Mechanical Design Engineer

Full Job Description

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.

Our work is guided by clear values: building technologies with real-world impact, pursuing excellence in everything we do, setting ambitious goals, and taking on the hardest technical challenges. We operate in a demanding environment where rigor, ownership, and execution are expected.

The Role

We are seeking a detail-oriented Mechanical Design Engineer to join our engineering team in Lausanne. In this role, you will lead the physical product design of hardware assemblies, mechanical housings, custom structures, and precision mechanisms, guiding products through CAD design, drafting, prototype verification, and industrialisation.

From day one, you will own the transition of concepts into production-ready physical hardware. You will maintain strict product data management standards, apply geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, run thermal and stress analyses, work with suppliers across various manufacturing processes, and perform hands-on prototype assembly and testing.

What You Will Do

• CAD Design & Drafting: Create clean, fully constrained CAD models, multi-part assembly layouts, and detailed engineering drawings following formal geometric dimensioning and tolerancing standards.

• Product Data & Configuration Management: Manage engineering change requests, update bill of materials data, maintain material libraries, and enforce configuration controls in digital product data systems.

• Prototype Assembly & Verification: Build physical prototypes, test assembly sequences, verify fit and tolerance stack-ups, and establish unit build procedures.

• Environmental & Stress Analysis: Perform structural, thermal, vibration, and mechanical shock simulations to ensure hardware survives harsh operational environments.

• Manufacturing & Supplier Integration: Work closely with suppliers to optimize designs for production methods such as CNC machining, stamping, pressing, forging, casting, and injection molding.

• Cross-Functional Interface Management: Collaborate with electronics, simulation, testing, and systems engineering teams to define physical interface control documents, packaging requirements, and technical datasheets.

What We Are Looking For

• Background: Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.

• CAD & Drafting Experience: Strong proficiency in production CAD environments with experience applying formal drafting standards such as ASME or ISO GD&T.

• Product Data Management: Practical experience with configuration management practices, engineering change notices, and product data systems such as Siemens Teamcenter or similar PDM/PLM tools.

• Manufacturing Tooling & Processes: Design experience across multiple manufacturing methods including machining, stamping, casting, forging, and molding.

• Analysis & Verification: Ability to perform basic environmental, thermal, shock, and stress evaluations to qualify hardware designs against operational requirements.

• Proactive Execution: Practical mindset with strong hands-on skills for prototype assembly, vendor management, and technical troubleshooting.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to establish core mechanical design capability and elevate drafting standards within a growing engineering team.

• Direct hands-on work spanning initial CAD concepts through to manufacturing and field testing.

• Broad exposure to complex electromechanical hardware, structural housings, and safety-critical mechanisms.

We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.