Location: Remote in Romania (with flexibility for extended travel to manufacturing sites/testing facilities)
Type: Full-Time
Department: Hardware Engineering
About us:
Startup Workspace is an innovation power house where tinkerers, coders, hardware Jedi join forces to improve quality of life through IoT solutions. Our robust, cost effective solution empowers businesses to monitor, control and assess critical assets remotely with real-time data, optimising operational costs and decision-making. We are always in search of curious, outside-of-the-box thinkers that like to challenge the status quo and build highly efficient solutions that deliver real business impact.
About the Role
We are seeking a versatile, hands-on Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead the physical design, prototyping, and manufacturing preparation of our next-generation battery-powered IoT hardware. In this role, you will bridge the gap between high-volume consumer aesthetics and ruggedised, reliable B2B performance.
You will own the mechanical product lifecycle from napkin sketch and 3D-printed prototypes all the way through to mass production—ensuring our devices are compact, thermally efficient, weatherproofed, and optimised for long battery life and ease of assembly.
We are looking for someone with a true maker mindset. A problem solver who loves building physical objects, experimenting with fabrication tools, and taking products from prototype to scale.
Key Responsibilities
- Enclosure & Structural Design: Lead the mechanical design of robust, attractive, and functional enclosures for battery-operated IoT products across consumer and industrial/ B2B sectors.
- Rapid Prototyping & Iteration: Build, test, and iterate physical 3D-printed prototypes (FDM, SLA, SLS) to rapidly validate form, fit, ergonomic feel, and mechanical assembly.
- Environmental & Mechanical Reliability: Engineer designs to meet target IP ratings (e.g., IP65–IP68) for dust/water ingress, drop/shock resistance, UV resistance, and wide temperature operation.
- DFM/DFA (Design for Manufacturability / Assembly): Collaborate directly with injection moulders, sheet metal fabricators, toolmakers, and CMs (Contract Manufacturers) to ensure yield optimisation and cost targets.
- Thermal & Power Constraints: Work closely with electrical and firmware teams to design effective thermal dissipation mechanisms and optimise internal space for high-energy-density batteries.
- Travel & Factory Support: Travel on-site to domestic and international manufacturing/tooling vendors for EVT, DVT, and PVT bring-up builds when required.
Qualifications & Requirements
- Experience: 6+ years of hands-on mechanical engineering experience in hardware product development (preferably in consumer electronics, wearable tech, or ruggedised B2B hardware).
- Location & Travel Availability: Ability to work remotely while maintaining availability for extended travel to production sites, tooling suppliers, and team offsites.
- Materials & Processes: In-depth knowledge of injection moulding (plastics, elastomers/overmolding), sealing mechanisms (gaskets, O-rings, ultrasonic welding), structural metals, and surface finishes.
- Battery & Power Integration: Practical understanding of battery mechanical integration, safety standards, swelling allowances, and thermal runaway containment.
- Manufacturing Track Record: Proven track record of bringing hardware products through tooling, ramp, and mass production.
Bonus Qualifications (Pluses)
- Maker Mindset & Fabrication Interest: A passionate "maker" spirit with hands-on interest or experience in CNC machining, manual mills/lathes, laser cutting, or workshop prototyping.
- 3D Modelling & Major CAD Expertise: High proficiency in major 3D CAD modelling suites (e.g., SolidWorks, PTC Creo, or Fusion 360), including complex surfacing and detailed drafting.
- 3D Printing Mastery: In-house experience operating, troubleshooting, and maintaining 3D printers, selecting technical filaments/resins for functional testing.
- Hardware Design Capabilities: Broader electronics/hardware design exposure (ECAD/MCAD co-design, PCB layout constraints, component placement considerations).
- FEA Simulation: Structural/Thermal FEA simulation skills.
Why Join Us?
- Genuine autonomy to shape technology and product direction.
- Primarily remote role.
- Opportunity to become a key technical authority within a growing business.
- Work on products that directly improve quality of life.
- Collaborative, forward-thinking engineering environment.
How to Apply
Interested candidates are invited to submit their CVs outlining their qualifications, relevant experience and why they consider themselves to be right for the role.
Note: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.
We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that embraces and celebrates differences. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences. We take data protection seriously; any personal information you provide will be processed securely and safely and we will never provide your personal information to a third party. A copy of our Job Application Privacy Policy is available on request.
