Build things that outlast you.
We're 40 people in one factory in Ningbo. No investors, no outsourcing, no growth-at-any-cost. We weld, powder-coat, and ship dog playpens that last a decade — and we're slow on purpose. If that sounds like your kind of place, come build with us.
A letter from Lena
"We hire people who'd notice if a weld was off. Everyone else, we train."
FREEPET is not a startup. We've been in the same building since 1997. What changed is what we make — first patio furniture parts, now dog playpens, kennels, and crates.
The team hasn't changed much either. Marcus has been on the floor for 22 years. Daniel left a materials lab to run quality here. Sophie answers every customer email that comes in — you'll see her name in our inbox too.
We're small because we want to be. We're slow because we make things that last. And we're hiring carefully, because every person we add changes what this place is.
Ningbo HQ
How we work
Four things you'll notice in the first week.
Not values on a wall. Just how this place actually runs.
Slow on purpose
We don't ship a product until it clears the salt spray. That sometimes means a three-month delay. No one gets punished for that.
Say what's true
If a product fails in the field, we say so — in the warranty doc and on the site. Honest claims age better than bold ones.
Own the whole thing
Designers sit next to welders. CX sees every return. No handoffs, no "not my department." If you touched it, you own how it ends up.
Small team, real work
Forty people, no layers. Everyone ships. Senior engineers still weld prototypes; the CEO still answers customer emails on Sundays.
A day on the factory floor.
One-take footage from 7:30am to 6pm — the weld stations, the salt spray lab, the shipping dock, and the dogs who come to work. No script, no music, no editing.
Open roles
Six positions, hiring now.
Every role below is real and active. Click any to read the full brief and apply — no recruiters, no ATS forms.
No roles match that filter right now.
Try another department — or send us a general note.
Life here
What the place actually looks like.
Not staged. Real shots from the factory, the warehouse, and the dog-friendly corner of the office.
Weld station 07Cutting lineOffice dogPrototype dayWhat you get
Eight benefits, none negotiable.
Same benefits for everyone. On-site, remote, junior, senior — no exceptions.
Fair salary, no games
Published bands, no negotiation penalty for not asking. Annual review every March.
Full health coverage
Medical, dental, vision, and a $500/year dog care stipend. On-site roles include family coverage.
Flexible hours
Core hours 10am–4pm. Start at 7 or 11, your call. Nobody checks when you log on.
Remote-friendly
Design, DTC, content, and CX can work from anywhere within ±8 hours of China Standard Time.
Learning budget
$1,500/year for courses, conferences, or books. No approval process — submit the receipt.
25 days off
Plus local public holidays. Take them — the factory won't fall over. We track to make sure you do.
Dog-friendly office
Bring your dog to work. There's a designated play area and we keep spare FREEPET frames on hand.
Free product
Every team member gets one full bundle of their choice per year. Friends and family get 40% off.
The process
Four steps. Two to three weeks.
No whiteboards, no take-home essays, no ghosting. Here's exactly what happens.
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Intro call - 30 min
A short conversation with the hiring manager. We talk about what you've built before, what you're looking for, and what the role actually is. You get to ask the hard questions too.
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Paid work sample - 4–6 hours
A small, real project — a design brief, a code review, a customer email draft. We pay for your time. No 40-hour "test tasks," no free consulting.
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Final round - 2 team leads
A 60-minute conversation with two people from the team you'd be joining. No HR round, no culture-fit quiz. They'll ask about your work — and you'll ask about theirs.
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Offer, references, start
If we move forward, you'll have a written offer within 48 hours. Two references, then a start date that works for you — usually 4 to 8 weeks out.
FAQ
Things people ask us first.
Yes, for some roles. Design, DTC, content, and customer experience can be remote from anywhere within ±8 hours of China Standard Time. Manufacturing, quality, and engineering roles are on-site in Ningbo — you can't jig-weld a frame from a home office.
Two to three weeks end to end. A 30-minute intro call, a paid work sample (4–6 hours, we pay for it), and a final conversation with two team leads. No whiteboard rounds, no take-home essays, no culture-fit interviews.
Yes, for on-site roles in Ningbo. We cover the full visa process and relocation for senior hires and their families. For remote roles, you're paid through our local entity in your country of residence where possible — we'll work out the details during the intro call.
Send us a short note and your work. We keep a small list - maybe 20 people - and reach out when something opens. No recruiters, no ATS black hole, no "we'll keep your resume on file" that means nothing. If we say we'll reach out, we will.
Forty people. Median tenure is 4.3 years - long for this industry. The floor team has been here the longest (some since 2003). The design and DTC teams are newer, mostly hired in the last 3 years. Everyone works across departments; you'll know names on the floor by week two.
For on-site roles, yes - basic Mandarin is expected. We'll pay for lessons in your first year if you're not there yet. For remote roles, English is the working language and Mandarin isn't required - but it helps if you want to visit often.
Didn't see your role?
Tell us what you're good at and what you'd want to work on. We read every note — and we keep the good ones.