Staff Product Design Engineer (Automotive)

Location: Palo Alto, United States; on-site

Salary: $180,000–$230,000 per year, depending on experience and qualifications.

Company

Electric mobility company developing vertically integrated small electric vehicles to address global transportation challenges.

What you will do

• Own vehicle-level interconnect diagrams and help shape electrical and vehicle architecture.
• Define, route, and integrate wire harnesses, connectors, and electromechanical components in tightly packaged 3D environments.
• Design harnesses in 3D CAD, ensuring mechanical fit, clearances, installation paths, and serviceability.
• Select conductors and connectors based on power requirements, signal integrity, and environmental targets.
• Build and modify prototype harnesses, supporting rapid iteration, testing, and debugging.
• Guide harnesses from concept through sourcing, validation, manufacturing, and production support.

Requirements

• 5+ years of electromechanical product development experience focused on wire harness assemblies in automotive or robotics applications.
• Strong fundamentals in mechanics, materials, thermals, and connector design.
• Advanced experience with 3D CAD modeling, drafting, GD&T, and PLM systems for documentation and release control.
• Experience launching components and assemblies involving high-volume manufacturing processes such as injection molding, stamping, or forging.
• Formal mechanical engineering education with a focus on hardware design and development.
• Experience analyzing field failures, diagnosing issues, and performing root cause analysis.

Culture & Benefits

• Hands-on work within an early-stage team developing a clean-sheet electric vehicle platform.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance covered up to 100%, with FSA and HSA options.
• One Medical membership and dedicated insurance advocates.
• Fertility and family-building benefits through Progyny.
• Flexible time off and a 401(k) match.