Senior Mechanical Engineer

Role Summary The Senior Mechanical Engineer serves as RAIA’s mechanical design authority, combining high-level machine design and hands-on project execution with applications engineering, external engineering oversight, and development of scalable mechanical engineering standards. This is a foundational technical role intended to multiply the organization’s engineering capability rather than simply add design capacity. This role leads mechanical concepts and technical validation for custom automation systems across aerospace, industrial, energy, and advanced manufacturing environments. The engineer works directly with customers to understand manufacturing constraints, develop right-sized solutions, and support opportunity qualification, estimates, and proposals. Operating within a lean, execution-focused organization, the Senior Mechanical Engineer owns the technical quality of mechanical deliverables whether produced internally or by subcontract engineering partners. The position works closely with Engineering & Integration, Controls, Robotics, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and customer teams from initial assessment through deployment and production stabilization. Core Responsibilities Mechanical Design Authority & Technical Execution Lead mechanical architecture, concept development, detailed design, and technical review of automation systems including robotic cells, assembly equipment, material handling, inspection, process equipment, and manufacturing support systems. Own mechanical design decisions involving functionality, cycle time, structural adequacy, motion, tolerances, safety, maintainability, manufacturability, cost, and long-term reliability. Produce and approve CAD models, layouts, manufacturing drawings, bills of material, calculations, and technical design packages; remain hands-on for complex or critical design work. Coordinate mechanical interfaces with controls, robotics, vision, pneumatics, electrical systems, and customer equipment; lead mechanical design reviews and risk resolution. Applications Engineering & New Opportunities Participate in customer visits and operational assessments to identify actual production constraints and determine whether automation is justified and what level of solution is appropriate. Develop preliminary concepts, layouts, process approaches, equipment selections, feasibility assessments, cycle-time assumptions, and ROM budgets for new opportunities. Partner with commercial and project leadership on technical scope, estimating, supplier input, proposals, presentations, assumptions, exclusions, and execution risk. Communicate concepts and tradeoffs directly with customers; support fast, credible responses to opportunities of varying sizes, including retrofits and incremental improvements. Subcontract Engineering Leadership Define scopes of work, design inputs, standards, deliverables, milestones, and acceptance criteria for outsourced mechanical engineering. Direct and technically review subcontract design resources, resolve engineering questions, monitor technical progress, and verify design quality and completeness before release. Coordinate subcontract engineering capacity with Engineering & Integration leadership and Supply Chain while maintaining RAIA ownership of customer requirements, design authority, technical decisions, and final deliverables. Capture externally developed models, drawings, calculations, and lessons learned in RAIA-controlled libraries and revision systems so outsourced work increases lasting internal capability. Engineering Standards, Reuse & Scalability Establish and maintain mechanical drawing standards, approved components, preferred design practices, reusable machine modules, design checklists, and reference architectures. Build a structured knowledge base of proven designs, engineering assumptions, historical project results, and application-specific expertise for use across future projects and technology groups. Work with internal sys…

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