Mechanical Engineer

About Wildfire Defense Systems, Inc.

Wildfire Defense Systems (WDS) is the North American leader in insurer wildfire services, combining professional wildfire consulting and loss intervention services with Qualified Insurance Resources (QIR). Founded in 2001 to fulfill initial-attack assignments for the US Forest Service, the company added professional services support in 2005 and launched wildfire loss-intervention programs for insurers in 2008.

WDS Wildfire Loss Intervention Service (WDS Service) applies a comprehensive approach to reducing risk in catastrophic exposure on an industry scale, decreasing the average annual loss (AAL) for our insurer clients, and providing peace of mind to their policy holders during wildfire events. WDS provides these industry-leading services to insurer clients and their policy holders across a 22-state service area.

FLSA Status : Exempt


Reports To : Director of Engineering


Location : Post Falls ID


Salary Range : $84,900 to $124,100 DOE


Purpose and Scope of Position

The Mechanical Engineer II/III transforms ideas into field-ready wildfire mitigation solutions that protect structures, support operations, and reduce wildfire risk. This role is for a bold, highly creative engineer who thrives in ambiguity, moves quickly from concept to prototype, and is driven to build things that have never been done before. The ideal candidate is not risk-averse. Instead, they are a disciplined innovator who learns fast, iterates relentlessly, and pushes ideas to practical, operational success.


This position bridges engineering design and field deployment. The engineer owns projects end-to-end: conceiving, designing, prototyping, testing, refining, and helping transition solutions into production and operational use. Success requires balancing speed, ingenuity, safety, manufacturability, and cost so that innovation creates not only technical value, but also scalable and profitable business outcomes.


Organizational Relationship

Wildfire Defense Systems Inc, (WDS) operates as a family of integrated companies and subsidiaries that combine engineering, operations, innovation, and consulting expertise to deliver end-to-end wildfire mitigation solutions, from concept and design through field deployment and real-world execution. WDS is the parent company and is the largest professional wildfire consulting and risk intervention company serving the insurance industry. This role operates within an entrepreneurial, agile, and mission-driven environment at WDS, where engineering decisions directly affect reliability, safety, and continuity of operations. Innovation is expected to perform under pressure, and the engineer's ability to think critically, build effectively, and adapt quickly will have a tangible, real-world impact. The Mechanical Engineer position operates within an integrated engineering ecosystem that spans three core functions within the organization:

• Wildfire Protection Engineering (WPE): a department within WDS that focuses on designing and developing wildfire mitigation technology, testing materials, and advancing new wildfire protection technology for internal customers.
• Innovation & Assembly: a department within WDS that executes the construction, prototyping and testing phase of projects and entrepreneurial ideas, assembling fire apparatus and upfitted resources, wiring and integrating critical systems, and delivering fully tested innovative wildfire fighting equipment from concept to field-ready deployment.
• Wildfire Technical Services, LLC (WTS): a subsidiary of WDS that provides consulting wildfire protection engineering for external clients, delivering wildfire risk assessments, hazard mitigation recommendations and structural and site design concepts for wildfire resilience.

The successful applicant will work in an entrepreneurial, agile, and mission-driven environment where engineering decisions directly affect reliability, safety, and operational continuity. Innovation at WDS is expected to perform under pressure, and the engineer's ability to think critically, build effectively, and adapt quickly will have tangible, real-world impact.


Reporting

This position will report directly to the Director of Engineering. The engineer will work closely with the Innovation & Assembly Manager, WPE engineers, Innovation & Assembly technicians, Chief Wildfire Officer, Field Operations personnel, and external vendors and partners. The successful applicant will also periodically support projects directed by company ownership through Wildfire Technical Services, LLC.


Essential Functions

The essential functions of this position include the ability to design, build, test, and deploy mechanical and electromechanical systems in both lab and field environments. The engineer will be required to assemble and modify physical systems, conduct testing and validation activities, troubleshoot mechanical and electrical issues, and work collaboratively across departments to ensure solutions are operationally effective. The role requires sustained problemsolving, adaptability, and the ability to execute under compressed timelines while maintaining quality and safety standards.


Duties and Responsibilities

The Mechanical Engineer II/III designs, builds, tests, and matures mechanical and electromechanical wildfire mitigation systems using a fast-paced build-test-learn approach. The work includes hands-on fabrication, low-voltage electrical integration, applied engineering analysis, testing, troubleshooting, vendor coordination, and field validation.


This role is best suited for an engineer with a builder's instinct-someone who is energized by creating new products, solving difficult problems, and transforming concepts into dependable, deployable systems. The engineer must be comfortable making sound decisions with incomplete information, adapting quickly to field-driven realities, and maintaining a strong focus on cost, quality, and commercial viability.


