Part Time Hardware Product Designer

Part Time Contractor
Shelter Devices · Dogpatch, San Francisco · 20 hrs/wk on-site · 3–6 months, intent to hire full-time

Job Description
• Own the mechanical and industrial design for an NPI physical AI consumer device, alongside a team of hardware engineers and existing design prototypes.
• Re-architect internals as the BOM evolves: new sensor and RF technologies, audio system.
• Design for sensors and audio: RF-transparent enclosure regions, speaker enclosure. You don’t need to be an RF or acoustics engineer but you need to work well with them.
• Run the 3D print farm: DFAM, tolerancing, post-processing (vapor smoothing, finishes).
• Material selection for the enclosure suitable for a consumer home product.
• Design for older hands and eyes: large tactile controls, high contrast, arthritis-friendly.
Requirements
• 4+ years designing physical consumer products, with at least one shipped at volume
• Fluent in the CAD software of your choosing (SolidWorks preferred)
• Hands-on 3D printing and rapid prototyping
• Industrial design chops: form, proportion, CMF, finish. Portfolio required.
• Bay Area based, in the SF office 2 days/week.
Nice to haves
• Audio products: speaker enclosures, acoustic tuning, fabric grilles
• Rendering (KeyShot/Blender), soft goods, or wood/metal fabrication
• Robotics, medical device, or senior-facing product exposure
• DFM for injection molding and CM assembly
Details
• Contract: 3–6 months, part time, 20hrs/week
• Rate: $110/hr
• Conversion: Convert into a full-time role with equity at the end of the contract, assuming mutual fit
• Equipment: Workstation, SolidWorks seat, print farm, lab access
• Location: Dogpatch, San Francisco, CA

About us
Shelter Devices is a pre-seed stage startup building a new category of physical AI for older adults in the home to keep families connected and offer peace of mind. The team is ex-Apple, Stanford, and Harvard sensing and robotics engineers. First units are already deployed in homes and senior facilities; now we need a designer.

We are looking for someone to own product design and industrial design end to end — form, materials, CAD, prototyping, and the path to production. You will be the first dedicated product design hire, working directly with the founders.
How to apply
Send a portfolio and a few lines on the product you're proudest of — and what you'd change about it now — to [email protected]. Include your earliest start date.