Sustainment Mechanical Engineer

Position Summary

The Sustainment Mechanical Engineer is responsible for the ongoing support, improvement, and reliability of released mechanical and electromechanical products throughout their production lifecycle. In this role, you will own mechanical design changes for fielded and in-production systems, resolve quality and manufacturing issues, and ensure product performance, reliability, and compliance are maintained over time.

You will apply strong analytical and design skills—including structural FEA, vibration and modal analysis, and heat transfer—to diagnose issues, implement corrective actions, and support continuous improvement. This position requires hands-on experience with injection-molded components, cross-functional collaboration, and rigorous document and configuration control within a PdM and PLM environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Own mechanical sustainment activities for released products across production and fielded units
• Investigate and resolve quality, reliability, and manufacturing issues through structured root-cause analysis
• Develop and implement engineering change orders (ECOs) and product updates while maintaining configuration control
• Perform structural FEA to assess design changes, fatigue, durability, and failure modes
• Conduct vibration and modal analysis to evaluate field failures, resonance issues, and environmental loading
• Perform thermal and heat transfer analysis to support corrective actions and design improvements
• Design and update injection-molded plastic and machined components, ensuring tooling and production readiness
• Support production, suppliers, and contract manufacturers with design clarifications and corrective actions
• Collaborate with Quality, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Verification Test teams to drive issue resolution
• Support failure analysis activities, including test correlation and data review
• Ensure DFM/DFA and DFT best practices are applied to sustainment design changes
• Maintain accurate CAD models, drawings, specifications, and GD&T
• Own mechanical document control, including drawings, BOMs, change history, and release status in the PLM system
• Support production line issues, yield improvement, and cost-reduction initiatives
• Assist in supplier change evaluations and part obsolescence mitigation
• Provide technical guidance to manufacturing and quality teams during audits and reviews

Required Qualifications

• BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering or related field
• 3 years’ experience supporting production and fielded mechanical products
• Demonstrated expertise in structural FEA, vibration/modal analysis, and thermal analysis
• Proven experience with injection molding design, tooling changes, and production constraints
• Solid understanding of mechanical failure mechanisms, fatigue, wear, and environmental effects
• Proficiency in SolidWorks, PDM, and PLM systems
• Experience with engineering change management and document/configuration control
• Familiarity with first article inspection (FAI), non-conformance resolution, and corrective action processes
• Ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams and external suppliers
• Strong attention to detail and documentation discipline

Additional Desired Qualifications

• Experience supporting high-volume or regulated manufacturing environments
• Experience with cost-reduction and value engineering initiatives
• Experience supporting products through long-term lifecycle and end-of-life transitions

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Must be able to walk, stand, and navigate large indoor and outdoor facilities for extended periods of time.
• Ability to lift, carry, and move materials and equipment weighing up to 25 lbs on a regular basis.
• Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) may be required in designated areas or when performing specific tasks, in accordance with safety protocols and company policy.
• May be required to climb ladders, stoop, kneel, or crouch during inspections, maintenance walk-throughs, or emergency response situations.
• Regular exposure to facility operations including noise, dust, temperature fluctuations, and industrial equipment.
• Occasional off-hours or weekend work required for emergency facility responses or projects as needed
• Requires frequent use of a computer and other standard office equipment for documentation, communication, and coordination tasks.

Background Check

This position will require successfully completing a post-offer background check. Qualified candidates with a criminal history will be considered and are not automatically disqualified, consistent with federal and state law.

EEO and ITAR/EAR Work Authorization Disclosure

Red Cat Holdings provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software, technology or technical data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Successful candidates for positions subject to ITAR/EAR restrictions must provide proof of U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residence and must not require sponsorship for export-restricted work authorization.

E-Verify

The company participates E-Verify ensure eligibility for employment and compliance with Right to Work rules.

Compensation: Salary plus generous annual equity package and potential bonuses.