Product Design Engineer

The Product Design Engineer at Sun King's Clean Cooking Division will be a creative and curious contributor to three interconnected areas of development: the next generation of our Flow Monitoring and Control Device (FMCD) for LPG cylinders, next-generation manufacturing systems designed to scale clean cooking access globally, and groundbreaking new product applications built on our proprietary sensing technology.

Working as part of an experienced engineering team, you will bring design thinking, hands-on prototyping ability, and a strong curiosity to explore ideas and build things — from early concepts and bench experiments through to refined designs ready for manufacture. This role offers the rare opportunity to work on proprietary sensing technology with real expansion potential, travel to the field in Africa to engage directly with customers, and work alongside world-class manufacturers in India and China. If you are energized by complex problems that matter, this is the role for you.

What you would be expected to do:

• Contribute creative problem-solving and design thinking to next-generation FMCD development.
• Explore and evaluate a wide range of design concepts in response to technical requirements, user needs, and manufacturing constraints.
• Contribute to the synthesis of field research, customer insights, and technical inputs into design directions and early-stage concepts.
• Produce clear CAD models and design documentation (Onshape preferred) to communicate and develop ideas across the team.
• Use AI-assisted tools selectively as a specialized accelerator for concept development, simulation interpretation, and design documentation.
• Participate in design reviews, contributing thoughtful perspectives and creative alternatives.
• Research and explore flow sensing and MEMS sensor technologies.
• Conduct exploratory research into flow sensing approaches for LPG metering — including thermal mass flow, ultrasonic, and MEMS-based sensors.
• Build working knowledge through hands-on experimentation: bench testing, teardowns, and fundamental investigation.
• Synthesize findings clearly to help the team evaluate technology options and make informed design choices.
• Investigate new applications of Sun King's developed proprietary flow sensing technology in adjacent industries and markets beyond LPG cooking.
• Work closely with electronics and firmware teammates to gain insight into system-level integration requirements.
• Build rapid, hands-on hardware prototypes.
• Build physical prototypes quickly and resourcefully using whatever fabrication methods best fit the problem: FDM/SLA 3D printing, laser cutting, manual and CNC machining, casting, hand fabrication, and more.
• Test prototypes rigorously, think critically about results, and iterate quickly.
• Use simulation tools where appropriate to inform or validate design choices (FEA, CFD, or equivalent) — curiosity and willingness to learn are valued as much as prior experience.
• Keep clear, useful records of experiments and iterations to build collective team knowledge.
• Help grow and maintain the team's prototyping lab tools and capabilities.
• Travel to field markets in Africa to inform product development.
• Visit customers and stakeholders in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and other African markets to conduct interviews, observe usage patterns, and gather direct product feedback.
• Translate field insights into new product concepts and application-specific designs — including burners optimized for low flow rates and high thermal efficiency.
• Develop first-hand knowledge of end-user needs, cooking behaviors, and market constraints that feed directly back into the design process.
• Travel to manufacturer sites in India and China to contribute to production development.
• Work alongside manufacturing partners to contribute to the development of next-generation production systems designed for modularity and scalability.
• Contribute to the team's goal of reaching production volumes in excess of 40,000 units per month, contributing design and process ideas that enable reliable, high-volume production.
• Build relationships with suppliers and production engineers to deepen knowledge of manufacturing constraints and capabilities.
• Contribute to product quality and continuous improvement.
• Apply fresh perspectives and critical thinking to investigate field failures and contribute ideas for design or process improvements.
• Work with manufacturers and vendors to gain insight into production constraints and explore practical design solutions.
• Contribute to the broader team's efforts to identify quality risks and develop practical mitigations.

You might be a strong candidate if you have:

• A bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design, Product Design, Mechatronics, or equivalent practical experience.
• 2 or more years of experience in hardware or product design — professional roles, personal projects, research, or design projects all considered.
• A genuine maker's instinct: you build things to learn, prototype to think, and iterate continuously.
• Comfortable with CAD as a thinking and communication tool, not just a documentation step.
• Onshape strongly preferred; SolidWorks or Fusion 360 also considered.
• Experience or strong interest in the following areas: Flow sensing technologies — thermal mass flow, ultrasonic, MEMS pressure and flow sensors — at any level of depth.
• Physical prototyping across a range of processes and materials, from rough mockups to refined functional models.
• Simulation tools for design validation — FEA, CFD, or flow simulation — a bonus, not a requirement.
• IoT hardware and embedded systems — curiosity about how devices work end-to-end.
• AI tools used as a specialized instrument for design research, concept development, and documentation.
• Scripting or light coding (Python or similar) for data wrangling or test automation — a plus.
• A sharp, curious mind: you ask thoughtful questions, explore problems proactively, and communicate your reasoning clearly.
• Comfortable working across cultures and time zones, with a team-oriented and respectful approach.
• Able to travel internationally at short notice.

What Sun King offers:

• Professional growth in a dynamic, rapidly expanding, high-social-impact industry.
• An open-minded, collaborative culture with enthusiastic colleagues driven by the challenge of innovation and making a profound impact on people and the planet.
• A truly multicultural experience: you will have the chance to work with and learn from people from different geographies, nationalities, and backgrounds.
• Structured, tailored learning and development programs that help you become a better leader, manager, and professional through the Sun King Center for Leadership.
• We place great importance on sustaining a diverse, inclusive work environment.
• We believe that innovation and understanding comes from diversity on every spectrum.
• We work to make sure every Sun King team member knows that they belong, knowing that sustaining an inclusive workplace requires conscious effort and is a continuous journey, not an end-state.
• Sun King recruits, employs, trains, compensates and promotes people based on their experience, skills, effort, and results.
• We explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, religion, caste, national origin, color, gender, marital status, family structure, sexual orientation, HIV/AIDS status, or disability.