Key Responsibilities

• Lead design-build projects from concept through prototype, validation, and production-ready deployment
• Develop wildfire mitigation technologies such as pumps, barriers, sprinklers, suppression systems, thermal protection systems, and related deployment equipment
• Integrate mechanical, electrical, and control components into functional prototypes and field-ready systems
• Conduct structured lab and field testing, including live-burn or simulated-condition testing where appropriate
• Collect, interpret, and act on performance data such as temperature, heat flux, pressure, flow, durability, and system response
• Troubleshoot mechanical and electrical issues in real time and drive rapid iteration
• Evaluate materials, components, and fabrication methods for performance, reliability, manufacturability, and cost
• Partner with Innovation & Assembly to convert prototypes into buildable, repeatable, and cost-efficient designs
• Work with Field Operations to ensure equipment is practical to deploy, maintain, and operate in real wildfire conditions
• Coordinate with external vendors and suppliers on specifications, sourcing, fabrication, testing, and schedule performance
• Produce clear, professional engineering documentation, including design notes, test reports, technical memoranda, and recommendations
• Support WTS consulting and applied engineering work as needed, including design development, drafting, and implementation support

Authority and Budget Influence

The Mechanical Engineer II/III is authorized to design, prototype, test, and recommend engineering solutions within approved project scope. The role may coordinate directly with vendors, support procurement decisions, recommend materials and components, and propose design changes that improve performance, reliability, manufacturability, cost efficiency, and profitability. This position supports capital and development initiatives typically ranging from $2-3 million annually and is expected to contribute directly to cost control, per-unit cost reduction, and efficient use of engineering and prototype resources.

Metrics of Accountability

Performance in this role will be evaluated based on:

• Timely progression of concepts from prototype to field-ready deployment (Production)
• Quality, reliability, and safety performance of deployed systems (Quality & Reliability)
• Cost performance, including cost reduction initiatives and budget adherence (Lower per Unit Cost)
• Cross-functional collaboration with Innovation & Assembly, WPE, Field Operations, and vendors (Teamwork)
• Effectiveness of testing, validation, and documentation practices (Communication)
• Ability to adapt designs and approaches based on changing field conditions, feedback, and evolving requirements (Adaptability)
• Accuracy, thoroughness, and consistency in design execution, documentation, and validation outputs (Attention to Detail)

Job Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline
• 4+ years of relevant experience in mechanical design, product development, industrial design, or applied engineering
• Demonstrated hands-on ability to build, modify, troubleshoot, and improve physical systems
• Experience working with prototypes, field equipment, or high-reliability systems
• Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals with the ability to apply them in practical, fast-moving environments
• Proficiency in CAD, preferably AutoCAD, for design development and technical documentation
• Experience planning and executing test programs, including instrumentation, data collection, and performance evaluation
• Ability to work across mechanical, electrical, and operational disciplines to deliver functional systems

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with pumps, fluid systems, suppression systems, or small-engine equipment
• Familiarity with low-voltage wiring, controls, sensors, and integrated electromechanical systems
• Experience with platforms such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi, PLCs, or similar control/automation systems
• Background in emergency response, fire service, industrial operations, or other mission-critical environments
• FE/EIT certification preferred; PE not required

Core Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Innovation and creativity: brings original ideas and pursues solutions others may not see
• Fearless execution: comfortable taking calculated risks and moving forward without perfect information
• Builder mentality: prefers making, testing, and improving over theorizing
• Bias toward action: drives progress and solves problems without waiting for ideal conditions
• First-principles thinking: evaluates ideas quickly and avoids unnecessary complexity, delay, and cost
• Commercial awareness: understands that good engineering must also support efficiency, scalability, and profit
• Adaptability: responds quickly to changing field conditions, priorities, and stakeholder needs
• Ownership and follow-through: takes responsibility for results and pushes work to completion
• Clear communication: documents work professionally and aligns stakeholders through concise technical communication

Execution Mindset

The successful applicant will approach work with a strong bias toward action, applying judgment, experience, and engineering creativity to move projects forward without waiting for perfect data. The engineer will balance innovation with operational reality, ensuring solutions perform reliably in real-world field conditions. The role requires actively seeking and incorporating feedback (particularly from field users) and elevating project teams through energy, confidence, and a solutions-oriented mindset.


Expected Behaviors and Indicators of Success

The successful candidate demonstrates a strong builder's mindset, prioritizing practical execution, ownership, and results over theoretical perfection. This engineer is energized by turning ideas into reliable, field-ready solutions and operates effectively in ambiguous, fast-moving, and mission-critical environments. They apply first-principles thinking, sound judgment, and a strong bias toward action to evaluate concepts quickly, reduce unnecessary cost and complexity, and accelerate progress from design to deployment. Success in this role is demonstrated through creative problem-solving, disciplined iteration, and the ability to balance innovation, speed, safety, reliability, and cost efficiency. The engineer consistently advances work by proposing solutions, aligning stakeholders, and maintaining momentum through uncertainty, competing priorities, and technical challenges. They communicate ideas clearly, contribute positively to team performance through leadership, coaching, and collaboration, and treat setbacks as learning opportunities that improve future outcomes. Above all, they bring resilience, conviction, and a systems-level perspective to deliver innovative solutions that perform in real-world operations.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• While performing the duties of this job, the Engineer is regularly required to talk or hear, and must be able to lift up to 75+ lbs., bend, climb, stand for duration of shift, etc.
• Ability to successfully pass a DOT Physical
• Able to pass Work Capacity Test up to the "moderate" level if necessary to perform field evaluations, QA/QC of innovations, etc.
• Must be able to perform in an R&D shop environment with the presence of machinery, personnel, distractions, flashing lights, and loud noises typical of a manufacturing environment.

This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts WDS rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Wildfire Defense Systems, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, ncluding recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

The pay range for this role is:

84,900 - 124,100 USD per year (Post Falls)