Product Design Engineer – Digital Fabrication

Vanlife Customs is a digital-first design and manufacturing studio specializing in premium van interiors, systems, and components. This senior role focuses on turning ideas into install-ready cabinetry and panel systems, working hands-on from concept to release while collaborating closely with fabricators, installers, and customers. The position is onsite in Arvada, Colorado, with a salary range of USD 70,000 to 85,000 per year.

Responsibilities

• Translate loosely defined ideas and practical requirements into install-ready cabinetry and wall, ceiling, and floor panel solutions.
• Own a design from initial requirements through modeling, prototyping, design review, manufacturing release, installation, and revision.
• Collaborate directly with fabricators, installers, project managers, and customers to address fit, function, manufacturability, durability, aesthetics, and serviceability.
• Strengthen design systems and technical standards while staying connected to prototyping, fabrication, and installation.
• Design cabinetry systems, mounting structures, electrical enclosures, modular storage, vehicle interfaces, fixtures, production tooling, and new product concepts.
• Ensure designs are clearly communicated and prepared for manufacturing, installation, and service.
• Make decisions on materials, tolerances, hardware, fabrication methods, and component interfaces.
• Create reusable design systems and standards where they add value.
• Mentor less-experienced teammates through collaboration, review, and example.
• Balance quality, speed, cost, and complexity while maintaining an active hands-on role.

Requirements

• Significant professional experience developing physical products, fabricated assemblies, vehicle components, cabinetry systems, industrial equipment, or similar.
• Strong parametric 3D CAD capabilities; Fusion 360 experience is preferred.
• Ability to produce production-ready models, assemblies, drawings, and manufacturing information.
• Engineering, industrial design, product design, or related degree is valuable but not mandatory.
• Judgment, technical capability, and a robust portfolio of built work matter more than credentials alone.
• Practical understanding of design-for-manufacture and design-for-assembly principles.
• Experience with CNC processes, sheet goods, plastics, composites, metals, hardware, fasteners, or fabricated assemblies.
• Ability to move between detailed CAD work and hands-on prototype evaluation.
• Comfort working with evolving or incomplete requirements.
• Know when greater precision is needed and when a simpler solution suffices.
• Treat fabricators and installers as partners in the design process.
• Communicate technical decisions clearly without becoming territorial.
• Enjoy mentoring through collaboration, review, and example rather than formal authority.
• Remain a hands-on technical contributor while influencing product development.

Technologies

• Fusion 360

About Vanlife Customs

Vanlife Customs builds premium custom van interiors, systems, and components with a digital-first approach. The team designs in 3D, prototypes rapidly, and manufactures in-house using CNC routers, laser cutters, laser welding, 3D printing, 3D scanning, and traditional fabrication and woodworking. This setup creates a direct line from design to outcome, with designers, fabricators, and installers working closely together to bring vehicles from concept to on-road reality.

About the Role

The ideal candidate will turn loosely defined ideas into thoughtful, install-ready solutions focused on custom cabinetry and panel systems. This senior individual-contributor role requires technical maturity, solid design judgment, and strong CAD skills while staying connected to prototyping, fabrication, and installation. You will own designs from initial requirements through modeling, prototype, design review, manufacturing release, installation, and revision, and you will help strengthen design systems and standards without pushing unnecessary processes or taking a distant stance.

Why This Role Is Different

This is not a screen-only engineering position. You will work directly with fabricators, installers, project managers, and customers to solve practical problems spanning fit, function, manufacturability, durability, aesthetics, and serviceability. Your scope includes cabinetry systems, mounting structures, electrical enclosures, modular storage, vehicle interfaces, fixtures, production tooling, and new product concepts, with meaningful technical ownership while staying connected to the people who build and use your designs.

What Success Looks Like

• You independently take products and assemblies from requirements to production release.
• Your designs are manufactured and installed in customer vehicles.
• Fabricators and installers trust the clarity, accuracy, and practicality of your work.
• You anticipate manufacturing, assembly, serviceability, and installation issues before rework is needed.
• You make appropriate decisions about materials, tolerances, hardware, fabrication methods, and interfaces.
• You improve the structure and repeatability of CAD, drawing, revision, and design-release practices.
• You create reusable design systems and standards where they add value.
• You give and receive direct technical feedback constructively.
• You mentor less-experienced teammates through collaboration rather than authority.
• You consistently balance quality, speed, cost, and complexity.

Who This Role Is For

• Substantial experience developing physical products, fabricated assemblies, vehicle components, cabinetry systems, industrial equipment, or similar.
• High proficiency in parametric 3D CAD; Fusion 360 is preferred.
• Ability to produce production-ready models, assemblies, drawings, and manufacturing information.
• A degree in engineering, industrial design, product design, or related field is valuable but not mandatory; demonstrated judgment and a strong portfolio matter more than credentials.
• Strong understanding of design-for-manufacture and design-for-assembly principles.
• Experience with CNC processes, sheet goods, plastics, composites, metals, hardware, fasteners, or fabricated assemblies.
• Ability to move between detailed CAD work and hands-on prototype evaluation.
• Comfort progressing with evolving or incomplete requirements.
• Know when higher precision is necessary and when a simpler solution is better.
• Treat fabricators and installers as partners in the design process.
• Clear communication of technical decisions without territorial behavior.
• Enjoy mentoring through collaboration and example rather than hierarchical structures.
• Desire to remain a hands-on technical contributor while influencing how products are developed.