Product Design / Studio Engineer

Who we are: Glydways is reimagining what public transit can be. We believe that mobility is the gateway to opportunity—connecting people to housing, education, employment, commerce, and care. By making transportation more accessible, affordable, and sustainable, we empower communities to thrive and unlock economic and social prosperity. Our mission is to revolutionize transit with a solution that delivers high capacity, exceptional user experiences, unmatched affordability, and minimal environmental impact. The Glydways system is a groundbreaking network of carbon-neutral, interconnected transit pathways powered by standardized autonomous vehicles on dedicated roadways. Operating 24/7 with on-demand access, it offers personalized and efficient mobility—without the burden of heavy upfront infrastructure costs or ongoing taxpayer subsidies. With Glydways, we’re building more than a transportation system; we’re creating a future where everyone, everywhere, has the freedom to move. Meet the team: Glydways is looking for a Product Design / Studio Engineer to join our Vehicle Engineering team. This role sits directly at the critical intersection of Industrial Design (ID) and Mechanical Engineering (ME). You will act as the vital bridge that protects early design intent, styling, and premium user experiences while translating concepts into robust, engineering-ready architectures. You will partner closely with Industrial Designers, UX Researchers, and cross-functional engineering teams (Structures, Electronics, and Thermal) to architect the physical interior and exterior of our autonomous vehicle fleet. From initial class-A surfacing and physical stack-ups to high-volume manufacturing bring-up, you will turn visionary concepts into physical, high-performing transit realities. This is a hands-on, builder role for someone who is as comfortable executing complex digital master-modeling as they are assembling quick-turn functional prototypes. Roles & Responsibilities: Champion Design through the lens of mechanical engineering. Bring technical rigor, creative problem-solving, and engineering judgment to the design process; guiding the team through complex tradeoffs and ensuring compromises strengthen rather than dilute the overall product vision. Bridge Design Intent & Engineering Execution: Partner closely with internal Industrial Design and UX teams to protect the cosmetic and ergonomic vision of the rider experience while driving structural and mechanical viability. Own Physical Vehicle Architecture: Manage micro-tolerance loops, high-density component integration (displays, sensors, lighting, interior electronics), and complex packaging layout inside tight, highly stylized enclosures. Drive Advanced CAD & Surfacing: Lead the development of high-quality Class-A surfaces and digital master models, serving as the single source of truth that translates industrial design sketches into production-ready mechanical files. Rapid Prototyping & Validation: Conceptualize, build, and test proof-of-concept mockups using quick-turn CNC, 3D printing, and custom fabrication to validate ergonomics and aesthetic choices in real time. Design for High-Volume Manufacturability (DFM): Design highly cosmetic components, exterior paneling, and interior structures optimized for high-volume processes (injection molding, thermoforming, composites, sheet metal, and casting). Vendor Collaboration & Factory Bring-Up: Partner with external manufacturing vendors to ensure that visual and cosmetic standards are maintained through the molding validation, tooling, and initial vehicle assembly phases. Establish Design Standards: Help define and govern physical cosmetic standards, texture finishes, and tolerance guidelines to ensure every vehicle in the Glydways fleet shows up as a seamless, high-quality representation of the brand. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Experience: 5–10+ years of experience as a Product Design Engineer (PDE), Studio Engineer, or Mechanical Engineer working closely with Industrial Design teams at automotive, high-growth technology, consumer hardware, or mobility companies. Portfolio of Shipped Work: A strong portfolio demonstrating complex physical architecture layout, high-density integration, and a history of taking highly cosmetic hardware products from a sketch to high-volume production. CAD Mastery: Exceptional proficiency in advanced 3D surfacing and master-modeling techniques using industry-standard tools like Siemens NX, Creo (Pro-E), or SolidWorks. Systems Thinker, Detail Oriented: Ability to navigate complex, infrastructure-heavy electro-mechanical systems and distill them into refined, clean design executions without compromising performance or aesthetics. Manufacturing Fluency: Deep knowledge of GD&T, tolerance analysis, and mass-production techniques across plastic injection molding, stamping, casting, and cosmetic finishing. Collaboration & Leadership: Comfortable operating at the interface of creative and highly technical teams; an excellent communicator who can confidently advocate for both engineering integrity and beautiful design. Startup-Ready: Comfortable operating in ambiguity, building vehicle programs from scratch, and iterating quickly as we scale our network. Glydways provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.