Director of Hardware Engineering

Freight Farms is a long-time Ag Tech leader and we were the first to build a farm inside a shipping container. Unlike a traditional farm, our plants grow vertically indoors without soil, getting their nutrition from water and light from powerful and efficient LEDs. The result is a system that operates independently from land, climate, and season with the power to bring local food production directly to you, no matter where you are in the world.

Job Description

We are looking for an exceptionally hands-on engineering leader to drive the continuous improvement and cost-down of our flagship product line. Deep knowledge of
manufacturing processes and ability to interface with a wide variety of team members and manufacturers is a must. The ideal candidate has shipped complex products at moderate scale and is fluent in the challenges of doing so, but can balance the required rigor with the agility required of the startup environment. They should have experience in the development of complex integrated systems with both electrical and mechanical aspects, a variety of manufacturing processes including sheet metal processes, large metal and plastic extrusions, and people management experience. We value passion and growth highly - if you don’t quite match the requirements but you love what we’re doing, then we want to hear from you!

Responsibilities

• Own the technical performance of our hardware product(s)

• Manage the hardware engineering team

• Own the COGS reduction targets in the Freight Farms flagship product line

• Identify likely targets for cost reduction and quality/performance improvement, provide and implement potential solutions in these areas

• Be a contributing design engineer, taking a hands on approach to redesigning components and systems to improve performance, quality, and manufacturability; you will own some CAD and this must excite you

• Collaborate with team members constantly, both on the hardware engineering team and on the manufacturing, technical support, and NPI teams

• Be a primary engineering point of contact for our volume manufacturers

• Utilize industry best practices as well as team norms in all of your work

• Write clear and concise documentation for your designs

• This position may be an engineering management position for the right candidate, responsible for the performance and development of the sustaining engineering team

• Contribute to the hardware development process and engineering culture as the Freight Farms team and product grow

Requirements

• B.S. in ME or a related field

• Technical knowledge and experience in:

  ○ Design of integrated electromechanical and/or fluid systems

  ○ Familiarity with control systems

  ○ Familiarity with thermal management systems

  ○ Sheet metal design and manufacturing processes

  ○ Metal and plastic extrusion development

  ○ Assembly design and optimization

  ○ FMEA techniques

  ○ DFM/A strategies

  ○ EVT/DVT/PVT testing protocols and when they are/aren’t appropriate

  ○ BOM and COGS reduction techniques

  ○ Continuous product improvement

• Excellent written and verbal skills

  ○ Ability to document requirements and specifications

  ○ Must be able to explain limitations, both technical and time, to non-

  technical team members

• Confidence with regards to the knowledge you possess while also

  acknowledging areas for improvement

• Rabid desire to learn and improve your technical skills

• Comfortable speaking up and asking questions when necessary

• Expertise in hardware development methodology and release processes

Preferred Experience:

• At least 10 years of industry experience in similar technologies

• Past success in a similar role

• Experience in agile/startup environments

Job Type:

Full-time, on-site only

Benefits:

• 401(k)

• Dental insurance

• Disability insurance

• Employee assistance program

• Health insurance

• Health savings account

• Life insurance

• Paid time off

• Vision insurance

To apply, submit application materials below: