Mechanical Engineer at SkySpecs

Job Title:

Mechanical Engineer

The Sustaining Engineering group is responsible for ensuring the reliability, manufacturability, and continuous improvement of released hardware products. The Mechanical Engineer plays a key role in diagnosing field and production issues, implementing design improvements, and supporting change management processes that extend product life and reduce cost of ownership.

As a Mechanical Engineer, you will:

Lead mechanical investigations and implement corrective actions through structured root-cause analysis.
Maintain ownership of mechanical design updates (CAD, drawings, GD&T, tolerances).
Validate design changes through test planning, instrumentation, and data interpretation.
Collaborate cross-functionally with production, quality, and electrical teams to support released products.
Must be fully proficient of the following design elements:
Statics & Dynamics: Load path analysis, free-body diagrams, and mechanical equilibrium.
Strength of Materials: Stress/strain, deflection, fatigue, and failure criteria.
Materials Science: Selection for stiffness, toughness, corrosion resistance, and wear; understanding of surface treatments and coatings.
Thermal & Environmental Effects: Expansion, heat dissipation, and sealing under temperature variation.
Mechanisms & Fasteners: Bolted joints, press fits, bearings, and kinematic constraints.
Vibration & Modal Behavior: Understanding of stiffness, damping, and resonance in assemblies.
Tolerancing & Fits: Application of GD&T and ISO fits for manufacturability and serviceability.
Analytical Methods: Ability to perform first-order hand calculations before simulation (FEA, CFD, etc.).

Requirements of the job:

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline (M.S. Preferred)
3–6 years of hands-on experience in mechanical design, sustaining, or reliability engineering of electromechanical systems.
Proficiency in CAD (SolidWorks/Creo) and familiarity with PLM systems for change control.
Demonstrated ability to apply theory to diagnose and prevent mechanical failures in the field.
Experience with structured problem-solving methods (FMEA, 8D, A3) and test validation.
Ability to be on-site at Ann Arbor hangar to work hands-on with drones and robotics equipment

Physical requirements:

Prolonged periods of computer and desk work.
Ability to move between production, lab, and testing areas.
May occasionally lift up to 50 pounds.

Key competencies:

Systematic problem solver with strong analytical reasoning.
Strong theoretical and practical background in mechanical engineering.
Effective communicator across engineering, production, and operations teams.
Hands-on approach with comfort in lab and field environments.

Key KPIs to Influence:

Mean-time-between-Failure (MTBF)
Mean-time-to-Repair (MTTR)
Technical Downtime
Availability

Work Location:

On-Site (Ann Arbor, MI)

Standard Working Hours:

Full-time (40 hrs/wk), typically M-F. Must be available for critical business demands, occasionally requiring work beyond the standard schedule

Life at SkySpecs

SkySpecs' automated robotic technology enables wind farm owners, ISPs and CEMs to easily monitor and inspect the health of their wind turbines. The single push of a button launches the drone, which then surveys all sides of all three blades, collecting high-resolution images that identify damage down to the smallest crack. Data is immediately transported to the SkySpecs data portal for viewing, annotating and generating reports. We make asset inspections faster, easier and more affordable, measurably minimizing downtime and maximizing lifespan.

The SkySpecs team has been working together on robotic technology for over five years, originally out of the University of Michigan College of Engineering. Founders Danny Ellis and Tom Brady have been selected for numerous aerospace engineering awards and were most recently named to the "Forbes 30 Under 30" list.

Thrive Here & What We Value

Highenergy environment filled with incredibly smart people solving hard problems

Collaboration, multidisciplinary problem solving, and underpromise, over-deliver mantra

Endless opportunities to make an impact during critical growth period

Generous Leave Plan (20 weeks paid parental leave for mothers and fathers)

Well defined training budget for upskilling based on interest areas

Flexibility: Trust-based culture with work from home option

Global Diversity: Work with teams from 5 different countries and multiple nationalities

Attractive parental leave benefits (8% employer-paid pension, health insurance, 6 weeks annual holiday)

Catered lunch program at the office

Ability to manage distributed teams across multiple locations and time zones