Back to jobs

VP of Hardware Engineering

Position Overview:

As the Vice President of Hardware Engineering at Fellow, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our product line of premium coffee and connected kitchenware appliances. You will lead our mechanical, electrical and firmware engineering teams across our entire product roadmap, transforming innovative ideas and prototype concepts into manufacturable products that embody our brand's commitment to premium quality and intuitive design.

This is a hands-on leadership position where you will build and lead engineering teams in the US and China. 

The VP of Hardware Engineering will accomplish all of this while living out Fellowship Thinking, our leadership principles:

  • Fellowship Thinking centers our customers, always.
  • Fellowship Thinking views all goals as shared.
  • Fellowship Thinking never stops improving.
  • Fellowship Thinking says “yes, if”.
  • Fellowship Thinking deliberately seeks equity. 

This position is required to be in the Bay Area as this is a hybrid position, 3 days in our San Francisco office each week.

  • Technical Leadership & Collaboration: Serve as the ultimate technical authority for Fellow's hardware, expertly balancing design innovation, risk mitigation, budget constraints, and project timelines. Collaborate with cross-functional teams (product, systems engineering, manufacturing) to ensure alignment and excellence at every stage.
  • End-to-End Hardware Development: Own the entire hardware development process – from conceptualization to manufacturing. Oversee mechanical, electrical, and firmware aspects, while collaborating with product, category, and operations teams to optimize design, cost, quality, and manufacturability.
  • Team Building & Innovation: Cultivate a world-class engineering team, and augment support when needed through JDM partners and external consultants. . Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and relentless innovation. Mentor and guide team members to overcome challenges and achieve breakthrough results.
  • Project & Product Management: Orchestrate multiple projects simultaneously, each with distinct timelines and requirements. Uphold Fellow's product value proposition throughout the development process, meticulously balancing quality, cost, and manufacturing considerations.
  • Strategic Vision: Continuously scan the horizon for emerging technologies, identifying and implementing those that will advance Fellow's product offerings. Develop and manage budgets and timelines that enable efficient product development. Stay ahead of industry trends, positioning Fellow as a market leader.

Requirements:

  • Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering (Mechanical or Electrical preferred) or equivalent professional experience.
  • 12+ years of experience in engineering and product development, ideally with consumer electronics, kitchen appliances, or similar products.
  • Deep expertise in mechanical engineering (mechanisms, heating elements, motors etc) and electrical engineering (PCBA design, component selection process, thermal management etc) 
  • Thorough understanding of the full product development lifecycle, from concept to mass production.
  • Proven track record of launching successful consumer electronic or kitchen appliance products.
  • Strong leadership skills, with experience managing multidisciplinary teams (R&D, engineering, quality, project management).
  • Familiarity with standard hardware development processes (concept, prototyping, EVT, DVT, PVT, MP).
  • Experience working with sourcing and supply chain teams for cost management.
  • Drive to leverage engineering and technology to improve lives.
  • Sales mindset with a focus on delivering customer value through engineering and technology.
  • Problem-solver who thrives on challenges.
  • Flexibility to collaborate with our teams in China and manufacturing partners. 

Benefits:

  • Competitive compensation including employee equity plan
  • Generous paid time off plan
  • 401k with company contribution after 6 months of employment
  • Medical/dental/vision insurance
  • Monthly Fitness Stipend
  • Paid Parental Leave
  • Better Yourself Wellness credit & Better Your Community donation matching
  • Generous discount on Fellow products
  • Best coffee anywhere

Salary Range: $225,000-$275,000

Our highest goal at Fellow is creating a safe, inclusive, and rewarding environment where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and thrive. We are committed to building diverse teams and strongly encourage people from underrepresented groups, including but not limited to women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply. 

Fellow is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf


U.S. Standard Demographic Questions

We invite applicants to share their demographic background. If you choose to complete this survey, your responses may be used to identify areas of improvement in our hiring process.
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Fellow’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.