Job description
We’re transforming the grocery industry
At Instacart, we invite the world to share love through food because we believe everyone should have access to the food they love and more time to enjoy it together. Where others see a simple need for grocery delivery, we see exciting complexity and endless opportunity to serve the varied needs of our community. We work to deliver an essential service that customers rely on to get their groceries and household goods, while also offering safe and flexible earnings opportunities to Instacart Personal Shoppers.
Instacart has become a lifeline for millions of people, and we’re building the team to help push our shopping cart forward. If you’re ready to do the best work of your life, come join our table.
Instacart is a Flex First team
There’s no one-size fits all approach to how we do our best work. Our employees have the flexibility to choose where they do their best work—whether it’s from home, an office, or your favorite coffee shop—while staying connected and building community through regular in-person events. Learn more about our flexible approach to where we work.
Overview
About Caper
Caper is a pioneering company in retail automation technology under Instacart. As its core smart hardware brand, Caper is committed to redefining the shopping experience through groundbreaking product design and engineering innovation. Our flagship product, the Caper Smart Cart, stands as a benchmark for embodied AI technology applications. We use leading AI vision technology, precise sensors, and cutting-edge visual-language algorithms to make a consistent self-shopping experience that is smooth.
The Caper Smart Cart has successfully served both North American and global markets, including dozens of top-tier retail brands such as the top 3 supermarket giants in North America, demonstrating the excellence of our technology and product design. Benefits from the support of Instacart, our engineers get impressive market insights, technical resources, and the ability to work on big projects. They have a great opportunity to tackle real, complex problems.
About the Role
The Product Design Engineer will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Caper hardware products, taking direct ownership of the mechanical design, rigorous analysis, efficient assembly, and long-term reliability. This job involves every step of product development. It includes designing the initial idea, creating prototypes, testing them, and coordinating with external suppliers to transform innovative ideas into real products. This role requires frequent collaboration with diverse teams like Industrial Design, Project Management, EE, Software, and AI, ensuring an integrated approach to product development.
About the Team
Our product design engineers are committed to excellence, translating the “brain” of our smart devices into meticulously crafted physical forms. They achieve this by pioneering breakthroughs in material science, optimizing load-bearing structures, and refining manufacturing processes. Their devotion to design efficiency and performance continuously pushes the boundaries of product structural engineering, setting new standards for smart devices.
About the Job
- Product Definition: Understand the market and user needs. Ensure designs meet market demands and improve user experience.
- Building Competitiveness: Convert market and user needs into technical solutions, performance requirements, and strategies. Define design specifications, technical standards, and testing guidelines to enhance product competitiveness
- End-to-End Product Design: Lead structural design of smart cart systems from concept to mass production, focusing on durability, ergonomics, manufacturability (DFM), and cost-efficiency.
- Rapid Prototyping: Execute quick-turn prototypes (3D printing, CNC, sheet metal) to validate designs and accelerate iteration cycles.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with cross-functional teams (PM/EE/SW) to build and test prototypes.
- Design Validation: Conduct computer strength tests (using FEA). Then, do real-world tests that include shaking, impact, and bearing weight. Ensure the design complies with official regulations, such as FCC/CE and UL standards.
- 30% of travel required
About You
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent experience
- 7+ years of experience of hands-on product design and development experience in high volume consumer electronics, including complex subsystems and/or full systems ownership
- Knowledge of mechanical engineering fundamentals, skill in making prototypes, and ability to draw in 3D and 2D.
- Testing and analysis experience (TA, DFMEA, Design of Experiments, etc.)
- Experience in material properties, such as plastics, metal, adhesive, and glass plus high-volume manufacturing techniques (stamping, machining, 3D printing, injection molding, etc
- Agile mindset for fast-paced iteration
- Excellent communication to bridge engineering/product/market teams
- Problem-solving for real-world mechanical failures
- Fluent in Mandarin
Preferred Qualifications
- Portfolio showcasing retail/commercial hardware products
- Experience with waterproofing (IP ratings), thermal management, or modular design
- Knowledge of how to integrate electronics and mechanics, such as circuit boards, sensors, and batteries
- Knowledge with regulatory certification processes (UL, ETL, FCC)
Instacart provides highly market-competitive compensation and benefits in each location where our employees work. This role is remote and the base pay range for a successful candidate is dependent on their permanent work location. Please review our Flex First remote work policy here.
Offers may vary based on many factors, such as candidate experience and skills required for the role. Additionally, this role is eligible for a new hire equity grant as well as annual refresh grants. Please read more about our benefits offerings here.
For US based candidates, the base pay ranges for a successful candidate are listed below.
CA, NY, CT, NJ
$189,000—$210,000 USD
WA
$182,000—$202,000 USD
OR, DE, ME, MA, MD, NH, RI, VT, DC, PA, VA, CO, TX, IL, HI
$174,000—$193,000 USD
All other states
$157,000—$174,000 USD
