Lead Mechanical Engineer

LEAD MECHANICAL ENGINEER Mechanical Engineering Lead, Advanced Manufacturing & Repair Systems Reports directly to: Chief Operating Officer Partners closely with: Head of Data & Software, CTO, Process Engineering Location: Atlanta, GA | U.S. Person required (ITAR) ABOUT LYKOS Lykos 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 OPPORTUNITY As 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, and 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 DO - Own 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 equipment - Oversee 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 LIKE - First 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.