Hardware Engineer
Tokyo, Japan
Job Type:
Full Time or Contractor
Workspace:
Hybrid
Join the NOMU mission to Do Better and Be Better and our journey to make our vision and products real! We are a startup on a mission to create a new and better choice for consumers to bring together health and sustainability by leveraging the latest in food and beverage, nutrition and technology.
We are an early-stage startup backed by amazing investors, including a major VC in Japan and a group of extraordinary entrepreneurs from Europe, the US and Asia. As an early startup, our team members get to define what their job titles and the team culture really mean in the context of a rapidly growing organisation with huge potential. You are not just part of building an amazing product; you are part of building an amazing company!
About the Role
We are seeking a talented and curious Hardware Engineer with a background in electro-mechanical systems and product design to join our innovative team on a permanent or project period-based contractor basis. The ideal candidate should possess a deep understanding of hardware development, encompassing both electrical and mechanical components, and be able to run it from ideation to end product release and production and contribute to the design, development, and optimisation of cutting-edge products. If you love to develop prototypes and take them to production, this role is for you!
This role offers the opportunity to work on diverse projects, collaborating with cross-functional teams to bring groundbreaking ideas to life to revolutionise the Food & Beverage industry.
Role & Responsbilities - What you will be doing:
Electro-Mechanical Design
Conceptualise, design, and prototype electro-mechanical systems for our hardware products.
Integrate electrical and mechanical components to ensure seamless functionality and compatibility.
Collaborate with our internal hardware and software engineering team, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers of our suppliers, and other stakeholders to ensure cohesive system integration.
Perform simulations, analysis, and testing to validate and optimise designs.
Product Design and Development
Participate in and drive the end-to-end product development lifecycle, from concept to production.
Contribute to selecting appropriate materials, manufacturing processes and suppliers, and technologies for product realisation.
Create detailed product designs together with our industrial designer, 3D modelling, considering factors like aesthetics, usability, ergonomics, and manufacturability.
Generate prototypes and iterate designs based on testing and feedback.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work closely with software engineers, designers, and other team members to achieve seamless hardware-software integration.
Collaborate with external partners, suppliers, and manufacturers to ensure the successful production of hardware products and components.
Testing, QC and Validation
Develop and execute test plans to verify the performance, reliability, and safety of hardware components and systems.
Analyse test data and implement design modifications as necessary to meet performance targets.
Documentation and Reporting
Create and maintain comprehensive documentation, including design specifications, assembly instructions, and test procedures.
Present findings, progress updates, and design reviews to internal teams and stakeholders.
Continuous Improvement
Stay updated with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices for electro-mechanical engineering and product design. Identify opportunities for innovation and process improvement within the hardware development process.
Freedom and responsibility
As a member of an early startup team, you will have a lot of say in how things will be done and even who to do this with. You will work closely with our founder to understand and translate the vision into a full product and great end-user experience.
This role comes with a lot of freedom in terms of how you do things; ultimately, the goal is to provide an amazing product experience for the end-users. As a small team, we are not looking to micro-manage and control every task, nor do we have extensive policies and guidelines to police. We are endorsing freedom and autonomy but with responsibility and collaboration.
International environment
Although the first year of development and launch will be based in Japan and focus on the Japanese market, the company intends to go global fast. Moreover, our founder and the founding team are pretty international in their background from around the world. For this reason, we are looking to hire an international team. Much communication will happen in Japanese, but the company’s first language is English.
Despite this, as the original release of this product will happen in Tokyo and Japan for Japanese users, you will be working with and for Japanese end-users to begin with.
Product stack
The company has a hardware and software branch of the product of which you will be working on the hardware product components. The product will combine a hardware refillable bottle, a beverage dispenser terminal, the interface of this dispenser terminal (software) and end-user mobile applications.
Team and method
You will be working with our founder and lead engineer as main counterparts. We will have an office in Tokyo and work in a hybrid-environment with the option to work some days from home. How you divide your time will be much of your own responsibility and as the situation requires.
We aim to work in a low-overhead agile environment with frequent short releases to be tested until public launch and with many streams in parallel. This means your role is not working on a waterfall project method but rather working collaboratively with other team members to innovate and iterate up to and after the product launch.
Requirements - What you would need:
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a related field or other studies of theoretical basis for Electro-Mechanical Engineering
Proven experience in electro-mechanical design, product development, and hardware engineering.
Proficiency in CAD software (e.g., SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Shapr3D) for both mechanical and electrical design.
Understanding of manufacturing processes, materials, and design principles.
Experience with simulation and analysis tools for evaluating mechanical and electrical designs.
Experience with project management tools and methodologies, such as Agile and Scrum.
Working-level language skills in English and some Japanese preferred.
Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot complex hardware issues.
Effective communication skills and the ability to collaborate across cross-functional teams.
Detail-oriented mindset with a focus on quality and accuracy in design and documentation.
Additional Notes
Optional Skills which would be good to have, but maybe be learned as we go:
Familiarity with PCB design and layout is a plus.
Familiarity with regulatory and compliance requirements for hardware systems, such as FCC, CE, and RoHS.
Understanding of quality control methods.
Passion for developing new protoypes.
If you are a motivated and creative Hardware Engineer with a passion for designing innovative electro-mechanical products, we encourage you to apply.
Join us in shaping the future of our industry through your expertise and dedication to excellence.
Apply Now
Please send us your name and contacts, a short message, and a reference URL. The reference URL can be your LinkedIn, GitHub or any other site representing you or your work.
We look forward to hearing from you!