Principal Mechanical Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

The Principal Mechanical Engineer (PME) is the senior mechanical authority for the AGS Table Games shuffler development team. The immediate focus of this role is bringing our new line of card shuffler products through the production engineering phases, taking these platforms from working prototype to fully production-ready products within AGS operations. This includes design for manufacturability and serviceability, supplier development and part qualification, procurement readiness, mechanical test and validation, and formal engineering change management.

Beyond the current shuffler program, this position establishes the mechanical engineering foundation for the next generation of AGS shuffler platforms. To a smaller extent, the PME also supports the day-to-day mechanical engineering needs of the full table games portfolio, including shufflers and table progressives.

The position is based in the Duluth, GA office and reports to the Vice President of Table Games Engineering. The PME will work closely and on a daily basis with the Duluth Hardware Engineering mechanical team, and collaboration with remote teams in Las Vegas and with external design and manufacturing partners is required to achieve all objectives.

Responsibilities  

• Serve as the senior mechanical authority for the AGS shuffler platforms, owning mechanical design intent from prototype through production release and sustaining engineering.
• Lead the production engineering transition of our new line of card shuffler products, converting prototype assemblies into stable, repeatable, manufacturable, and serviceable production designs.
• Apply design for manufacturing (DFM), design for assembly (DFA), and design for service principles across sheet metal, plastics, die castings, TPE, glass, and electronic packaging.
• Perform and review detailed design and analysis at the part and assembly level, including tolerance stack-ups, mechanism kinematics, and dynamic analysis of card handling mechanisms.
• Drive supplier selection, part qualification, and first article inspection together with Operations and Procurement, conveying design intent for fabrication and validating that parts and assemblies meet specification.
• Own the mechanical bill of materials, drawing packages, and revision control, and ensure all designs meet or exceed the BOM cost and COGS targets provided by Product Management.
• Lead formal engineering change management, including change request and change order authoring, review, and implementation for new designs, end-of-life components, and legacy products.
• Define and oversee mechanical test and validation plans, including reliability, life cycle, and environmental testing required to qualify shuffler mechanisms for casino floor duty.
• Lead engineering and pilot builds, resolving fit, form, function, and assembly issues to meet cost, quality, and project timeline goals.
• Review and approve 2D and 3D CAD produced by other engineers to ensure proper modeling and drafting practices are followed, and provide mentoring and technical feedback for design improvement.
• Define technical mechanical requirements for printed circuit board assemblies, integrated monitor and display assemblies, motors, sensors, and electrical component packaging.
• Write technical product specifications, assembly work instructions, and service documentation, and provide technical guidance to assembly line operators and field service technicians for building and troubleshooting finished goods.
• Establish the mechanical architecture and reusable design foundations that will carry into the next generation of AGS shuffler platforms.
• Provide day-to-day mechanical engineering support for the broader table games portfolio, including shufflers and table progressives.
• Ensure product designs comply at a minimum with agency standards UL 22, GLI-11, and FCC (47 CFR 15), as well as agency standards specific to new international markets.

Core Technical Competencies  

• BS in Mechanical Engineering with a minimum of 10 years of public or consumer product design experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in mechanical CAD modeling and database management software, preferably SolidWorks including Sheet Metal, Routing, Surfacing, and PDM.
• Strong understanding of mechanical principles as applied to product design and development, design for manufacturing, and design validation testing.
• Proven track record taking a complex electromechanical product from prototype through full production release.

Mechanisms and Analysis  

• Deep understanding of mechanical mechanisms, motion, and dynamic analysis to support simulation, analysis, and field troubleshooting.
• Experience designing precision, high-cycle mechanisms involving motors, gear trains, belts, clutches, sensors, and media or card handling paths.
• Ability to perform tolerance stack-up analysis and lead root cause investigation on mechanical and electromechanical failures.
• Experience with the design of electronic packaging using sheet metals, die castings, plastics, and fasteners.

Production Engineering and DFM  

• Hands-on experience driving DFM and DFA reviews with internal manufacturing and with contract manufacturers.
• Working knowledge of production processes including sheet metal fabrication, injection molding, die casting, machining, and final assembly.
• Experience with BOM management, product configurations and modes, resource planning software, and document control and configuration management.
• Ability to provide mechanical cost estimates for new designs and drive designs toward BOM cost and COGS targets.

Suppliers, Procurement, and Change Management  

• Experience qualifying suppliers and managing first article inspection, part submission documentation, and incoming quality issues.
• Proficiency with formal engineering change processes in a controlled production environment.
• Experience managing end-of-life component transitions and sustaining engineering on legacy products.
• Ability to convey design intent clearly and unambiguously to domestic and offshore suppliers.

Test, Validation, and Compliance  

• Experience designing and administering test methods and equipment for validating prototypes and production units.
• Experience with nationally recognized safety lab submissions, with UL or ETL preferred and CE a plus.
• Familiarity with agency standards applicable to gaming equipment, including UL 22, GLI-11, and FCC (47 CFR 15).
• Understanding of traceability, documentation, and controlled change management as required in regulated markets.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a gaming license.

Leadership and Collaboration  

• Strong problem solving and leadership skills and a sense of urgency for task completion.
• Ability to provide technical leadership, design review, and mentoring to less experienced engineers, including without direct reporting authority.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to convey design intent and issues to peers, suppliers, and management.
• Ability to manage multiple action items, project timelines, and responsibilities with periodic reporting to management showing continued progress.
• Cooperates and works well with peers and management to achieve common design goals, and completes work with passion and enthusiasm while encouraging the same from coworkers.
• Strives for continuous improvement and applies lessons learned from legacy products.
• Competent with common and standard mechanical workshop tools.

Nice to Have  

• Experience with gaming equipment or other large consumer interfacing products such as self-checkout, ATM, kiosk, or vending systems.
• Experience with card shufflers, card handling, or other precision media transport mechanisms.
• Experience introducing a new product both into an internal manufacturing operation and at a contract manufacturer.

Note: All offers are contingent upon successful completion of a background check 

*Posted positions are not open to third party recruiters and unsolicited resume submissions will be considered free referrals. AGS is an equal opportunity employer.