Product Design Technologist

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Design Technologist

Company: Ōura

Location: San Francisco, California

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Industrial Design / Product Development Operations

Date Posted: 2026-05-28T16:58:11

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is pivotal for the Industrial Design team, focusing on the physical realization of product concepts through advanced fabrication techniques and deep technical expertise in making.

• The Product Design Technologist will serve as the primary technical resource for physical prototyping, bridging the gap between CAD models and tangible, high-fidelity product representations.

• Key responsibilities include advanced CAD/CAM programming, expert operation of diverse fabrication machinery, and extensive material exploration to inform design decisions.

• This position requires a strong emphasis on craftsmanship, detail, and the ability to inspire and educate the design team on manufacturing possibilities and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is explicitly defined as serving the creative needs of the design studio and is not a traditional hardware engineering validation role. The focus is on physical model making and advanced fabrication, requiring a high degree of hands-on skill and artistic sensibility in translating design intent into physical form. This is a critical distinction for operations professionals applying, as it emphasizes design execution over engineering rigor.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Advanced Prototype Fabrication: Construct a wide spectrum of physical prototypes, from early-stage volumetric shape studies to highly detailed, presentation-ready aesthetic and functional models, directly supporting the product design lifecycle.

• CAD & CAM Integration: Collaborate closely with designers to translate complex CAD models and conceptual sketches into manufacturable designs, utilizing specialized software for precise toolpath generation and model preparation.

• Expert Machine Operation: Proficiently operate and maintain a variety of fabrication equipment, including CNC machines, laser cutters, diverse 3D printers, and manual machine tools, ensuring precision and quality in all outputs.

• Material & Finish Exploration: Experiment with and apply a broad range of materials, finishes, textures, and colors to prototype models, actively contributing to the exploration of new aesthetic and functional possibilities for product development.

• Process Innovation & Knowledge Sharing: Serve as the studio's subject matter expert on making and manufacturing processes, inspiring the design team, sharing technical knowledge, and fostering a culture of exceptional craftsmanship and innovation within the design studio.

• Workflow Optimization: Streamline the prototyping process by identifying opportunities for efficiency improvements, automation, and the adoption of new fabrication technologies to accelerate design iteration cycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "translating visionary concepts into reality" and "influencing the studio through your deep technical mastery of making" indicates a role that is not just execution-focused but also consultative. The Product Design Technologist is expected to proactively advise the design team on feasibility, material properties, and manufacturing constraints, thereby directly impacting the design direction and efficiency of the product development process.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• While no specific degree is listed, a strong foundation in relevant technical fields such as Industrial Design, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Technology, or a related discipline is implied by the technical requirements and experience level.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in prototype engineering, model making, or a closely related role within a product development or design studio environment.

Required Skills:

• Advanced CAD Software Proficiency: Deep, practical experience with industry-standard CAD software, specifically Rhino, Siemens NX, and Fusion 360, for complex surfacing, model manipulation, and design translation.

• CAM Programming Expertise: Strong capabilities in generating precise toolpaths and machine instructions for subtractive and additive manufacturing processes.

• Hands-on Fabrication: Extensive practical experience operating and maintaining CNC machines (milling, turning), laser cutters, various 3D printing technologies (e.g., SLA, FDM, SLS), and general machining equipment.

• Material Mastery: Proven ability to work with a wide array of materials, understanding their properties, and effectively applying them in prototype creation to achieve desired aesthetics and functionality.

• Exceptional Craftsmanship: An acute eye for detail, precision, and quality, ensuring that all fabricated models meet the highest standards of finish and accuracy.

• Portfolio of Work: A comprehensive and compelling portfolio showcasing diverse model-making projects, detailing workflows, materials used, and demonstrating exceptional craftsmanship.

• Communication & Collaboration: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with designers, engineers, and other stakeholders in a fast-paced, iterative environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Manual Machining Skills: Proficiency with manual lathes, mills, and other traditional machining tools for bespoke fabrication needs.

