Based in San Francisco with offices in Stuttgart, Germany, Shaper was founded in 2012 with a mission of developing a revolutionary line of computer-augmented power tools, beginning first with a handheld CNC router called Origin. Today, Shaper supports thousands of woodworkers and craftspeople around the globe with the simple approach of developing tools to meet users' needs, rather than expecting users to conform to the tools.

We’re looking for an exceptional Senior Mechanical Engineer with five or more years of experience to join our Hardware team.

About this role

As a Senior Mechanical Engineer at Shaper, you will help create future products that redefine making. You will own the design and development of mechanisms and mechanical assemblies and build them into our future generation products. You will collaborate closely with our Concept Engineering team, embedded systems, software, component suppliers, and contract manufacturers. Not only will you be designing amazing solutions, but also helping implement them in a mid to high production volume manufacturing setting.

Where You'll Work

You’ll join our team in our new workspace in San Francisco's SoMa district. You’ll have access to our 5000 square foot workshop which is fully kitted out with all the woodworking machinery you could ever wish for (including Origin). This role will be on-site at our San Francisco office, but is flexible - you can work from home on days when, for example, you don’t need to interact with hardware/fixtures at the office. You’ll work with your manager on identifying when you are required on-site. This role will involve travel to manufacturing sites in Europe and Asia up to 10% per year.

The Job

• Own the mechanical design, validation, and production lifecycle of complex, next generation digital fabrication products and accessories
• Perform mechanical analyses including statics, dynamics, kinematics, strength of materials and stress analysis
• Troubleshoot and solve performance problems on complex cross-functional engineering systems during development and in production
• Design, write, and execute test procedures to validate hardware such as accelerated life testing, environmental testing, production acceptance testing, certification testing, and destructive testing
• Frequent collaboration cross functionally between engineering, operations, manufacturing, product and industrial design teams

• BSME required, MS preferred. Or blow us away with equivalent knowledge
• Have 5 years industry experience
• Have experience in high volume production, with a working knowledge of the EVT/DVT/PVT cycle, DFM/DFA, tolerance analysis, GD&T principles, and can apply this experience to precision production-ready mechanical designs & drawings
• Know the full product life cycle experience and/or have a strong desire to see products through ramp to mass production
• Have worked closely with EEs to spec components, define MCOs, create test plans & mechanically evaluate prototype and production PCBAs
• Show proven experience designing complex mechanisms at production scale
• Demonstrate strong competency with rapid prototyping and early-stage concept development
• Enjoys close collaboration with design and product teams, with a passion for user experience
• Have knowledge of different types of motion systems - motors, transducers, encoders, and mechanism/drivetrain-related components such as bearings, lead screws, linear guides, cams, belts & pulleys, and gears
• Can apply simulation tools (FEA, Thermal Simulation etc.) to develop designs by correlating simulation results with empirical test data
• Are skilled at 3D modeling and can implement mechanism designs effectively in collaborative 3D environments
• Have a working knowledge of thermodynamic principles and have experience designing thermal management systems using heatsinks, fans, heat pipes etc.
• Have experience collaborating with software engineers and writing software SOWs for validation testing software
• Excel in a fast-paced, schedule driven environment
• Can travel domestically and internationally up to 10% of the time

• Skilled with CREO Parametric
• Experience on-site in Asia-based manufacturing facilities
• Experience working with metrology techniques for analysis of parts and assemblies
• Passing communication skills in German and/or Mandarin
• You like building things with your hands
• You love woodworking and/or robots
• You like to teach