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Prototype Engineer Jobs in Raleigh, NC (NOW HIRING)

Senior Mechanical Engineer

Apex, NC ยท On-site

$80K - $105K/yr

Lead prototyping of compact, wearable systems that involve electronic components, rigid-flex PCBs ... S in Mechanical or Biomedical Engineering or a related field Eight or more years industry ...

Senior Mechanical Engineer

Apex, NC ยท On-site

$80K - $105K/yr

Lead prototyping of compact, wearable systems that involve electronic components, rigid-flex PCBs ... S. in Mechanical or Biomedical Engineering or a related field Eight or more years industry ...

AI Engineer

Raleigh, NC ยท Remote

$130K - $160K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

AI Engineer, location is remote in the Raleigh, NC area with onsite collaboration as needed. The ... Build prototypes, proofs of concept, and AI-enabled solutions * Develop backend services, APIs, and ...

Senior Electrical Engineer R&D

Morrisville, NC ยท On-site

$100K - $131K/yr

NIRSense is seeking an experienced senior electrical engineer to own early-stage hardware prototyping within our growing engineering and scientific team in its Morrisville, NC office. This person ...

New

Electrical Engineer

Creedmoor, NC ยท On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

PCB level electrical design, prototype build and test. * Software development and testing for new products and upgrades to existing products. * Transition of new products from engineering to ...

Senior Electrical Engineer R&D

Morrisville, NC ยท On-site

$100K - $131K/yr

NIRSense is seeking an experienced senior electrical engineer to own early-stage hardware prototyping within our growing engineering and scientific team in its Morrisville, NC office. This person ...

New

NIRSense is seeking an experienced senior electrical engineer to own early-stage hardware prototyping within our growing engineering and scientific team in its Morrisville, NC office. This person ...

New

Mechanical Engineer I

Wake Forest, NC ยท On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Conduct prototype and qualification testing to evaluate product performance, reliability, and ... Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline. * 0 ...

New

Mechanical Engineer I

Wake Forest, NC

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Conduct prototype and qualification testing to evaluate product performance, reliability, and ... Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline. * 0 ...

New

You will lead technical assessments, prototype testing, and risk management while working closely with experts across engineering, formulation, quality, and supply. We value practical problem-solvers ...

You will lead technical assessments, prototype testing, and risk management while working closely with experts across engineering, formulation, quality, and supply. We value practical problem-solvers ...

Partner with mechanical, electrical, and controls engineers to create robust test plans for subsystems and prototypes. * Perform hands-on test execution when needed, ensuring accurate data capture ...

Senior Advanced AI Research Engineer

Raleigh, NC ยท On-site

$101K - $139K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Prototype and validate platform-level capabilities - such as inference routing policies, memory ... Work alongside platform engineers to integrate validated research capabilities into production ...

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Showing results 1-20

Prototype Engineer information

See Raleigh, NC salary details

$28

$35

$37

How much do prototype engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 13, 2026, the average hourly pay for prototype engineer in Raleigh, NC is $35.46, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $33.41 and $37.40 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges prototype engineers face when transitioning designs from concept to functional prototypes?

Prototype Engineers often encounter challenges such as interpreting incomplete or evolving design specifications, sourcing unconventional materials, and working within tight deadlines. Close collaboration with design, engineering, and manufacturing teams is essential to resolve technical issues quickly and ensure the prototype aligns with the intended functionality. Flexibility and creative problem-solving are key, as unexpected obstacles frequently arise during the rapid iteration and testing phases.

What is a prototype engineer?

A Prototype Engineer is a professional who designs, builds, and tests early versions of products or components to evaluate their functionality and performance before mass production. They collaborate with designers, engineers, and product managers to turn concepts into tangible prototypes, using a variety of fabrication techniques and materials. Their work helps identify potential design improvements, troubleshoot issues, and ensure that the final product meets technical and user requirements.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a prototype engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Prototype Engineer, you need strong skills in mechanical or electrical engineering, rapid prototyping techniques, and a relevant engineering degree. Familiarity with CAD software, 3D printing technologies, and hands-on fabrication tools is typically required, along with knowledge of prototyping standards. Creativity, problem-solving, and effective communication are essential soft skills to excel in cross-functional teams and adapt to evolving project requirements. These abilities enable successful design iteration, effective collaboration, and efficient transition from concept to functional prototype.

