Lead Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineer

Lighthouse Avionics is hiring a Lead Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineer to own mechanical design, supply chain, production readiness, and quality across our VICTOR product family. This is a founding-team role based in Hilliard, Ohio. Location: Hilliard, Ohio Employment: Full-time, senior technical leadership Compensation: $125,000 to $150,000 base salary, plus a role-specific long-term incentive Build the product behind the mission Lighthouse Avionics builds airspace awareness systems for counter-UAS, Drone as First Responder, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations, and remote tower applications. Our VICTOR platform combines optical sensing, computing, and software so operators can see and understand what is happening in low-altitude airspace. Great sensing technology only matters if the hardware survives its environment, can be built the same way every time, and can be supported in the field. We are looking for a hands-on engineering leader to make that happen across our current products and the next generation. This role has founding-team scope, ownership, and impact. It is not a typical production management job. You will lead mechanical design and product industrialization, turning requirements and evolving designs into rugged, manufacturable systems with qualified suppliers and clear acceptance standards. You will spend your time at the CAD workstation, on the bench, with suppliers, and alongside the people building the product. How we split ownership: our production lead runs day-to-day builds. You own the engineering readiness, supplier readiness, and acceptance framework that make those builds successful. You will work closely with the CEO, the engineering team, the production lead, and business development. What you will own Mechanical design, DFM, and serviceability. Lead the detailed design and improvement of enclosures, mounts, structural interfaces, thermal paths, and assemblies. Apply design for manufacturing and assembly (DFM/DFA), sound tolerancing, smart material and process choices, and practical cost engineering. Keep sensor alignment and performance intact while making products easier to assemble, inspect, repair, and maintain.Waterproofing, ruggedization, and validation. Treat sealing, gaskets, cable entries, drainage, venting, condensation control, and corrosion resistance as one system that is designed in from the start. Set risk-based environmental requirements and qualification plans for water and dust ingress, temperature, thermal cycling, vibration, and transport as needed. Define pass/fail criteria, run or coordinate the testing, document the evidence, and close out failures with verified design changes.Cable assemblies and electromechanical integration. Work with electrical engineering to specify and release cable and harness assemblies, connectors, routing, strain relief, labeling, shielding, and service interfaces. Produce supplier-ready drawings, assembly requirements, electrical and workmanship tests, and inspection criteria that leave nothing about a build to guesswork.Supply chain readiness and supplier engineering. Own sourcing and qualification for mechanical parts, cables, and outsourced assemblies. Build complete RFQ packages, evaluate suppliers on capability, quality, cost, capacity, and lead time, and drive first-article acceptance and corrective action. Maintain costed BOMs, approved sources and alternates, and risk plans for critical parts. Work with production on forecasts, inventory, and material availability, and qualify every substitution before it goes into a build.Quality standards and acceptance procedures. Define measurable incoming, in-process, and final acceptance requirements, along with the inspection methods, test fixtures, and equipment controls behind them. Keep product qualification separate from routine unit acceptance. Set up traceable build and test records, nonconformance containment, documented disposition and rework, and a clear escalation path when a product does not meet requirements. We prove quality with evidence, and we do not trade it away to make a ship date.Production handoff and continuous improvement. Own the engineering release package: revision-controlled CAD and drawings, BOMs, cable documentation, assembly instructions, critical process parameters, inspection and test procedures, and approved deviations. Lead pilot builds with production, train the team, and prove the documentation works without the designer standing over the bench. Close the loop on production and field failures through root cause analysis, controlled changes, and verification that the fix worked. What you bring A record of shipping hardware. You have personally taken complex electromechanical products from prototype into repeatable production. Delivering drawings or managing a schedule is not the same thing, and you know the difference.Deep mechanical engineering skill. Strong 3D CAD, engineering drawings, GD&T (geometric dimensioning and tolerancing) and tolerance analysis, DFM/DFA, and hands-on assembly and troubleshooting.Real ruggedization experience. You can walk us through how an enclosure, seal, cable entry, thermal solution, or mount failed, and how you fixed it and proved the fix.Supplier and quality ownership. You have turned design intent into purchased parts and assemblies that consistently meet measurable requirements.Good judgment about process. You build lightweight release, change control, inspection, and traceability processes that people actually use. You know when a checklist is enough and when tighter controls are needed.Founder-level accountability. You prioritize well, make sound tradeoffs, raise risks early, respect the expertise of the production team, and stay with a problem until it is solved. You teach others so you never become the only person who can fix something.A degree in mechanical engineering or a related field, or equivalent demonstrated engineering ability. Evidence of great work matters more to us than a particular title or number of years. We need real depth in mechanical design and industrialization, with solid working breadth across suppliers and quality. We do not expect one person to be an expert in every electrical, optical, and software discipline. Especially relevant experience: outdoor sensing, robotics, aerospace and defense, industrial equipment, or other rugged electromechanical products; optical alignment and thermal management; cable and harness workmanship standards; environmental qualification; and hands-on PDM/PLM, BOM, or manufacturing system implementation. Familiarity with IPC/WHMA-A-620, ingress protection test methods, or ISO 9001/AS9100 quality practices is a plus. You do not need to hold every certification. Why Lighthouse The way we use low-altitude airspace is about to change. Drones will be first on scene for 911 calls, deliver packages to neighborhoods, and fly beyond visual line of sight as part of everyday life. None of that can scale safely without a new layer of aviation infrastructure that can see and understand what is flying. That is what we are building. At Lighthouse, you will help shape the next generation of aviation infrastructure: the systems that make Drone as First Responder programs, drone package delivery, and next-generation airspace safety possible, and that bring those capabilities to communities nationwide. The hardware you design and industrialize is the foundation the rest of that future stands on. You will work directly with company leadership, see your work operating in the field, and help build the engineering and supplier systems that support our growth. We are hiring selectively for an exceptional builder. We value demonstrated ownership, sound judgment, and the ability to make the whole team better. Our benefits include health, dental, and vision coverage; a 401(k) with employer match; and employer-paid basic life and AD&D coverage, subject to plan terms and eligibility. Our core values Do the Right Thing: We are honest, transparent, and keep our word even when it costs us.We Deliver Results, not Reasons: We take full responsibility for results and will make things happen regardless of circumstance. No excuses, no passing the buck. If it needs to get done, do it.Relentlessly Improve: We're never satisfied with "good enough." We continuously seek better methods, technologies, and solutions to move faster and smarter.Lift the Team: We succeed together by being approachable, supportive, and willing to teach. We share knowledge freely and help others grow because collective strength drives mission success.Execute with Discipline: We do what we say, with precision, focus, and urgency. We pay attention to details, follow through completely, and deliver with clarity and consistency every time. Tell us what you have built Apply with your résumé and a short example of a product you personally helped take into production: what you owned, a hard design or supplier problem you faced, how you proved the result, and what got better. Non-confidential drawings, photos, or test data are welcome. Please do not share another employer's proprietary material.