Director of Engineering $170-$230K

PHASE3D

Director of Engineering

Full-Time | Engineering Leadership | Early-Stage Startup | US Citizenship Required

Phase3D is an early-stage startup at the forefront of innovation in advanced manufacturing and 3D printing technology. We are building a world-class engineering team to bring our next generation of products to market. As we scale, we are seeking a Director of Engineering to drive our product development efforts — and grow alongside the company.

The Director of Engineering will serve as the senior-most technical leader in the organization, responsible for owning the full product engineering lifecycle — from early-stage concept through to regulatory-compliant, market-ready release. This is a hands-on leadership role ideally suited to someone who thrives in the ambiguity of an early-stage environment, can build and lead an engineering team of 5–15 engineers, and has a clear vision for what great hardware + software products look like.

This role carries a growth trajectory toward Chief Technology Officer as Phase3D matures, making it a rare opportunity to shape both the technology and the company's future.

Product Development & Delivery

•      Own the full product development lifecycle from specification through to launch

•      Lead cross-functional engineering execution to ship a major product or release within the first year

•      Drive technical architecture decisions across both hardware and software/firmware domains

•      Define and maintain product specifications, ensuring alignment with business goals

CAD & Hardware Engineering

•      Oversee CAD design processes, reviewing and approving engineering drawings and models

•      Ensure design-for-manufacturability (DFM) principles are applied throughout development

•      Partner closely with manufacturing and supply chain teams on component selection and tolerances

Compliance & Product Safety

•      Lead efforts to achieve CE and UL product safety certifications

•      Establish and maintain compliance documentation, test plans, and regulatory records

•      Proactively identify compliance requirements early in the design process to avoid costly rework

Supply Chain Collaboration

•      Work with supply chain partners to evaluate suppliers, manage BOMs, and ensure component availability

•      Provide technical input on make-vs-buy decisions and sourcing strategies

•      Support procurement and vendor qualification processes

Team Leadership & Engineering Culture

•      Hire, mentor, and lead an engineering team of 5–15 engineers across hardware and software disciplines

•      Build engineering processes, documentation standards, and development workflows from the ground up

•      Foster a culture of ownership, velocity, and technical excellence

•      Act as a key spokesperson for the engineering organization with founders and stakeholders

Data Management, Analytics & Sensor Intelligence

•      Architect and oversee systems for managing large-scale datasets generated from sensor hardware and manufacturing processes

•      Drive the translation of raw sensor data into actionable product insights and commercial features

•      Establish statistical frameworks including confidence intervals and uncertainty quantification for sensor technologies built from data collection

•      Collaborate with product and commercial teams to identify high-value data-driven features and bring them to market

•      Define data collection protocols, storage strategies, and pipeline standards to support ongoing R&D and product iteration

•      Ensure data integrity, repeatability, and traceability across all sensor and measurement systems

Required

•      8+ years of engineering experience, with at least 3 years in a senior technical leadership role

•      Demonstrated experience shipping hardware products involving both mechanical (CAD) and software/firmware components

•      Hands-on experience with product development and/or product safety certification processes

•      Strong understanding of supply chain mechanics, including BOM management and supplier qualification

•      Proven ability to lead and grow engineering teams in fast-paced, resource-constrained environments

•      Experience with product specification development and requirements management

Nice to Have

•      Experience in utilizing big data to inform software features

•      Background in additive manufacturing, 3D printing, or advanced manufacturing

•      Experience at an early-stage or venture-backed startup

•      Exposure to ISO 9001 or other quality management systems

•      Familiarity with ERP or PLM systems           

•      A foundational leadership role with a direct path toward CTO as the company scales

•      Significant influence over product direction, team culture, and company strategy

•      Competitive compensation package including equity vesting

•      The opportunity to build something meaningful from the ground up

Phase3D is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.