What does a prototype engineer do?

A prototype engineer is part of a product development team that designs prototypes for new kinds of industrial products. Many companies employ design engineers to perform numerous technical duties, such as drawing up schematics and blueprints, overseeing the production of prototypes, and testing those prototypes to decide whether they should enter mass production. The career requires significant educational qualifications and a variety of skills and experience. You should have an engineering degree in the field you wish to enter, strong analytical problem-solving, and the ability to work as part of a large team.

What are popular job titles related to Prototype Engineer jobs in Raleigh, NC? For Prototype Engineer jobs in Raleigh, NC, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Prototype Engineer jobs in Raleigh, NC look for? The top searched job categories for Prototype Engineer jobs in Raleigh, NC are:
Infographic showing various Prototype Engineer job openings in Raleigh, NC as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 87% Full Time, 7% Part Time, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 85% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $73,749 per year, or $35.5 per hour.

Senior Mechanical Engineer

MLS Technologies

Apex, NC โ€ข On-site

$80K - $105K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 19 days ago


Job description

Seeking an experienced mechanical engineer to work alongside our growing engineering and scientific team in its NC office. This person will lead a broad set of development objectives. This person will lead a team of mechanical engineers, will manage project requirements for our systems and its mechanical designs, and will track open issues with the hardware designs.

The ideal candidate is an experienced professional looking to apply their skills toward optimizing system and app interoperability for our transformational capabilities. They work well in a fast-paced and high-performance team.
Lead prototyping of compact, wearable systems that involve electronic components, rigid-flex PCBs, batteries, RF protection, flexible and rigid system casings, optical windows, displays, buttons, ambient light shields, and biocompatible skin interfacing materials
Work with electrical engineers to integrate PCB components with flexible or rigid enclosure designs that conform to the human body
Coordinate task management among mechanical team members
Mentor junior and mid-level engineers and support hiring processes for the mechanical team
Design system protections for water ingress to depths hundreds of feet underwater and corrosion protection from salt spray and seawater
Identify and qualify domestic and international manufacturing sources for our systems with a focus on manufacturing for scale and commercialization
Check prototype and manufactured parts for accuracy to design intent and engineering tolerances
Translate user needs and functional requirement documents into specific design implementations
Design test fixtures, molds, manufacturing jigs, and related subsystems to build, test, and validate prototype systems using in-house 3D printed and molded components
Follow best practices for design controls and quality management systems including version control, configuration management, secure and compliant data storage and handling
Coordinate prototyping recipes and practices between engineering team and external manufacturing, material supply, and engineering vendors
Provide support to customers on-site and remotely for stage-gated device test milestones
Report to the Director of Engineering
Minimum Qualifications:
B.S. or M.S

in Mechanical or Biomedical Engineering or a related field
Eight or more years industry experience in design for wearable monitoring systems or medical devices
Significant capability with Solidworks for designing rigid or flexible enclosures, molds, test fixtures, and optical interfaces
Strong knowledge of safety, performance, and regulatory compliance requirements of medical devices, such as IEC 60601, ISO 10993, ISO 13485, ISO 14971, IEC 62366, and related FDA guidance
Experience in scaling up prototypes toward production
Experience with rapid prototyping processes, including creating fixtures, molds, and prototype subassemblies
Familiarity with Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Assembly (DFA), and Test (DFT) practices
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience designing waterproof and corrosion-resistant products
Design experience with systems interfacing with the human body
Experience working with medical-grade, skin-contacting adhesives, silicones, and foams
Experience with human factor / usability engineering
Experience developing and iterating on industrial design concepts for manufactured systems
Prior experience working with startups and with a local network
Education:Bachelor LevelEmployment Type: FULL_TIME