• Molding & Casting Techniques: Experience with various molding and casting processes (e.g., urethane casting, silicone molding) for producing multiples or complex geometries.

• Finishing Techniques: Expertise in surface finishing processes such as blasting, polishing, painting, and texturing to achieve production-level aesthetics.

• Design for Manufacturability (DFM) Principles: Understanding of DFM principles as they relate to rapid prototyping and small-batch production.

• Additive Manufacturing Process Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of various 3D printing technologies, their strengths, limitations, and optimal applications for different prototype types.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a "comprehensive portfolio that showcases your mastery in model making, workflows, and craftsmanship" is critical. For operations candidates, this implies a need to present not just finished products but also the process, challenges overcome, and the technical decisions made during fabrication. This is akin to presenting a "process portfolio" in other operations roles, demonstrating a systematic approach to problem-solving and execution.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstration of Workflow: The portfolio must clearly illustrate the end-to-end process from initial concept or CAD data to the final physical prototype, highlighting key stages and decision points.

• Material & Technique Showcase: Include examples that demonstrate proficiency with a diverse range of materials and fabrication techniques, showcasing versatility and problem-solving capabilities.

• High-Fidelity Examples: Feature a selection of high-fidelity, presentation-ready prototypes that exemplify exceptional attention to detail, finish, and aesthetic execution.

• Technical Rigor: Showcase instances where technical challenges were overcome through innovative application of CAD/CAM programming, machine operation, or fabrication methods.

• ROI/Efficiency Impact: Where possible, illustrate how efficient prototyping processes or material choices contributed to faster design iterations or cost savings in the development cycle.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Candidates should be prepared to discuss how they approach designing and optimizing prototyping workflows to meet specific project timelines and quality objectives.

• Implementation & Automation: Be ready to describe methods used for setting up and running complex fabrication jobs, including any approaches to automating repetitive tasks or streamlining machine preparation.

• Measurement & Analysis: Discuss how the quality and success of prototypes are measured, and how feedback from the design team is incorporated to refine future processes and outputs.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is not a traditional "operations" role in the sense of business operations, the emphasis on "workflows," "process," and demonstrating "mastery in model making, workflows, and craftsmanship" necessitates a portfolio that functions similarly to an operations portfolio. It should showcase a structured, repeatable, and high-quality approach to fabrication, akin to how an operations professional would document process improvements or system implementations.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Estimated Range: $172,000 - $203,000 USD per year. This range is explicitly provided by Oura for "Region 1" US locations, which San Francisco falls under.

• Methodology: This estimate is based directly on the provided salary information for the specified region, reflecting Oura's market-based approach to compensation. The actual offer will depend on specific qualifications, experience, and internal peer equity.

Benefits:

• Competitive Salary & Equity: Offers a competitive base salary and equity packages, aligning with industry standards for specialized technical roles.

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Includes health, dental, and vision insurance plans to support employee well-being.

• Mental Health Resources: Access to resources dedicated to mental health support.

• Ōura Ring Program: Employees receive an Oura Ring of their own, plus employee discounts for friends and family, promoting personal health tracking and brand advocacy.

• Generous Paid Time Off:

  • 20 days of paid time off (PTO).
  • 13 paid holidays.
  • 8 days of flexible wellness time off, allowing for proactive health management.

• Leave Policies: Includes paid sick leave and parental leave to support employees during significant life events.

• Positive Work Culture: Access to a collaborative and passionate work environment.

Working Hours:

• The role is described as requiring 100% on-site presence, implying a standard full-time work schedule. Based on industry norms for a 40-hour work week, this role likely involves approximately 40 hours per week.

• While not explicitly stated, the nature of a design studio often allows for some flexibility in daily schedules, provided core operational hours and project deadlines are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is specific to "Region 1" and San Francisco, CA is a high-cost-of-living area, making this range competitive for the location. The detailed