Prototype Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Kform is a next-generation defense manufacturer helping leading defense and dual-use startups turn advanced technology into producible hardware. We work across design, engineering, prototyping, manufacturing, quality, and production readiness to move critical products from concept to fielded reality.

We are recruiting builders who want to break the mold and develop solutions that meet the rigorous adaptive timelines that the defense industry demands. The battlefield waits weeks not years.

The right person for this role has one strong engineering foundation, usually mechanical engineering or electrical engineering, and enough curiosity, range, and practical ability to work across the rest of the product development stack. You may be strongest in mechanical design, electronics, embedded systems, test, or manufacturing, but you want to understand how the whole machine works.

At Kform, you will not be trapped in a narrow lane. You will design, prototype, test, troubleshoot, document, and improve real systems. You will work with engineers, technicians, machinists, suppliers, quality teams, customers, and production teams. You will learn the full scope of product development because you will be close to the work from idea to prototype to production.

This is one of the few places where engineers get to build things that matter, learn fast, and help strengthen American industrial capacity for defense.

You will lead the design, prototyping, and testing of complex hardware products for defense and dual-use customers. You will bring strong technical depth in your primary discipline while working across mechanical, electrical, embedded software, manufacturing, and test domains.

This is a hands-on engineering role. You should be comfortable moving between:

• CAD
• Schematics
• Prototypes
• Test benches
• Shop tools
• Supplier conversations
• Production feedback
• Customer requirements

We want people who read trade magazines, watch factory walkthroughs on YouTube, take things apart, study how products are made, and learn difficult skills because they cannot help themselves.

• Lead the design and development of multidisciplinary hardware products, including:- Mechanical assemblies

  • Electronic systems
  • Embedded controls
  • Fixtures
  • Test equipment
  • Production-ready components

• Design electronics in ECAD (primarily Altium)

• Work across disciplines to understand how mechanical, electrical, software, manufacturing, and quality decisions affect the final product.

• Rapidly prototype proof-of-concept designs using practical engineering judgment, fabrication tools, electronics, test equipment, and hands-on iteration.

• Develop, integrate, or support embedded software where needed to connect mechanical and electronic systems into functioning prototypes and products.

• Plan and execute testing to validate:- Performance

  • Reliability
  • Durability
  • Manufacturability
  • Safety

• Analyze test results, identify failure modes, and drive design improvements based on evidence.

• Document design decisions, revisions, test results, lessons learned, and technical tradeoffs so products can move cleanly into production.

• Collaborate with manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and program teams to improve designs for:- Manufacturability

  • Assembly
  • Inspection
  • Cost
  • Schedule
  • Reliability

• Mentor junior engineers by modeling technical rigor, practical problem-solving, strong documentation, and extreme ownership.

• Manage smaller engineering projects independently, driving them from ambiguous requirements to completed outcomes.

• Contribute to continuous improvement across Kform’s engineering and manufacturing systems.

We are looking for an engineer with real technical depth and broad technical curiosity.

You should have one strong engineering discipline, such as mechanical engineering or electrical engineering, and enough working knowledge of adjacent disciplines to build complete products with a multidisciplinary team.

You do not need to be an expert in everything. You do need to be the kind of person who wants to understand the whole system.

You should be comfortable in ambiguity, willing to make technical tradeoffs, and capable of turning incomplete information into forward progress. You should be able to:

• Sit at a workstation and develop a design
• Review a schematic and understand system implications
• Debug a prototype
• Walk the production floor and gather useful feedback
• Inspect a part
• Run a test
• Explain your reasoning clearly

The best fit for this role is curious, practical, disciplined, and biased toward action.

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related technical field.

• 3 to 5 years of experience in product design, hardware development, prototyping, test, or multidisciplinary engineering.

• Strong technical capability in at least one core engineering discipline, preferably mechanical engineering or electrical engineering.

• Working knowledge of adjacent disciplines such as:- Embedded software

  • Electronics
  • Mechanical design
  • Manufacturing
  • Quality
  • Test
  • Systems integration

• Advanced proficiency in Altium or another core engineering design tool relevant to your primary discipline.

• Hands-on experience with rapid prototyping, fabrication tools, electronics, test equipment, and physical hardware.

• Ability to document engineering work clearly, including design intent, revisions, test results, and technical decisions.

• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently while contributing effectively to a multidisciplinary team.

• Founding, early-employee, or high-accountability startup experience.
• Experience in defense, aerospace, robotics, industrial automation, advanced manufacturing, or another regulated technical environment.
• Familiarity with AS9100, quality management systems, configuration control, production documentation, and design release processes.
• Experience designing for manufacturability, assembly, inspection, reliability, and cost.
• Experience taking hardware from prototype through production readiness.
• Experience managing small engineering projects from concept through prototype or production release.
• Demonstrated interest in manufacturing, American industry, defense technology, and hard technical problems.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain technical decisions to engineers, operators, customers, suppliers, and leadership.

• Deep capability in one engineering discipline, with enough range to contribute across the full product development process.
• Electrical design awareness and ECAD collaboration in Altium.
• Embedded software development, integration, or debugging.
• Prototype fabrication, assembly, instrumentation, and test.
• Design for manufacturability and production readiness.
• Technical documentation and configuration discipline.
• Analytical thinking, practical judgment, and attention to detail.
• Ability to operate with urgency while maintaining engineering rigor.
• Ownership mindset, strong follow-through, and commitment to building products that matter.

This role operates in a fast-moving product development and manufacturing environment.

You should expect:

• Frequent hands-on work with prototypes, electronics, tools, machinery, test equipment, inspection equipment, and production hardware.
• Time spent standing, walking, assembling, testing, troubleshooting, or working near active manufacturing and prototyping operations.
• Use of personal protective equipment depending on the task, equipment, and work area.
• Occasional travel to support customers, suppliers, testing, or program needs.

Kform values continuous improvement, aggressive value creation, and extreme ownership.

We are building the infrastructure, technical capability, and execution engine required to bring advanced defense products into production faster. That requires people who care about the details, respect the customer, and understand that American industrial strength is built by people who can execute.

If you want to learn the full scope of product development, build real hardware, work with exceptional startups, and help create defense products that matter, this is the work.

You should be proficient in:

• Electrical Schematics
• CAD Software
• Electrical / Electronic Systems
• Engineering Degree
• Electrical Engineering
• IoT Engineering

Machines & technologies you'll use:

• Altium
• ECAD