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Salary: USD 145,000 - 175,000 / annual
Familiar Machines & Magic is building Physical AI platforms for human connection, starting with Familiars—physically embodied AI systems designed to form long-term, emotionally intelligent relationships with people. The company was founded by industry leaders from iRobot, Outrider, and Amazon, with a collective track record of deploying over 50 million consumer robots worldwide.
You will join the Industrial Design team as a Softgoods Developer, translating design intent into softgoods constructions that integrate seamlessly with the Familiar's mechanical systems while preserving its form, movement, and tactile qualities. This is a highly hands-on role spanning materials selection, patterning, construction, prototyping, supplier development, and manufacturing follow-through.
Key Responsibilities:
- Translate Industrial Design intent into softgoods constructions, patterns, materials, and assembly solutions that preserve the Familiar's physical character and movement.
- Build and iterate hands-on prototypes to evaluate and troubleshoot fit, construction, range of motion, tactile quality, durability, and integration with underlying hardware.
- Develop solutions across textiles, foams, elastomers, closures, trims, bonding, and other soft-material processes, balancing design intent with performance and manufacturability.
- Partner closely with Hardware Engineering, Operations, suppliers, and manufacturing partners to resolve soft-to-hard integration, assembly, serviceability, and manufacturing challenges throughout development and production.
- Carry softgoods solutions from prototype through supplier development and production, including material and process development, sample reviews, specifications, construction documentation, build support, and manufacturing follow-through.
You will work across textiles, foams, elastomers, trims, closures, and other soft and flexible materials to build, evaluate, and refine solutions from early prototypes through development builds and production. The role initially focuses on softgoods integral to the Familiar's physical embodiment, with broader opportunities across the product ecosystem.
The ideal candidate combines strong softgoods craft with practical product development and manufacturing experience. You are a resourceful maker and problem solver who enjoys rapid iteration, works comfortably across Design, Engineering, suppliers, and manufacturing partners, and thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic, culture-forward environment. You think through materials by making—prototyping quickly, evaluating physically, and iterating toward better solutions. You see softgoods and underlying hardware as one integrated product, understanding that the coat's touch and drape shape how the Familiar reads as warm and alive. You balance design intent and tactile quality with movement, durability, manufacturability, schedule, and cost.
Location: Boston (Woburn, MA) preferred with frequent travel to Los Angeles Metro (Glendale, CA), or LA with frequent travel to Boston. Occasional additional domestic and international travel as needed.
Requirements:
- 5+ years of experience developing technically integrated softgoods from concept through production, ideally in consumer electronics, robotics, wearables, sporting goods, footwear, or related categories.
- Deep hands-on expertise in pattern making, sewing, bonding, and softgoods prototyping, with experience across processes such as molding and lamination.
- Strong knowledge of technical textiles, foams, elastomers, trims, closures, and their performance and manufacturing characteristics.
- Experience with 3D softgoods development tools such as CLO 3D, Browzwear, or similar, with the ability to work from 3D product CAD (e.g., Rhino, SolidWorks, Autodesk Alias, or Fusion 360) to develop patterns and constructions around complex mechanical geometry.
- Experience integrating softgoods with rigid mechanical systems, including designing for fit, attachment, assembly, and durability around moving joints and repeated actuation, and carrying solutions through supplier development and production.
Note: The company welcomes applications from candidates who may not meet exact requirements but demonstrate strong culture fit and relevant experience.
