Open Positions
Senior Mechanical Engineer - Gimbal Team
Posted Jun 20, 2022
Freefly Systems, the company that redefined camera movement with the introduction of the MŌVI (a compact, lightweight, 3 axis camera stabilizer) is growing. We are on the lookout for a uniquely talented Senior Mechanical Engineer who loves robotic systems to get in on the fun.
As a member of the Freefly Team, you'll join us on our mission to develop the next generation of innovative camera stabilizers, unmanned aerial vehicles, robotic systems, and consumer electronic devices in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary, startup environment.
The ideal candidate is a jack of all trades with a diverse portfolio of built work spanning multiple industries and demonstrates a thorough understanding of complex electromechanical systems. Experience in multiple software packages, entrepreneurship/consulting, aerospace and/or consumer electronics are a plus. Most importantly, you must have a positive "can do" attitude, play well with others, embrace a challenge, and realize that every failure is a critical step toward creating innovative products.
You will help answer the following questions:
- Are we taking the right approach to new designs and will they work when we fly them on helicopters?
- Which features can we implement to improve the workflow for cinematographers, who will use them on major film and television productions around the world?
- How will a new design expand our portfolio of building blocks for quickly developing products?
- Does our actuator have enough torque capability?
- Is our structure stiff enough to meet the system's performance requirements?
- How can we make this product easier to assemble and use?
- What should we test to make sure this product can withstand a lifetime of use in extreme environments?
- Is there a better manufacturing process for building 50,000 units?
Responsibilities
- Lead design engineering efforts for new products, from concept through production
- Manage the product lifecycle and identify continuous improvement opportunities
- Design mechanisms and actuators for high performance robotic systems
- Conduct materials, technology, and process research to develop products that achieve lofty performance requirements
- Perform simulation, testing, and analysis to ensure products that live up to the Freefly name
- Multi task across a range of products with varying levels of completion, identifying key milestones, and meeting design and production timelines
- Help realize your ideas from prototype through production with vendor coordination and production team support
- Document procedures and best practices for new products and processes
- Provide cross-functional support to internal and external teams
- Mentor and teach junior team members whenever possible
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, mathematics, related degree, or equivalent experience
- 5+ years of experience designing and building mechatronic systems
- Experience with 3D modeling software and design (we use SolidWorks)
- Comfortable working with FEA for assessing strength, fatigue, thermal, and frequency response of structures
- Detailed part and assembly drawings using GD&T
- Integration with electrical system components including circuit boards and cable harnesses
- Ability to generate system level requirements and understand component specifications
- Experience with version control systems
- Excellent communication skills, verbally and written
- Experience working with multidisciplinary groups driving schedule and tasks
- Passion for learning, iterating, and first principles
- Creative thinking to push the boundaries in product design
- Confidence and experience to move quickly and make informed decisions
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior experience with stabilized gimbal systems, motion control, and robotics
- Building qualified hardware for aerospace, military, or automotive applications (DO-160, MIL-STD, SAE, etc.)
- Structural analysis using ANSYS
- Control system design, simulation, and development
- Kinematic and dynamic analysis
- Experience getting products to market fast and to spec.
- Can take direction, but is able to innovate within the constraints of a design.
- Experience in manufacturing in medium-to-high quantities. (Consumer electronics experience a plus.)
- Flexible and adaptive to midstream specification or design changes.
- Comfortable with rapid product development cycles (3-6 months).
- Can give examples of previously completed projects to demonstrate the above qualities.
- Familiar with basic scripting languages like Python, Matlab, etc.
If you’re interested in joining our team, drop us a line at careers@freeflysystems.com and tell us about your exciting projects, what you’re learning… and a few war stories.