Flare is looking for a Lean Manufacturing & Mechanical Engineer to join our 5-person venture capital-backed startup in Boston. Flare is redefining personal safety based on real data and stories instead of outdated stereotypes. Over 70% of assault happens with someone you know, not a stranger in a dark alley. We help you escape bad social interactions earlier in the moment. Get out as soon as you get that bad feeling in your gut and before a situation escalates into an emergency.

We're looking for a hands-on mechanical engineer who can help transition our first-generation product to mass production and make critical design improvements that improve quality, ease of assembly, and reduce cost. This strategic role mixes technical supply chain support, product design, and testing. We are a nimble team delivering a best-in-class integrated hardware and software experience.

Responsibilities:

• Manage lean manufacturing with our contract manufacturing partner.  Support the initial ramp-up and scale to volume.
• Manage DFM, tolerancing, and ongoing quality inspection plan for the mechanical components and assembly
• Technical supply chain support: vendor scouting, qualification, and ongoing engineering oversight
• Manage the mechanical and environmental reliability test plan, execution, and corrective actions
• Assist in fixture development for final assembly and test
• Drive component and final assembly yield improvements
• Triage returns and customer issues in the field- failure analysis, corrective actions
• Strategically balance resources between manufacturing support for the first generation product and product development for next generation products. Own mechanical design to deliver elegant, reliable, and cost-effective products

Requirements:

• Strong technical background including a BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering or similar
• Three or more years of experience in a design and manufacturing engineering role, ideally having brought at least one hardware product to market
• Holistic product design experience, starting with the user and balancing cross-functional engineering considerations to define the system architecture. Strong 3D CAD and drafting skills, SolidWorks preferred
• Expertise in component and system design, including tolerance analysis, design for manufacturing (DFM), and design for assembly (DFA)
• Experience scouting vendors and establishing quality controls for prototype and mass production parts
• Experience with FMEA, reliability testing, and failure analysis

Preferred candidates will also have:

• Experience with plastic injection molding
• Experience with metal cosmetic parts (esp jewelry) - die striking and forming, stamping, casting, plating
• Experience with permanent assembly methods including plastic welding and dispensed adhesives in production environments
• Experience with wearable products
• Experience defining cosmetic specifications, inspection methods, and yield improvements
• Experience working at a startup

Other qualifications:

We're looking for a passionate core team member who cares deeply about the issues facing marginalized communities. You are not satisfied with the status quo and you want to play an instrumental role in launching a category-defining product.

This is an incredible early stage leadership opportunity to help build something that will have a positive impact on the world with lots of exciting milestones ahead. This is a full-time role based in downtown Boston with some remote work okay. We value health and wellness at Flare and offer competitive health coverage, retirement benefits, and commuter benefits. To apply, please submit your resume.