What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Engineering position at Mango Product Development?
Director of Engineering — Hardware Product Development Mango Product Development · Needham, MA (On-site, ~10% travel)
ABOUT US
Mango PD is a hardware engineering consultancy. We take products from concept to production across the full stack—mechanical, electrical, firmware, industrial design, and regulatory—for clients ranging from funded startups to established consumer brands. Our team is small and senior by design: six engineers running real programs, not a body shop. We work in a Lead/Support pairing model so every project has depth and continuity.
THE ROLE
We're hiring a Director of Engineering to run and execute multiple client programs end to end. You'll be the person clients trust to deliver and the person engineers look to for direction. This is a builder's leadership role—you'll set the strategy and drop into CAD or code when a project needs you to. You'll report directly to the founder and be empowered to make and own decisions, not route them upward.
What you'll do
- Own execution across several concurrent programs—scope, schedule, budget, and delivery.
- Define workstreams across disciplines (ME, EE, FW, ID, regulatory) and keep them coordinated toward a single build plan.
- Manage and mentor a team of engineers; grow their capabilities and own their performance.
- Set and defend realistic schedules, then drive the team and partners to hit them.
- Get hands-on when it matters—reviewing CAD, debugging firmware, untangling a DFM problem, sitting in on a CM call.
- Travel as needed (~10%) to support projects through prototyping, builds, and production at vendors and clients.
- Be the senior technical voice clients rely on, and the founder's partner in running the engineering side of the business.
What we're looking for
- A track record managing multidisciplinary hardware programs from concept through production.
- Genuine technical depth in at least one core discipline (ME, EE, or FW) and enough fluency across the others to lead the whole.
- Experience managing and mentoring engineers, with the judgment to know when to coach and when to step in.
- Comfort with the realities of contract development: shifting scope, multiple clients, overseas CMs, and hard deadlines.
- Someone who wants ownership and decision authority—and is accountable for the outcomes.
COMPENSATION
Competitive base plus significant profit sharing. As we grow, you grow—your upside is tied directly to the work you deliver.
TO APPLY
- Send a resume and a short note on a hardware program you ran and what made it succeed (or what you'd do differently) to hello@mango-pd.com.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Mango PD is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and make hiring decisions based on qualifications, merit, and fit for the role.
Please note we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position; applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.