Staff Design Engineer

About the Company

Inspiren offers the most complete and connected ecosystem in senior living. Founded by Michael Wang, a former Green Beret turned cardiothoracic nurse, Inspiren proves that compassionate care and technology can coexist - bringing peace of mind to residents, families, and staff.

Our integrated solutions seamlessly fit into existing workflows, capturing everything happening within a community. Backed by nurse specialists and powerful analytics, we provide the data operators need to make informed clinical and operational decisions - driving efficiency, profitability, and better care outcomes.

About the Role

We are seeking a highly-skilled Staff Design Engineer to own and lead the end-to-end hardware product development of new devices for Inspiren’s ecosystem. As a senior member of the hardware engineering team, you will serve as the lead engineer from concept through mass production, driving requirements definition, establishing system architecture, prototyping, leading verification, assisting validation, and regulatory attainment. You will integrate subject-matter experts (SMEs), manage JDM partners, and deliver devices that meet the highest standards of quality, reliability, manufacturability, and cost across the lifecycle of all of Inspiren’s devices and platforms.  

What You'll Do

• Product Development Project Management: Participate in and manage the development effort of multiple hardware products simultaneously, ensuring cost, schedule, budget, and performance requirements are met from concept to mass production release.
• Requirements Definition: Develop clear, detailed product requirements and specifications that translate user needs and business goals into actionable engineering requirements, collaborating closely with product management, hardware, firmware, software, clinical, operations, quality, and external design and manufacturing partners.
• Product Architecture and Specifications: Lead the design-stage work by developing system- and subsystem-level specifications, block diagrams, and architecture documents that define how the product functions end to end, collaborating closely with cross-functional partners across hardware, firmware, software, clinical, and operations;
• Hardware Design and Development: Own the end-to-end product development across electrical, mechanical, and firmware domains, including concept development, brainstorming, and participation in design reviews; create CAD models and detailed manufacturing drawings, apply tolerancing and engineering analysis such as FEA, and perform hands-on prototyping and iteration to drive concepts into robust, production-ready hardware designs.
• JDM Collaboration: Serve as the primary technical point of contact for contract manufacturers engaging in JDM activities; direct and check work, lead design reviews, lead technical discussions, and drive issue resolution.
• Embed Rigorous Design for Excellence (DfX) Mindset: Drive DFMA, DFT, and DFR across the design; conduct design and process FMEAs; review CAD, schematics, and drawings to ensure clarity for manufacturing and assembly; 
• Product Quality: Develop test plans derived from product requirements, oversee prototyping and execution of tests, and lead verification activities to confirm that product performance and reliability targets are met.
• Regulatory Compliance: Coordinate regulatory and certification activities (e.g., safety, EMC, wireless), ensure designs conform to relevant standards, and drive products through successful certification.
• Supplier & NPI Support: Travel regularly to manufacturing sites to support builds, review off-tool samples and inspection reports, drive corrective actions to ensure designs meet Inspiren’s specifications, regulatory requirements, and quality standards; ensure successful transition to mass production in partnership with operations and suppliers.
• Mentor Team Members: Provide technical guidance and mentorship, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation through a culture of continuous learning.

Qualifications 

• Educational Background: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering field
• Experience: 8+ years of experience in product development of connected hardware products, including leading full product lifecycles from concept through mass production with OEM and JDM partners.  
• Technical Skills:
• Product Definition & Architecture: Demonstrated experience capturing requirements, writing specifications, and creating system architectures for connected hardware products.
• CAD and Documentation: Proficiency with CAD tools to develop 3D models, manufacturing drawings, and schematics, ensuring that necessary information for manufacturing and assembly is clearly communicated. GD&T experience a plus. 
• Prototyping & Verification: Hands-on experience building and testing prototypes, developing verification and validation plans, and analyzing test data to drive design iterations.
• DFx, FMEA, and NPI: Strong background in DFMA, design and process FMEA, and phase-gate NPI processes for high-volume manufacturing.
• Supplier & JDM Collaboration: Proven track record interfacing with manufacturers and JDM/ODM partners to ensure manufacturability, quality, and on-time delivery, including on-site build support.
• Regulatory & Compliance: Working knowledge of hardware regulatory standards (e.g., safety, EMC, wireless) and experience driving products through certification.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas clearly and align diverse stakeholders.
• Adaptability: Comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and adapting to changing priorities. Start-up experience is a plus.
• Start-up experience is a plus.

Details

• The annual salary for this role is $200,000 - 225,000 + equity + benefits (including medical, dental, and vision) 
• Flexible PTO
• Location: Remote, US or Canada
• Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status.

Compensations & Benefits

At Inspiren, we are committed to fair, transparent, and equitable compensation. We know that every candidate brings a unique combination of experience, skills, and perspectives, and we take these factors into account when determining pay. While compensation may vary depending on your background, role, and location, we are proud to offer a competitive base salary and total benefits package, alongside eligibility for equity awards in the form of stock options. We believe great work deserves great rewards. Our compensation and benefits are designed to recognize your contributions and reflect the standards of leading organizations in our field. Your recruiter will be happy to walk you through the full compensation package, including what your total pay could look like, so you have a clear picture of both the immediate and long-term value of joining our team.