Hardware Prototype Engineer (Part-time Contract)

Nex is on a mission to help families rediscover the joy of movement. Created by parents for parents, Nex combines technology and play to deliver fun, social, and interactive experiences powered by natural body motion, encouraging kids and adults to move more, play more, and have fun together. Nex Playground, the company’s award-winning active play system, is purpose-built to get families moving year-round, with safety and privacy as core considerations in its intentional design. It is certified kidSAFE+ COPPA compliant and built to support healthy, active play for all ages and abilities. Nex Playground features a growing library of 50+ experiences, including motion and dance games, fitness and educational experiences, and Nex Originals. Content includes collaborations with partners like Hasbro, Sesame Workshop, and NBCUniversal. Nex has been recognized by Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, TIME’s Best Inventions, and Parents’ Best Entertainment System for Families, and has earned Red Dot, IDEA, and Core77 international design awards. We encourage you to explore Have Fun and Is Motion Gaming Back?, as they offer a deeper look into our culture, values, and explain how our approach to motion gaming differs from previous generations. Important Notice: ⚠️ To protect yourself from recruitment scams, please note that Nex communicates through official company emails ending in @nex.inc. If you receive a suspicious email or message, please do not respond and report it immediately to us. Location: Hong Kong This is an initial two-month, part-time engagement, with potential for extension subject to performance, business needs, and mutual agreement. The Role Nex creates active-play experiences that bring people together through movement and games. Working with our Core Technology team, you’ll build and refine electronics and enclosures, collaborating with software engineers and researchers to turn concepts into reliable, usable prototypes. This is a hands-on prototyping role, not a mass-production hardware program. The Mindset You’re a practical builder, comfortable with schematics, soldering, CAD, and testing. You balance speed with engineering discipline, make sensible build-versus-buy trade-offs, and take ownership of the complete prototype. What You'll Do • Design and modify circuits and PCBAs; select and integrate components. • Create mechanical CAD, 3D-printed enclosures, and practical mounting solutions. • Assemble, bring up, rework, and debug prototypes using lab measurements. • Collaborate on firmware and software integration, resolving interface, connectivity, and power issues. • Iterate quickly from test findings and build consistent, reliable prototype units. • Document schematics, PCB files, BOMs, CAD, assembly instructions, and known limitations. Success Looks Like • Fast iteration from identified problems to tested improvements. • Usable, consistent prototypes that withstand repeated testing and handling. • Clear documentation enabling the team to maintain and reproduce builds. What You Bring • Demonstrated experience building working electronic prototypes, including circuit design, board bring-up, soldering, rework, and debugging. • Hands-on experience with mechanical CAD and rapid enclosure prototyping, such as 3D printing. • Experience integrating microcontrollers, sensors, wireless modules, and battery-powered electronics. • Confidence using oscilloscopes, multimeters, logic analysers, and other practical debugging tools. • Ability to work independently, make sensible trade-offs, and deliver within a short iteration cycle. • Clear communication and documentation skills, including explaining issues and options to software engineers. • Availability to work on-site in Hong Kong on a half-time basis for a two-month engagement. Preferred • Experience with Bluetooth-connected devices, sensors, or interactive hardware. • Embedded C/C++ skills and experience modifying firmware for device bring-up and diagnostics. • Experience with compact, battery-powered consumer-device prototypes. • Familiarity with component sourcing, PCB fabrication, and local rapid-prototyping suppliers. • Experience preparing hardware for hands-on user evaluation. • Interest in games, physical interaction design, or consumer electronics. If you are interested in this position, please share your CV and examples of hardware you’ve built—photos, videos, or brief write-ups are welcome. Describe your contribution, a problem you solved, and how you tested it. Include your availability, proposed schedule, and contractor rate. We Offer • Competitive compensation package. • Flexible working hours and vacation policy. • Product-driven culture that treasures talents and individual growth. • Front-row seat and hands-on experience with cutting edge technologies in the evolving gaming field Nex is located in San Jose, California, USA and Hong Kong. Learn more about us at https://www.nexplayground.com/about. We encourage applications even if you don’t meet more than 50% of the requirements — we believe that experience comes in many forms! Nex is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. This policy applies to all individuals at every stage of the employment relationship, including all current and prospective employees, and covers all employment decisions including recruitment, hiring, job assignment, promotion, compensation, benefits, training, discipline and termination. We are committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment and to fostering an inclusive environment for all employees.