Hardware Product Designer
Part Time Contractor
Shelter Devices · Dogpatch, San Francisco · 10-15 hrs/wk on-site · 3–6 months, intent to hire full-time
Job Description• Own the hardware product design for an NPI physical AI consumer device, alongside a team of hardware engineers.
• Re-architect internals as the BOM evolves: new sensor and RF technologies, audio system.
• Design for sensors and audio: RF-transparent enclosure regions, speaker enclosure. You don’t need to be an RF or acoustics engineer but you need to work well with them.
• Run the 3D print farm: DFAM, tolerances, post-processing.
• Material selection for the enclosure suitable for a consumer home product.
• Design for older hands and eyes: large tactile controls, high contrast, arthritis-friendly.
Requirements• 4+ years designing physical consumer products, with at least one shipped at volume
• Fluent in the CAD software of your choosing (SolidWorks preferred)
• Hands-on 3D printing and rapid prototyping
• Bay Area based, in the SF office 2 days/week.
Nice to haves• Audio products: speaker enclosures, acoustic tuning, fabric grilles
• Rendering (KeyShot/Blender), soft goods, or wood/metal fabrication
• Robotics, medical device, or senior-facing product exposure
• Industrial design chops: form, proportion, CMF, finish.
• DFM for injection molding and CM assembly
Details• Contract: 3–6 months, part time, 20hrs/week
• Rate: $110/hr
• Conversion: Convert into a full-time role with equity at the end of the contract, assuming mutual fit
• Equipment: Workstation, SolidWorks seat, print farm, lab access
• Location: Dogpatch, San Francisco, CA
About usShelter Devices is a pre-seed stage startup building a new category of physical AI for older adults in the home to keep families connected and offer peace of mind. The team is ex-Apple, Stanford, and Harvard sensing and robotics engineers. First units are already deployed in homes and senior facilities; now we need a designer.
We are looking for someone to own product design end to end — form, materials, CAD, prototyping, and the path to production. You will be the first dedicated product design hire, working directly with the founders.
How to applySend a portfolio and a few lines on the product you're proudest of — and what you'd change about it now — to [email protected]. Include your earliest start date.
Skills Required
- 4+ years designing physical consumer products
- At least one product shipped at volume
- Fluency in CAD software; SolidWorks preferred
- Hands-on 3D printing and rapid prototyping experience
- Based in the Bay Area
- Able to work in the San Francisco office 2 days per week
- Experience with audio products, including speaker enclosures, acoustic tuning, or fabric grilles
- Rendering experience with KeyShot or Blender
- Soft goods or wood/metal fabrication experience
- Robotics, medical device, or senior-facing product experience
- Industrial design experience with form, proportion, CMF, and finish
- Design for manufacturing experience with injection molding and contract manufacturing assembly
What We Do
Shelter Devices is a pre-seed company developing physical AI and hardware for older adults, aiming to make the home a better place to age while keeping families connected and giving caregivers peace of mind. Its first product, Avery, is a privacy-first smart caregiver for the home, using health sensors and agentic AI to support aging in place and bridge gaps between visits.
