Product Design Engineer

Vision

Affordable, natural, factory-built homes. We've embarked on a homebuilding renaissance where affordability,sustainability, and beauty come together. Out beyond ideas of right angles and hard lines, there's a bioceramic dome. The Geodesic Dome, introduced by the Visionary Architect Buckminster Fuller, is the world's most efficient structure. But to manufacture domes, we needed a material science breakthrough. Enter bioceramics a new class of earth-friendly materials that mimic human bone. Bioceramic domes maximize efficiency at the most fundamental levels - geometry, materials, and manufacturing method. In the future, we won't live in boxes. Join us there!

Project

After successfully achieving factory-built housing certification from the State of California and breaking ground on our flagship Amma dome build, we are hiring key team members to help us complete the design of the Amma product. We have a strong preference for team members to locate full-time onsite in Grass Valley, California, although hybrid/remote arrangements are possible for standout candidates.

Role

Geoship is seeking a Product Design Engineer to advance and finalize the design of our first Amma dome system. This role is for a first-principles problem solver and a multidisciplinary engineer who thrives in ambiguity and rapid iteration. You will integrate structural, mechanical, materials, and relevant building and safety standards into elegant, manufacturable solutions that bring a new form of sustainable housing into reality.

You will work closely with studio designers, materials scientists, manufacturing engineers, and operations teams to develop bioceramic molded parts, connection systems, structural components, interior systems, and other assemblies that seamlessly integrate into the finished dome. Your work will span concept development, detailed design, prototyping, design-for-manufacturing, analysis, testing, documentation, supplier engagement,

and hands-on support during prototype builds.

This is a rare opportunity to build a new housing technology from the ground up. If you think beyond conventional solutions, care deeply about regenerative design, and want to help shape the future of homes, we’d love to meet you!

Description

● Product & Component Design: Own the design of bioceramic components, connection systems, and mechanical assemblies from initial concept through release—applying first-principles reasoning, strong engineering fundamentals, and comprehensive system-level design that includes performing energy and load calculations, flow and pressure analysis, and MEP equipment selection; developing schematics, layouts, and installation instructions for HVAC ducting, piping, and related infrastructure; and ensuring compliance with all relevant building codes and industry standards.

● Design for Manufacturing: Ensure designs are compatible with casting, mixing, material-handling, and

assembly processes; create clear specifications, tolerances, and performance requirements to enable high-quality, repeatable, scalable production

● Prototyping & Testing: Build and test prototypes, develop test rigs when needed, and conduct design

analyses, validate mechanical behavior and assembly methods, and iterate rapidly based on real-world results

● Compliance & Standards Integration: Ensure mechanical designs align with relevant structural,

safety, and building standards, translating regulatory and performance requirements into clear

engineering specifications.

● Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with studio design, engineering, materials, and operations teams to develop system architectures, resolve tradeoffs, and support prototype and pilot builds

● Documentation & Communication: Produce clear CAD models, drawings, BOMs, specifications,

DFMEAs, test summaries, and design justifications; present design options and tradeoffs to facilitate alignment and decision-making

Qualifications

● Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, or related field

● 3 ~ 7+ years of professional experience in mechanical/product design, preferably involving large

complex assemblies

● Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a proven ability to identify and implement effective

solutions using first principles, modeling, and hands-on experimentations

● Strong CAD proficiency (SolidWorks, Fusion, Onshape, or similar)

● Demonstrated ability to take hardware products from concept through prototyping and into production

● Experience with tolerance stacks, design-for-manufacturing, and geometric dimensioning & tolerancing

(GD&T)

● Ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment—proactive, self-directed, resourceful

● Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively across disciplines

Desired Experience

● Takes ownership and responsibility for current and past results

● Takes risks, learns from mistakes, and drives to improve the performance of oneself, others, and the company

● Experience working with cast or molded materials, especially ceramics and composites

● Familiarity with structural analysis techniques and tools (FEA and hand calcs)

● Experience designing components for modular building systems, architectural hardware, or complex mechanical assemblies

● Hands-on prototyping experience: machining, molding, 3D printing, fabrication, or test rig development

Benefits

● Base pay between $125,000 and $170,000, based on experience and qualifications

● Comprehensive healthcare coverage

● Stock options

● Health savings account

● 401k

● Opportunity to join a conscious, future-building team