What are the responsibilities and job description for the Syndicate Innovation Engineer position at SilencerCo?
Innovation Engineer
Syndicate
Riverton
Full-time Exempt
Shift: Monday-Friday
Company Overview
Syndicate is a growing organization that provides shared services and operational support to multiple affiliated entities. The innovation engineer plays a critical role in driving a culture of solution focused creativity and tangible results across all entities.
Position Overview
Small Arms / Suppressor / Accessory / Defense Skunk Works environment.
Job Responsibilities
- Lead the design and development of new products, components, and accessories from concept through pre-commercialization
- Conduct research on emerging technologies, materials, and manufacturing methods to drive innovation
- Create detailed 3D models, engineering drawings, and specifications using CAD software
- Analyze test data and implement design improvements based on findings
- Collaborate with manufacturing teams to optimize designs for manufacturability and cost efficiency
- Support prototyping efforts, including hands-on assembly and evaluation of test units
- Conduct root cause analysis and implement corrective actions for product issues
- Maintain thorough documentation including design history files, test reports, and compliance records
- Participate in continuous improvement initiatives and innovation strategy planning
Job Qualifications (Required)
- Technical Foundation
- Mechanical engineering fundamentals with deep understanding of firearms and accessories
- Materials science experience: metallurgy, composites, polymers, and emerging materials (metal matrix composites, advanced ceramics, carbon fiber applications)
- CAD proficiency (SolidWorks or Creo) with ability to rapidly iterate designs
- Multidisciplinary Technical Skills
- Additive manufacturing expertise (DMLS, SLM, binder jetting) for rapid prototyping and novel geometries
- Innovation & Problem-Solving
- Systematic innovation frameworks / Biomimicry and cross-domain solution mining (applying concepts from unrelated fields)
- Constraint-based thinking: thriving when told "impossible" requirements
- Prototyping & Testing
- Rapid prototyping mindset: comfort with "good enough to test" over perfection
- Hands-on troubleshooting in field conditions
- Manufacturing & Producibility
- Design for manufacturability (DFM) and design for assembly (DFA)
- Understanding of production processes: CNC, MIM, stamping, extrusion, IM
- Tolerance stack-up analysis and GD&T expertise
- Domain-Specific Knowledge
- Operational experience or deep user empathy (combat veteran, competitive shooter, or extensive end-user engagement)
- Threat assessment and emerging tactical requirements
- International small arms landscape and competitive analysis
- Military standards (MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-1913, etc.) and proof testing requirements
- Skunk Works Mindset
- Extreme ownership and self-direction
- Comfort with ambiguity and rapidly changing requirements
- Speed bias: 80% solution tomorrow beats 100% solution next quarter
- Scrappiness: making do with limited resources
- Direct communication style, bypassing bureaucracy when mission-critical
- Willingness to challenge conventional wisdom
- Soft Skills & Attributes
- Technical communication: translating complex engineering to military end-users and non-technical leadership
- Collaborative spirit despite independent work style
- Intellectual curiosity: constant learning across disciplines
- Resilience: handling failed tests and rapid pivots without losing momentum
- Cultural Fit Indicators
- Thrives in unstructured environments
- Driven by mission impact over process compliance
- Comfortable being the "jack of all trades, master of several"
- Excited by technical risk-taking
- Prefers building things to endless analysis
- Can context-switch rapidly between projects
Job Qualifications (Preferred)
- Multidisciplinary Technical Skills
- Electronics and programming
- Optics and photonics experience
- Bonus Differentiators
- Competition shooting experience (USPSA, 3-Gun, PRS) for user perspective
- Software development skills