Freelance Product Design Engineer
- Hybrid
- All software engineering jobs
- FullTime
- Product
About the role
Freelance Product Design Engineer
Location: Antwerp or Amsterdam
Experience: 5+ years designing injection-moulded parts for high-volume consumer products, with at least one taken through mass production
Own component-level mechanical design and help turn robust designs into manufacturable products.
This isn't a lateral move. We built Loop by going all in from day one. Loop makes products people wear in their ears, by the million. Mechanical design here is never only about whether something works — fit, feel, robustness, cosmetics, tolerances, material choice and manufacturability all decide whether a part is right. A 0.1 mm call can be the difference between a product people love and one that comes back to us. You'll own the mechanical design of assigned subassemblies from concept through mass production, balancing performance, cost, robustness and manufacturability. All yours. If you've mastered component-level mechanical design and you're ready to break the rules that no longer work, this is where you do it.
The role
You step into ownership. You move fast and take responsibility for what you build. You focus on work that matters, not on noise that slows things down.
You'll own mechanical design for specific subsystems, lead DFM and validation, and work closely with Electrical Engineering, Sourcing, and our CMs and ODMs to get designs ready for mass production.
This is hands-on product development. We're in the office daily because builds, prototypes, reviews and the conversations around them are a real part of the work. There's flexibility to work from home a couple of days a week when the workload allows it.
What you’ll do
You own mechanical design for assigned subassemblies from concept through mass production
You conduct design reviews and lead tolerance analysis
You execute EVT, DVT and PVT builds, analyse test failures, and iterate based on what you learn
You partner with CMs and ODMs on DFM reviews, tooling, Golden Sample alignment and production readiness
You author and own 2D drawings and specifications
You drive ECOs, drawing releases and change control in Arena
You finalise part designs for the components you own, selecting materials, finishes and part construction with input from Sourcing and the CM
You approve drawing releases for BOM-level parts and communicate clearly across engineering, sourcing and manufacturing partners
You work in Onshape as our core mechanical CAD environment
What you decide, and what you align on
You decide: part design, material and finish, tolerance scheme, and drawing release for the parts you own.
You align before you commit on anything that moves cost, tooling, timeline or another team's scope — with Sourcing, Electrical Engineering, Quality, and the CM.
Your work is independent. Your decisions aren't a surprise to the people they land on.
How you’ll succeed
We look for people who think big, stay curious, and take ownership of the outcome. You'll succeed by:
Finding and resolving mechanical issues during EVT, DVT and PVT — not after ramp
Releasing robust parts on time for key milestones, with minimal avoidable ECO rework
Holding the balance between tolerances, materials, manufacturing constraints, performance and cost, and iterating fast when validation tells you something has to change
What you’ll bring
5+ years designing injection-moulded parts for high-volume consumer products, with at least one taken through mass production
Strong fundamentals: tolerances and stack-ups, fastening, material selection, and structured root cause analysis of mechanical failures
Hands-on experience with injection moulding and the processes around small consumer hardware — overmoulding, LSR or silicone, TPE — and a real understanding of what mould flow and tooling constraints cost you when you design around them too late
A feel for cosmetic surface finish and CMF, and for holding tight tolerances and visual quality at volume
Experience working directly with CMs or ODMs through tooling, build, validation and ramp
You interface confidently with cross-functional partners and communicate clearly during design reviews. You ask for candid feedback and you give it — design reviews are where you want to be wrong early
You work independently and know which calls are yours and which need Sourcing, EE or Quality in the room first
Onshape or comparable parametric CAD, and experience in a PLM environment (we use Arena)
You're comfortable with change and with requirements that keep evolving as prototypes, testing and manufacturing teach us more
You know when work is ready to ship, and when it can evolve
You use AI intentionally in your work, knowing where it can improve quality, output, experience or decisions and where it should not be used. You critically evaluate its outputs, catch issues before work ships, and stay accountable for the result
Loop isn’t for everyone. We might not be a match if you:
Wait for direction instead of taking initiative
Mistake activity for impact
Feel uneasy when things are still taking shape
Prefer alignment meetings over decisions
Still listening?
Good. We are not looking for people to watch from the sidelines. Loopers step in, speak up and go for more. More firsts. More growth. More: “I can’t believe we did that.” If you are like that too, press that beautiful apply button and let’s talk.
Why work at Loop
At Loop we cut through the noise, so the work that matters actually lands. We go all in on impact, connection, and growth. And you’ll feel that the moment you walk in. You’ll know people across teams fast, because candor is care, wins are celebrated loudly, and fun is taken seriously. And when you go all in at work, you also go all in on life. That’s why we give you 32 vacation days, enough time to recharge, travel, or dive headfirst into whatever makes you happiest.
Interview Process
Application Window: now through 21 September (Applications only accepted in this window)
Phone Screens (Recruiter, Hiring Manager, Technical): 9 September - 25 September
Target Start Date: 5 October
The fine print
We know great engineers don't always tick every box. If this role excites you and you believe you can help shape Loop's future, we'd love to hear from you, even if your experience doesn't match every requirement.
We will review all applications. There is no need to send an additional email.
We are continually exploring the best ways to hire and build Loop. This includes the use of AI and assessments as part of our process. If you need any accommodation in this regard, please write to our recruitment team directly.
