Senior Product Design Engineer

About the role

The owns the end-to-end mechanical development of integrated task systems that empower industrial and defense workflows. You will translate rugged operational requirements into hardened hardware architectures that survive real-world abuse and mission-critical timelines. This role demands deep collaboration with software, sensors, and manufacturing teams to align mechanical behavior with system-level performance goals. You will define thermal strategies, material selections, and manufacturing for designs that must function in environments where failure is not an option. Every decision you make will directly influence the reliability and usability for technicians, engineers, and service members on the front lines. You will drive the design of physical interfaces, enclosure integrity, and modularity so that systems can be serviced and upgraded in the field. Your work will establish the mechanical foundation that allows AI, networking, and sensing to deliver consistent results under stress. Ultimately, you will shape the physical narrative of how our products protect people and amplify their capabilities in the most demanding conditions.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Investigate operational constraints and translate them into robust mechanical concepts for augmented reality and industrial tools.
• Architect mechanical solutions that integrate sensors, displays, and controls while preserving user safety and system integrity.
• Evaluate competing materials and manufacturing processes to balance durability, weight, and cost for high-stress environments.
• Construct and refine 2D drawings and 3D models using rigorous GD&T to ensure parts fit, function, and can be sourced reliably.
• Execute thermal and structural simulations to predict performance under load, heat, and vibration before physical hardware exists.
• Build and test prototype sub-systems, iterating rapidly based on data from teardown, reassembly, and environmental validation.
• Partner with vendors to define fixtures, tooling, and process controls that meet our precision and repeatability standards.
• Lead root cause analysis for production issues, applying hands-on troubleshooting and redesign where necessary.
• Coordinate verification and validation activities, ensuring prototypes meet specification, regulatory, and durability targets.
• Document design decisions, trade studies, and test results to support compliance, manufacturing handoff, and future upgrades.
• Drive design for manufacturability across injection molding, sheet metal, and CNC operations to streamline volume production.
• Plan and execute prototype builds, leveraging 3D printing and manual fabrication to accelerate learning cycles.
• Represent mechanical ownership in cross-functional reviews, aligning timelines and deliverables with program milestones.
• Travel domestically and internationally up to 15-20% to engage suppliers, conduct testing, and support EVT and DVT builds.
• Champion best practices in documentation, traceability, and risk management throughout the product development lifecycle.

Requirements

• You hold a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field with 8+ years of product development experience.
• You are authorized to work in the United States and able to provide documentation verifying your status as a U.S. Person upon hire.
• You demonstrate expert-level proficiency in 3D CAD, with a strong preference for PTC Creo and top-down design methodologies.
• You apply geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) consistently to ensure parts are manufacturable and inspectable.
• You have hands-on experience with plastics, injection molding, sheet metal, and CNC machining processes and their trade-offs.
• You can create clear, accurate 2D drawings that specify tolerances, finishes, and inspection requirements for suppliers.
• You have used thermal analysis and/or finite element analysis at the component, module, or system level to guide design decisions.
• You are familiar with 3D printing technologies and understand how they support rapid prototyping and iterative design.
• You have designed, fabricated, and assembled prototype sub-systems in a hardware-intensive development environment.
• You manage vendors and mechanical fixtures, ensuring deliverables meet schedule, quality, and cost expectations.

Nice to have

• Experience with defense, industrial, or first responder environments and the associated regulatory constraints.
• Familiarity with AR or heads-up display optical systems and their mechanical integration challenges.
• Background in high-volume manufacturing and supply chain qualification for complex mechanical assemblies.

Practical notes

• Work authorization requirement: Due to the nature of our business and compliance with federal regulations, all candidates must be a U.S. Person. Upon hire, you will be required to provide documentation verifying your status as a U.S. Citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or a protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).
• Role

location: 2550 N First Street Suite 250, San Jose, California 95131.

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Engagement: Full-time, on-site in the San Francisco Bay Area.

• Travel expectation: 15-20% domestic and international travel to support supplier testing and EVT/DVT builds.
• Compensation may vary within the posted range based on relevant experience, skills, education, and other job-related factors. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for equity and other forms of compensation. Eligible employees also receive a competitive benefits package, including unlimited PTO.
• Rivet is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law. Certain roles may require U.S. Person status, security clearance eligibility, or other requirements imposed by law or government contract.