Product Design Engineer

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

• 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 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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.
  

About
Sun King is the world’s leading off-grid solar energy company, combining cutting-edge product design, fintech, and field operations to deliver energy access for the 1.8 billion people who live without an affordable and reliable electric-grid connection.Sun King has built a new kind of energy utility: distributed, green, customer-centric, and affordable. We bring clean, reliable, decentralized energy directly into people’s lives — from solar kits that provide first-time energy access to multi-kilowatt systems that serve both off-grid users and grid-connected customers powering larger homes, schools, hospitals, farms, offices, and light manufacturing.Already, 25 million homes and businesses rely on Sun King for electricity supply and the appliances and services it enables: lighting, televisions, fans, refrigeration, and smartphones. Sun King combines energy generation, energy-efficient appliances, installation, and financing into one seamless offering. Think of it as a distributed utility, designed for wherever energy is needed and designed to scale with its users as incomes and energy needs grow.Sun King makes solar products affordable to low-income households and businesses via ‘pay-as-you-go’ (PAYG) purchase financing. Sun King installs solar after customers pay a small deposit. Customers then make small, manageable payments of as little as US $0.14 a day via mobile money or cash.Instead of paying for expensive, polluting, and health-damaging kerosene for lighting or diesel for power, customers unlock savings through accessing solar power and after one to two years of payments, customers own their solar equipment outright.Sun King collects payments digitally through mobile money systems and its 35,000 field agents — over 1 million payments each day. To date, Sun King has extended more than $1.4 billion in PAYG loans to customers.Sun King began by powering homes and businesses with solar systems delivered through PAYG financing. Now, we’re using the same model to make smartphones and clean cooking equipment affordable: helping households connect to the digital economy and transition from wood-based fuels to modern, sustainable alternatives.Sun King employs 3,500 full-time staff in 14 countries, with specialties spanning product design, data science, logistics, customer service, sales, software, operations, and more — all with a passion to serve off-grid families. Sun King is committed to gender diversity in the workplace. Women represent 42% of Sun King’s workforce.