Technical Manager - Product Development and Manufacturing

About the role

Gembah helps brands turn product ideas into manufactured reality. We’re looking for a Technical Manager to own the technical side of consumer product development, from concept through tooling and mass production, working directly with clients, internal teams, and overseas suppliers.

This is a hands-on technical role with oversight responsibility. Each project has a designer or engineer executing the design work, and you’ll direct them: setting the technical approach, reviewing their CAD and specifications, making the DFM calls, and owning the supplier execution. You’ll be the technical expert your clients and colleagues turn to, and the person accountable for the technical quality of what ships.

Experience taking consumer products from concept to mass production using injection molding is essential. Familiarity with electronics integration is a strong plus.

What you’ll do

Project ownership and technical direction

• Provide technical leadership on all assigned projects, from concept through production.
• Own and communicate technical specifications, ensuring they’re executed in line with client vision and internal quality standards.
• Make and defend design-for-manufacturing decisions covering tooling, materials, process, and cost.
• Partner with suppliers and outside experts to keep projects moving and resolve technical issues as they arise.

Cross-functional and client collaboration

• Serve as the technical bridge between clients, internal teams (design, supply chain, leadership), and overseas manufacturing partners.
• Translate client goals, including vague or shifting ones, into clear and buildable technical requirements.
• Provide regular technical updates to clients and stakeholders, keeping the process transparent.
• Push back constructively when timelines, costs, or specifications don’t add up.

Quality control and technical oversight

• Own the quality of technical deliverables, ensuring they meet or exceed client expectations.
• Act as the technical authority on your projects, answering questions and guiding internal teams and external experts.
• Review and finalize upsell proposals for technical accuracy and alignment with client needs.

Process development and improvement

• Implement and refine technical design processes to improve quality and efficiency.
• Identify opportunities to optimize workflows, and work with the team to put them in place.

What you’ll bring

Required

• 5+ years in technical design or product development, preferably in consumer goods or manufacturing.
• Hands-on experience with injection molding and mass manufacturing. You understand tooling, DFM, and what drives piece-price and tooling cost at volume.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD (SolidWorks preferred; Fusion 360, Siemens NX, or Rhino also considered).
• Strong grasp of design and manufacturing processes, technical specifications, and the concept-to-production lifecycle.
• Understanding of electronics integration from a product design and engineering perspective.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and suppliers to execute design projects.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to run multiple projects at once.
• Exceptional communication and attention to detail. You’ll be client-facing.

Nice to have

• Experience with connected products and IoT: integrating hardware with software, firmware, or app connectivity such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, including antenna and enclosure considerations, PCB integration, and the certification path (FCC/CE). This is a growing area for us and a meaningful differentiator, but it isn’t required.
• Experience working with overseas suppliers and manufacturing partners.
• Basic understanding of electrical components and their use in product development.
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop).
• Proficiency with Google Workspace (Drive, Sheets, Slides).
• Degree in a related technical field such as Product Design, Mechanical Engineering, or Industrial Design.
• Experience in a start-up environment, with comfort around ambiguity, shifting priorities, and building process where none exists.

Why join us

• Fully remote.
• $90,000 to $100,000, plus benefits.
• Real ownership. You’ll drive products from sketch to shelf, and see them in market.
• Variety. Our clients span categories, so no two projects look the same.