Lead Mechanical Engineer

Lead Mechanical EngineerMechanical Engineering Lead, Advanced Manufacturing & Repair SystemsReports directly to: Chief Operating Officer Partners closely with: Head of Data & Software, CTO, Process Engineering Location: Atlanta, GA | U.S. Person required (ITAR)About LykosLykos is a U.S.-based advanced materials and manufacturing company building a qualification-led repair & sustainment network for defense and aerospace industries. Lykos is focused on enabling rapid repair and sustainment for critical systems through advanced materials manufacturing, distributed and modular capacity, and our secure data-layer.The OpportunityAs Lead Mechanical Engineer, you will work directly with our COO and own advanced engineering for Lykos. You will own the hardware that turns our process science into repeatable processes: the machines, cells, fixtures, tooling, automation that make up our pilot line and our modular manufacturing units.This is a builder's role, not a drafting role. You will design, procure, build, commission, and debug real hardware; additive and subtractive platforms, robotic material handling, thermal and laser processing equipment, and the instrumentation that makes all of it observable. You will work directly for Lykos' COO and partner with our Head of Data & Software so that every machine we build is designed from the start to generate structured, trustworthy process data.You will be the first dedicated mechanical engineering leader at Lykos, setting the standards, own the discipline, help choose vendors and platforms we live with for years, and grow the mechanical team behind you.What You'll DoOwn mechanical engineering for Lykos end to end: architecture, design, analysis, build, commissioning, and sustaining engineering across the pilot line and modular manufacturing units.Design the system architecture and operational details of modular, transportable micro-factory units: envelope, utilities, containerization, serviceability, transport, and field installation.Design and integrate additive manufacturing capability into ceramic and precursor workflows; including build platforms, material handling, thermal management, and post-process handling.Own the machining, additive, finishing, coating, and inspection processes that comprise the micro-factory.: Identify and select the required equipmentOversee system integration and qualification. Design and deploy automation and robotics: robotic cells, end effectors, motion systems, part transfer, machine tending, and vision-assisted handling. With the safety architecture and risk assessments to match.Integrate laser-enabled processing hardware with ceramic material workflows, including optics mounting, motion control, enclosure design, thermal and fume management, and laser safety compliance.Work with the Head of Data & Software so process data is structured, labeled, and usable for automation and machine learning from day one.Design and build tooling that is needed to support testing or nominal micro-factory operation. Run equipment selection and vendor execution: requirements, RFQs, build-to-print packages, technical reviews, FAT/SAT, acceptance criteria, and CAPEX justification alongside the COO.Establish and enforce engineering discipline: drawing standards, revision and configuration control, ECO process, BOM and PLM structure, and documentation aligned with AS9100 and defense manufacturing expectations.Identify and engineer out throughput constraints, yield killers, and cost inflection points before they become production problems.Recruit, mentor, and lead a small mechanical engineering and technician team as the operation scales.What Success Looks LikeFirst 90 days: you own the mechanical design baseline for the pilot line and have closed the highest-risk hardware unknowns.First 6 months: Our pilot cell is built, commissioned, and producing repeatable outputs with instrumented, process data flowing to the software team.Required Skills8+ years of hands-on mechanical engineering experience in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defense, or precision industrial environments, including ownership of production hardware.Direct, hands-on expertise in CNC machining, fixturing and workholding, metal finishing and surface treatment processes, and metrology.Ability to read and produce engineering drawings with GD&T per ASME Y14.5.Demonstrated experience designing and deploying automation and robotics in a production setting: robotic cells, end-of-arm tooling, motion control, PLC/controls integration, and machine safety standards.Strong machine design fundamentals: structural and thermal analysis, materials selection, precision alignment, vibration, and design for serviceability.Expert CAD capability (SolidWorks, NX, Creo, or equivalent) with analysis experience.Proven track record taking hardware from concept through build, commissioning, and debug; including owning what happens when it doesn't work on the first try.Comfort operating in a fast-moving, early-stage environment: high ownership, ambiguous requirements, and direct accountability for outcomes.Must be a U.S. Person as defined under ITAR (22 CFR §120.62).Preferred SkillsAdvanced Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field; advanced degree a plus.Direct, hands-on expertise in additive manufacturing. You have designed for, operated, or built AM systems and understand their process physics, failure modes, and qualification challenges.Experience in defense or aerospace production programs, or supporting defense primes and government customers.Experience at a high-growth startup building manufacturing capability from zero to one.Background in ceramics, composites, polymer-derived ceramics, high-temperature materials, or thermal processing (furnaces, pyrolysis, sintering).Experience with laser-based manufacturing systems, optics integration, or laser safety (ANSI Z136).Familiarity with autonomous or lights-out manufacturing systems, in-process monitoring, and closed-loop process control.Working fluency with data and software teams: scripting (Python), sensor integration, data schemas, or applied ML in manufacturing environments.Experience in regulated manufacturing environments (AS9100, ITAR, DFARS, NADCAP, or equivalent), including qualification and first-article processes.Familiarity with NDT, metrology, and inspection methods for critical components.Prior experience designing transportable, containerized, or modular production systems.