with target consumers.

Proven success in developing commercial products in the market.

• Experience: 6‑9 years of experience in product design and development, with a strong portfolio showcasing a variety of physical consumer or industrial products (hard goods experience with a specific focus in chairs development preferred). Hands‑on experience with prototyping methods including 3D printing, CNC machining, vacuum casting, manual fabrication and other rapid prototyping techniques. Strong understanding of hard‑good materials (plastics (ABS,…