Principal Mechanical Design Engineer

The primary focus of this role is the technical leadership of the mechanical design and development unit, from concept through industrialization. 

As a Principal Mechanical Design Engineer, you will own the mechanical architecture of the product(s) and lead the design and development of complex mechanical sub-systems and assemblies. You will guide the mechanical design process from early concept through validation and production, ensuring robust, manufacturable, and high-performance solutions. 

You will operate in a multidisciplinary environment, working closely with electronics, firmware, and systems engineering teams to ensure seamless integration across mechanical, electrical, and mechatronic interfaces. 

In addition to hands-on design work, you will provide technical leadership to the mechanical engineering team, define strategies, and take responsibility for designs. You will drive engineering best practices,  quality and compliance with industry standards throughout the development lifecycle. 

Key Responsibilities 

Technical Leadership 

• Lead the mechanical architecture and design strategy for the gimbal camera system and its sub-assemblies. 

• Translate system-level requirements into robust mechanical concepts, architectures, and detailed designs. 

• Drive technical decision-making related to materials, structural design, thermal management, sealing, and manufacturability. 

• Identify and mitigate technical risks throughout the development lifecycle. 

Mechanical Design & Development 

• Oversee and contribute to the creation of high-quality mechanical designs, 3D CAD models and production-ready 2D drawings. 

• Guide engineering analyses including tolerance analysis, structural analysis, vibration considerations, and thermal performance. 

• Define appropriate materials, surface treatments, and manufacturing processes to meet performance, reliability, and cost targets. 

• Ensure designs meet environmental and durability requirements, including IP-rated enclosures for outdoor or harsh environments. 

Mechatronic Integration 

• Lead mechanical integration of electronics, sensors, wiring, connectors, motors, and actuators within compact mechatronic assemblies. 

• Define mechanical–electrical interfaces including thermal paths, grounding strategies, cable routing, and connector interfaces. 

• Work closely with electronics team to ensure optimal integration of hardware and mechanical systems. 

Prototyping & Validation 

• Lead prototype build activities and guide design verification and validation testing. 

• Analyze test results and drive design iterations and improvements. 

Manufacturing & Supplier Collaboration 

• Collaborate with manufacturing and supply chain partners to ensure designs are optimized for production. 

• Lead design reviews, supplier technical discussions, and manufacturability assessments. 

• Ensure accurate BOM management, documentation, revision control, and release processes. 

Team Contribution & Mentorship 

• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to mechanical engineers. 

• Support the development of engineering standards, internal design guidelines, and best practices. 

• Contribute to continuous improvement of engineering processes and design quality. 

• Bachelor's or master's degree in mechanical engineering, Mechatronics, or related field. A PhD degree will be a plus.  

• Extensive experience in mechanical product development, ideally in complex electromechanical or mechatronic systems. 

• Proven experience leading or owning mechanical design of complex assemblies or products. 

• Strong proficiency with 3D CAD tools (e.g. NX, Creo, SolidWorks, or similar) and production drawing creation. 

• Solid experience integrating mechanical systems with electronics, including enclosures, connectors, PCBs, wiring, and sensors. 

• Experience designing IP-rated enclosures or systems for outdoor or harsh environments. 

• Strong understanding of tolerance analysis and mechanical stack-up management. 

• Experience with structural analysis or FEM tools is an advantage. 

• Knowledge of thermal management for electronics, including heat dissipation and material selection. 

• Familiarity with DfM/DfA principles and working closely with suppliers and manufacturing teams. 

• Experience with motorized or gimbal-based mechanical systems is considered a strong advantage. 

Skills & Abilities Required 

• Strong system-level thinking and engineering judgment. 

• Ability to lead technical discussions and make informed design decisions. 

• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills. 

• Hands-on engineering mindset with the ability to move between concept and detailed implementation. 

• Strong communication and collaboration skills across multidisciplinary teams. 

• Ability to mentor engineers and drive technical excellence within a team. 

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced product development environment. 

• Strong organizational skills and commitment to structured engineering documentation and traceability.