Tech Project Head

Tech Project Head (Volunteer) 483About Helpful EngineeringHelpful Engineering is a global engineering innovation hub dedicated to developing technologies and solutions that address pressing societal challenges. Through our Innovation Labs, volunteers, researchers, engineers, and industry professionals collaborate to develop technologies that create measurable social impact. Partnerships are a critical component of our innovation model, enabling projects to access expertise, technologies, facilities, mentorship, and prototype development resources.Role OverviewThe Technical Project Lead serves as the leader for product development projects, providing both project leadership and technical guidance from concept through reference design. This individual helps to define project direction, coordinate execution, and ensure technical decisions support project objectives.While the Technical Project Lead is not expected to be the technical expert in every discipline, you should be comfortable participating in technical discussions, reviewing design concepts, identifying risks, and helping the team navigate engineering tradeoffs.Key ResponsibilitiesLead a multidisciplinary team through all phases of early product developmentDefine project scope, objectives, milestones, and success criteria in collaboration with stakeholdersTranslate user and stakeholder needs into actionable engineering deliverablesFacilitate technical discussions and design reviews while encouraging collaborative problem solvingCoordinate activities across engineering, manufacturing, industrial design, public health, clinical, and other functional disciplinesGuide engineering tradeoff decisions by considering performance, manufacturability, usability, cost, reliability, and implementationIdentify technical and project risks early and develop mitigation strategiesHelp prioritize work, allocate project resources, and maintain execution against project goalsSupport prototype planning, fabrication, testing, and verification activitiesEnsure project documentation, design decisions, and technical outputs are organized and communicated effectivelyFoster an inclusive, collaborative, and mission-driven team environmentPreferred SkillsExperience with engineering product development, including concept development, prototyping, iterative design, and verificationAbility to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.Demonstrated ability to organize work, establish priorities, and drive projects to completionExperience making informed technical decisions while balancing competing constraintsComfortable working in environments with evolving requirements and limited resourcesPassion for humanitarian engineering, public health innovation, or mission-driven technology developmentPreferred BackgroundCandidates may come from a wide range of engineering and product development backgrounds. Experience in one or more of the following is beneficial:Mechanical systems or product designMaterials selection and manufacturing processesIndustrial or manufacturing engineeringMedical devices or healthcare technologiesConsumer products or industrial equipmentPrototype development and testingDesign verification and validationRisk management or systems engineeringDesign for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA)Product lifecycle or new product developmentGraduate students and experienced professionals are both encouraged to apply.BenefitsHelp shape a global innovation ecosystemWork directly with Helpful Engineering leadershipBuild relationships across academia, industry, and nonprofit sectorsSupport technologies addressing critical societal challengesDevelop experience in innovation partnerships and ecosystem strategyFlexible and fully remote engagementReady to Apply?If you are excited to leverage your human resources expertise to create meaningful global impact, we want to hear from you! Even if you don’t meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply—your perspective and passion may be exactly what we need.This is an unpaid volunteer position at a nonprofit organization.Join us in engineering the future of sustainability.Apply now or learn more about us at:helpfulengineering.org