4ocean is here to help end the ocean plastic crisis, and we are looking for a Mechanical Engineer (aka Design Engineer) for our New Product Development team to help us achieve our mission.
About 4ocean
4ocean is a purpose-driven business. We clean the world’s ocean and coastlines while working to stop the inflow of plastic by changing consumption habits. Unlike many other environmentally-focused companies, we are not a nonprofit, and believe in creating sustainable business solutions to achieve our goals rather than relying on donations or grants.
We were founded in 2017 by two surfers who dedicated themselves to cleaning the ocean and working to end the ocean plastic crisis. They launched the company by creating a handmade bracelet and promising to pull a pound of trash for every bracelet sold. With the money raised from the sales of these bracelets, we have been able to employ hundreds of people to clean the ocean full-time and pull over 5 million pounds of trash from the ocean and coastlines.
Bracelet sales are just the beginning. We are building an assortment of high quality, sustainably-made products that will help people reduce their dependence on single-use plastic, reuse the materials we collect from the ocean, and celebrate the 4ocean brand and ocean-conscious lifestyle.
Beyond our products, we combat the ocean plastic crisis through technology, cleanups, influence, and education. Our ocean clean-up operations, currently in the U.S., Haiti, and Indonesia, are meticulously documented and audited for transparency, and we are regularly expanding to new locations and deploying new clean-up technologies.
About This Position
We are looking for a Mechanical Engineer within our New Product Development team, a role that will be located in our recently opened Austin, Texas office. We are willing to relocate the right candidate as needed.
Reporting to the Head of Product, you will play a key role in the design and development of our expanding product line. This will include lifestyle products made from sustainable materials (including materials collected from the ocean) and products that help people reduce their own consumption of single-use plastics.
As a key member of a small development team, your responsibilities will include product design, mechanical engineering, project management, and working with suppliers to resolve manufacturing challenges. You will be asked to take products from an approved industrial design concept through manufacturing.
Other fun stuff you’ll get to do:
- Translate marketing specs to technical performance requirements
- Establish product architecture including part breakout and material selection
- Create proof of principle prototypes
- Own all aspects of 3D and 2D CAD
- Utilize CAE analysis tools to raise confidence in design
- Establish product manufacturing specifications and critical to quality metrics
- Collaborate closely with Industrial Design team and vendors to balance intent with manufacturability and performance
- Create and lead design validation testing based on DFMEA
- Drive IP clearance and filings
- Technical documentation of key project decisions and design changes
- Provide regular updates to cross-functional and leadership teams on key project indicators – schedule, budget, and quality
Qualifications
You will bring at least 3 years of relevant experience and a passion for designing and creating sustainable products that will help change the consumer behavior for the long haul. You will have enough experience to be confident in leading NPD projects and not afraid to make bold suggestions that will make our products and our company better.
All 4ocean employees must naturally live and embrace our core values:
- Ocean first
- Transparency
- Think big, act quickly
- Nudge don’t judge
- We’re in this together
- Get stoked!
Here are a few other things we will need you to have:
- Engineering degree is a must
- Expertise in design engineering after working with consumer goods for at least 3 years
- Experience with plastics manufacturing, especially injection molding
- Demonstrated experience working with cross-functional teams utilizing your creative problem-solving skills, which are coupled with solid engineering fundamentals
- Expert-level skills in 2D, 3D CAD software
- Strong understanding of how consumers will interact with our new products
- Well trained in working with both industrial design and marketing teams to ensure a successful, collaborative result is achieved
- Willingness to travel as needed
- Comfort in a fast-paced, always changing start-up environment
- Team-first, optimistic, solution-driven orientation
- Drive to play an important role in a business that makes a difference in the world
- Personal passion for sustainability and cleaning the world’s oceans
Bonus points if you have:
- Experience with multi-component assemblies (mechanisms a plus)
- Strong communication and presentation skills
- Experience in DFMEA, validation and test plan creation
- End-to-End product development experience
- Experience and knowledge of metal component fabrication preferred
- FEA analysis experience
4ocean LLC is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.