Director of Hardware

United States·FremontRegular, Salaried, Full-Timeexecutive

OtherDirector

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Overview

Position Overview: The Director of Hardware is responsible for leading the strategy, development, and execution of Velo3D’s hardware systems across the full product lifecycle.

Technical Tools

OtherDirector

Position Overview:

The Director of Hardware is responsible for leading the strategy, development, and execution of Velo3D’s hardware systems across the full product lifecycle. This role oversees a multidisciplinary engineering organization and drives delivery of reliable, scalable, and manufacturable hardware solutions that support Velo3D’s integrated metal additive manufacturing platform.

This leader partners closely with Software, Product, Operations, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, and Service teams to align technical priorities, accelerate development, and ensure successful transition from concept through production and continuous improvement.

Lead the hardware engineering team (mechanical, electrical, systems, reliability, test).
Develop the long-term hardware roadmap in collaboration with Product and executive leadership.
Guide architecture decisions for next-generation AM platforms and subsystems.
Instill engineering rigor through documentation, design reviews, version control, and validation practices.

Oversee the design and development of electromechanical machine systems, including:

Print engines, gantry/motion systems
Thermal systems (heaters, sensors, environmental controls)
Electronics, PCBs, cables/harnesses
Power distribution and safety systems
Optics modules (if applicable for laser-based processes)
Mechanical/structural components
Ensure hardware designs meet performance, safety, manufacturability, and reliability targets.

Drive hardware from prototype through validation, regulatory compliance, and mass production.
Collaborate closely with Manufacturing to ensure designs are scalable, cost-efficient, and well-documented (DfM, DfA, DfR).
Own ECO processes, product lifecycle management, and release to production.

Implement robust reliability testing, HALT/HASS, environmental/thermal testing, and long-duration validation.
Ensure hardware meets relevant safety and compliance standards (UL, CE, FCC, etc.).
Build a data-driven reliability engineering function to improve uptime and field performance.
Collaborate with Field Service for field issue resolution and design improvements.

Work closely with Software, Materials Science, Firmware, and Manufacturing teams to ensure seamless integration across the full AM ecosystem.
Partner with Supply Chain on component selection, vendor qualification, and cost optimization.
Collaborate with Program Management for schedule, deliverables, and milestones.

Requirements

~3 min read

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field.

10+ years of progressive experience in hardware or electromechanical product development, including leadership of engineering teams.

Demonstrated success delivering complex hardware products from concept through production and sustaining support.

Strong knowledge of hardware design, systems integration, manufacturing processes, and design-for-manufacturing principles.

Experience collaborating across Product, Software, Operations, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Quality functions.

Strong organizational, project leadership, and communication skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Advanced degree in Engineering or a related field.

Experience with industrial equipment, capital equipment, precision systems, or advanced manufacturing environments.

Familiarity with embedded systems, controls, sensors, or other integrated hardware-software systems.

Experience working with suppliers, contract manufacturers, and external development partners.

Knowledge of quality systems, root cause analysis, reliability methods, and continuous improvement practices.

About the Company:

Velo, Velo3D, Sapphire and Intelligent Fusion are registered trademarks of Velo3D, Inc. Without Compromise, Flow, Flow Developer, and Assure are trademarks of Velo3D, Inc.

With the only SupportFree laser powder bed fusion capability, we enable on-demand manufacturing of production quality Titanium, Inconel, and Aluminum parts with an unprecedented degree of design freedom and quality control. The VELO3D award-winning solution includes an integrated offering of hardware and software: Sapphire® metal AM production printer, Flow™ print preparation software, Assure™ quality assurance and control system, and an integrated manufacturing process that runs throughout the printing operation.

Our team enjoys excellent benefits including healthcare coverage and 401(K) employer contributions. We believe in transparency and recognizing exceptional efforts through our monthly all-hands meetings and team member appreciation awards.

Our job titles may span more than one career level. The starting base salary for this full-time position is between $210,000 and $250,000. This salary range reflects the minimum and maximum target for this position in the U.S. The actual base pay is dependent upon many factors, such as work experience, job-related skills, related education, work location, and market demands. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. In addition to a competitive base salary and a comprehensive benefits package, this position may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as participation in a bonus and equity program, as applicable.

Velo3D provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to, and prohibits discrimination and harassment based on, race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.