Mechanical Engineer - GCS & Launcher

About Us

Harmattan AI is a next-generation defense prime building autonomous and scalable defense systems. Following the close of a $200M Series B, valuing the company at $1.4 billion, we are expanding our teams and capabilities to deliver mission-critical systems to allied forces.

As a Mechanical Engineer on Harmattan AI's Ground Control Systems (GCS) team, you will own the mechanical design of next-generation GCS hardware from concept through mass production. This may include a premium drone controller for ISR missions, a long-range antenna system for multiple drone vectors, or an interceptor drone launcher box. You will work at the intersection of mechanical design, RF integration, and electronics packaging to deliver field-ready, defense-grade products.

Responsibilities

• End-to-End Design: Design and prototype drone controllers, antenna systems, and launcher enclosures from scratch—covering structural architecture, ergonomics, thermal management, and high environmental/waterproofing (IP rating) constraints.
• Product Development: Own full product development cycles end-to-end, translating operator needs into rugged, field-ready designs.
• CAD Modelling & GD&T: 3D model in SolidWorks, including complex surface modelling, and produce detailed 2D drawings with GD&T to meet strict functional and assembly requirements.
• DFM/DFA: Apply DFM/DFA principles systematically to minimise unit cost and assembly time at scale, collaborating closely with suppliers specialising in plastic injection molding, large-scale thermoforming, sheet metal/structural steel fabrication, CNC, and die-casting.
• Simulation: Run FEA (stress, deformation) and thermal simulations (CFD/steady-state) to validate design choices early and reduce physical prototype cycles.
• Testing & Validation: Conduct mechanical stress, failure analysis, and environmental testing to validate designs for extreme field conditions.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate daily with the Electronics and RF teams on PCB integration, internal routing, and RF constraints.
• Supply Chain Partnership: Partner with Supply Chain & Procurement on supplier qualification, cost targets, and the smooth transition from prototyping to mass production.
• Documentation: Maintain detailed documentation of designs, test results, and production workflows to support knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.

Candidate Requirements

• Education: Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent.
• Experience: At least one full product development cycle taken from concept to mass production.
• Manufacturing Expertise: Plastic injection molding experience with full DFM process and quality control; familiarity with CNC and die-cast molding.
• Experience with sheet metal fabrication, heavy metallic structures and large-scale thermoforming is highly desirable.
• CAD Proficiency: Advanced proficiency in SolidWorks, including complex surface modelling and 2D drawings with GD&T.
• Prototyping & Integration: Hands-on rapid prototyping experience (3D printing, CNC, etc.) and a proven track record of integrating embedded electronics into complex enclosures.

Nice to have:

• Basic FEA (stress, deformation) and thermal simulation (steady-state, CFD) experience.
• Understanding of mechanical linkages and actuator/cylinder kinematics for deployment or launching mechanisms.
• Experience in defense, aerospace, UAVs, or high-end consumer electronics hardware.