Director, R&D

Job Description

Job Description

Company Overview:

Tactacam is a leading innovator in outdoor and action camera technology, dedicated to providing high-quality products that enhance the outdoor experience. With over 1,000,000 active customers, we continue to push the boundaries of technology, design, and functionality. Our team is passionate about developing cutting-edge products, and we offer exciting opportunities for career growth in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

Job Overview:

We are seeking a Systems Architect and strategic technical leader to drive the development of complex, connected outdoor IoT products from concept through mass production. This role serves as the ultimate technical tie-breaker and authority across Mechanical, Electrical, and Firmware disciplines. You will ensure that our hardware is built as a cohesive, reliable system, optimizing for cost, signal integrity, and performance while mentoring a cross-functional internal team.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in plastics, DFM, and production-scale design, along with strong leadership and project execution skills. This person will be responsible for identifying and leveraging the technical expertise of our JDM partners and matching them with our internal strengths and where we need the most help.

Responsibilities:

• Technical Leadership
  • Provide high-level architectural oversight across all internal engineering teams, including Mechanical, Electrical, and Firmware.
  • Ensure that there is full traceability from design to end product.
  • Lead design reviews, tolerance analysis, risk assessments, and validation planning.
  • Act as the final technical authority to settle disputes between disciplines (e.g., hardware-software trade-offs) to ensure the system meets performance and reliability targets.
  • Establish engineering best practices, standards, and design guidelines.
• Product Development
  • Lead development from concept, prototyping, EVT/DVT/PVT, through production ramp.
  • Optimize designs for cost, performance, reliability, and manufacturability.
  • Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders
  • Lead system-level design reviews and validation planning to ensure hardware is adaptable to component obsolescence and future technology pivots.
  • Drive root cause analysis and implement corrective actions during validation and production.
• JDM/ODM & Manufacturing Collaboration
  • Partner with global JDM/ODM manufacturers to ensure alignment on design intent, tooling strategy, and production readiness.
  • Evaluate and audit the technical integrity of offshore partners' firmware architecture and electrical designs to ensure they are robust enough for high-volume mass production.
  • Support factory builds and resolves production challenges.
• Project & Process Management
  • Provide technical leadership across multiple concurrent programs.
  • Support project planning, risk mitigation, and milestone execution.
  • Ensure timely release of engineering documentation and PLM records.
• Mentorship & Team Development
  • Mentor and develop engineers across multiple experience levels.
  • Provide structured design feedback and technical coaching.
  • Foster a culture of engineering rigor, accountability, and innovation.

Requirements:

• 15+ years of experience in product development with a proven track record as a Systems Architect or Lead for complex, connected electronics.
• 10+ years mentoring and developing engineers.
• Proven track record of scaling consumer electronics production from low-volume prototypes to high-volume (50k+ units/month) mass production.
• Advanced knowledge of Design for Manufacturability (DFM).
• Experience working with JDM/ODM manufacturing partners.
• Deep technical fluency in Mechanical Design (SolidWorks/Creo), Electrical/PCBA Layout, and Embedded Firmware Architecture.
• Extensive experience with cellular-connected devices (LTE/5G), RF integration, and low-power battery management.
• Experience with PLM systems and engineering change processes.
• Strong experience in engineering documentation and drawing standards.
• Experience developing outdoor consumer or industrial electronic products.
• Proven ability to lead complex programs from concept to mass production.
• Ability to travel to offshore manufacturing sites (Asia) for tool trials, line audits, and production ramp-up support.
• Project Management experience, preferred.
• Experience supporting international manufacturing builds, preferred.
• Knowledge of environmental and reliability testing standards for outdoor products, preferred.
• Familiarity with FMEA, GD&T, and tolerance stack analysis, preferred.

Comprehensive Benefits Package:

Our benefits include Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage to ensure your well-being. Plan for the future with our 401k plan, and take time off to recharge with PTO. We've got you covered with Disability Insurance and Life Insurance too!

Location Limitations:

Please note at this time, we are not accepting applications from candidates based in Alaska (AK), Connecticut (CT), Delaware (DE), Massachusetts (MA), New Mexico (NM), and South Dakota (SD)

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Tactacam is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other protected status. We are committed to providing a fair and inclusive work environment for all, and we encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply for our open positions. If you require reasonable accommodation during the application process, please let us know, and we will be happy to assist.