VP R&D

Particula is pioneering Physical-AI for play, learning and growth, creating connected experiences that bring together physical play and smart technology. All of our products are first of their kind, innovative, with unique and creative tech solutions to make it feasible, manufacturable, reliable and affordable.

We’ve grown from one flagship product into four product lines, GoCube, GoChess, GoDice and GoBalance, and we’re continuing to expand into new products and categories, including licensed products with global franchises like Harry Potter.

Our products include mechanical and electronic design, microcontrollers, robotics, plastic injection molding, wireless technologies, firmware, signal processing, power management, a wide variety of sensors and more.

We’re looking for a super VP R&D to help us build what comes next, improve our existing products, lead a multidisciplinary team, and bring products to life through mass production with our manufacturing partners in China.

We’re looking for a maker at heart: someone deeply curious about how things work, who loves experimenting, building and solving technical problems. Maybe you build things for fun, spend time in maker communities, or mentor FIRST Robotics Competition or FIRST LEGO League teams. You’re the kind of person who sees an ambitious idea and immediately starts thinking about how to make it possible.

THE ROLE

New Products:

We have ambitious ideas for new products. The VP R&D figures out how to make them real.

You’ll research what’s possible, evaluate different technologies and approaches, determine feasibility, define the system architecture, and lead the multidisciplinary engineering required to turn an idea into a product that works and can be manufactured at scale, end to end.

Existing products:

We developed 4 product lines, delivered one million units, products which are still being manufactured and sold worldwide. You’ll support the continuation and improvement of these products, solve bugs raised by customers, design new variations, work with the factory and the operation team for improvements.

You’ll own the physical-product engineering across hardware, electronics, firmware, mechanical systems, sensors, wireless connectivity, algorithms and system architecture, working closely with Product, Industrial Design and our software team to bring all the pieces together.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Take new product ideas from early concept through technical feasibility, system architecture, prototyping, testing and mass production.
• Research and evaluate technologies, build rapid prototypes, test ideas and determine how a new product can best be built.
• Define the system architecture, technical specifications and key parameters, including cost, risks, feasibility and engineering tradeoffs.
• Lead development across hardware, electronics, firmware, mechanical systems, sensors, wireless/connectivity, algorithms and control systems.
• Identify technical challenges early and make the engineering tradeoffs required to meet product, cost, quality, reliability and manufacturability requirements.
• Lead internal engineers and external specialists, engineering studios and development partners.
• Work closely with Product, Industrial Design and Software to bring the complete product together.
• Lead the transition from design through mass production, including design for manufacturing and assembly, tooling, sourcing, testing, quality assurance and test automation, regulatory testing and certification to meet applicable standards, production readiness, and engineering support during production with our manufacturing partners in China.
• Build the R&D team and capabilities Particula needs as we grow.

WHO YOU ARE

• Proven hands-on experience building complex physical products, with the ability to personally dig into technical problems and strong technical breadth across hardware, electronics, firmware/embedded, mechanical systems, sensors, wireless/connectivity, algorithms and control systems.
• Strong systems-level understanding, including experience with system architecture, electronic hardware design, schematics, printed circuit board layout, hardware-firmware integration and mechanical design.
• Experience taking physical products end-to-end, from early concept and feasibility through engineering, prototype, design for manufacturing and mass production.
• Experience leading R&D or engineering teams across multiple disciplines, as well as external specialists and development partners.
• Experience working directly with overseas manufacturing partners on design for manufacturing, tooling, sourcing and mass production. Experience working with factories in China is a strong advantage.
• A background in robotics, consumer electronics, connected devices, defense technology, or an engineering studio that develops products end-to-end. Experience developing mass-market consumer products is a strong advantage.

***PLEASE ADD AND UPLOAD A COVER LETTER WITH YOUR CV WHICH LET'S US KNOW WHY YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS ROLE, WHY YOU ARE INTERESTED IN WORKING AT PARTICULA, AND WHY YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE A STRONG FIT. PLEASE ALSO DESCRIBE SOME EXAMPLES OF YOUR WORK PRODUCTS.***