Role Overview:
The engineering team at Turtlebox is responsible for everything that makes the product work - the mechanical architecture, the electronics, the audio performance, and the validation that proves it will survive the conditions our customers put it through. It's a small team right now, and the work is hands-on. That's not changing as we grow - we're adding depth, not layers.
We're looking for a Manager of Engineering to lead and develop this team. You'll own the technical direction for product development across mechanical, electrical, and validation - setting the standard for how we design, test, and ship products. You'll report to the Product Director and work closely with Industrial Design, Product Management, Quality, and our manufacturing partners.
This role is for someone who is genuinely a strong engineer - not someone who moved into management because they hit a technical ceiling, but someone who chose to lead because they know how to make a team better than the sum of its parts. You'll be doing real engineering work alongside managing, particularly in the early stages. That's not a transitional phase - it's how this team operates.
Key Responsibilities:
Lead the Engineering Team
• Manage and develop Turtlebox's engineering team - mechanical, electrical, audio, validation, and technician roles
• Set the technical standard for product development: design quality, documentation, test rigor, and manufacturing readiness
• Build an engineering culture that moves fast, owns its decisions, and doesn't repeat the same mistakes
• Hire and onboard engineering talent as the team grows to meet the product roadmap
Own Technical Product Development
• Lead engineering on priority development programs from concept through mass production
• Make the tough technical tradeoffs - performance vs. cost, schedule vs. quality - and own the outcomes
• Ensure designs are manufacturable, testable, and built to survive real-world outdoor use - from plastic part geometry through SMT layout and firmware integration
• Drive design reviews, DFM reviews, and engineering gate decisions across all active programs
Manufacturing and Supplier Engineering
• Work directly with contract manufacturers and component suppliers to translate designs into manufactured product
• Drive tooling approvals, first-article inspections, and production validation - including plastic mold qualification and SMT line setup
• Identify and resolve engineering issues at the factory - you travel when the work requires it
• Build an engineering relationship with manufacturing partners that goes beyond PO management
Build Technical Systems and Standards
• Develop and maintain engineering documentation standards - drawings, specs, BOMs, and change control
• Own the technical side of Turtlebox's product data management - structured, current, and usable
• Build a test and validation infrastructure that catches problems before production, not after
Qualifications:
• 10-15 years of engineering experience in consumer electronics, with a track record of managing complex, cross-disciplinary teams
• Proven ability to lead engineering organizations through full product development cycles - concept through mass production - on multiple simultaneous programs
• Deep expertise in plastic injection molding: tool design, DFM, first-article qualification, and production validation
• Strong working knowledge of PCB and SMT processes - layout constraints, manufacturing yield, and supplier qualification
• Hands-on firmware familiarity - enough to review firmware scope, communicate requirements to embedded engineers, and identify risk
• Experience working directly with contract manufacturers in Asia - you've been to the factory, walked the line, and solved problems in person
• Demonstrated track record developing engineering talent - hiring, growing, and holding a team to a high technical standard
• Clear technical communicator - you can brief leadership and go deep with a supplier engineer in the same day
• Experience implementing or managing a PLM system and engineering change/revision control processes - you've built this infrastructure, not just used it
• Honest about what you know and what you don't - and good at building teams that fill the gaps
Preferred Experience:
• Consumer audio, speaker, or electronics product experience
• Experience with IP-rated, ruggedized, or outdoor product design
• Familiarity with acoustic engineering or speaker system design
• Background in startup or small-team consumer hardware development
• Advanced SolidWorks proficiency - complex assemblies, surfacing, GD&T drawings; ability to review, mark up, and work directly in engineering files
• Familiarity with PRD, DFMEA, EVT/DVT development models.
• Familiarity with Altium Designer or equivalent PCB design tool - enough to conduct meaningful design reviews, assess layout decisions, and communicate requirements to electrical engineers
• Working knowledge of Bluetooth system integration, EMI/EMC considerations, and mixed-signal PCB design constraints
Work Environment and Physical Requirements:
• Must be able to lift 50lbs
• Must be able to work in multiple environments. Indoor and outdoor environments, depending on job details.
• Must be able and willing to travel domestically and internationally up to 20% as needed including China and Southeast Asia.
• Must be legally authorized to work in Texas without requiring visa sponsorship.
