Mechanical Engineer
SkySpecs
Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Posted on Jan 21, 2026
Job Title: Mechanical Engineer
The Sustaining Engineering group is responsible for ensuring the reliability, manufacturability, and continuous improvement of released hardware products. The Mechanical Engineer plays a key role in diagnosing field and production issues, implementing design improvements, and supporting change management processes that extend product life and reduce cost of ownership.
As a Mechanical Engineer, you will:
- Lead mechanical investigations and implement corrective actions through structured root-cause analysis.
- Maintain ownership of mechanical design updates (CAD, drawings, GD&T, tolerances).
- Validate design changes through test planning, instrumentation, and data interpretation.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with production, quality, and electrical teams to support released products.
- Must be fully proficient of the following design elements:
- Statics & Dynamics: Load path analysis, free-body diagrams, and mechanical equilibrium.
- Strength of Materials: Stress/strain, deflection, fatigue, and failure criteria.
- Materials Science: Selection for stiffness, toughness, corrosion resistance, and wear; understanding of surface treatments and coatings.
- Thermal & Environmental Effects: Expansion, heat dissipation, and sealing under temperature variation.
- Mechanisms & Fasteners: Bolted joints, press fits, bearings, and kinematic constraints.
- Vibration & Modal Behavior: Understanding of stiffness, damping, and resonance in assemblies.
- Tolerancing & Fits: Application of GD&T and ISO fits for manufacturability and serviceability.
- Analytical Methods: Ability to perform first-order hand calculations before simulation (FEA, CFD, etc.).
Requirements of the job:
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline (M.S. Preferred)
- 3–6 years of hands-on experience in mechanical design, sustaining, or reliability engineering of electromechanical systems.
- Proficiency in CAD (SolidWorks/Creo) and familiarity with PLM systems for change control.
- Demonstrated ability to apply theory to diagnose and prevent mechanical failures in the field.
- Experience with structured problem-solving methods (FMEA, 8D, A3) and test validation.
- Ability to be on-site at Ann Arbor hangar to work hands-on with drones and robotics equipment
Physical requirements:
- Prolonged periods of computer and desk work.
- Ability to move between production, lab, and testing areas.
- May occasionally lift up to 50 pounds.
Key competencies:
- Systematic problem solver with strong analytical reasoning.
- Strong theoretical and practical background in mechanical engineering.
- Effective communicator across engineering, production, and operations teams.
- Hands-on approach with comfort in lab and field environments.
Key KPIs to Influence:
- Mean-time-between-Failure (MTBF)
- Mean-time-to-Repair (MTTR)
- Technical Downtime
- Availability
Work Location: On-Site (Ann Arbor, MI)
Standard Working Hours: Full-time (40 hrs/wk), typically M-F. Must be available for critical business demands, occasionally requiring work beyond the standard schedule