Mechanical Engineer - Senior

Welcome to Backburner Labs 

Metal to Mobile 

Some companies build software. Others build hardware. We build whatever the problem demands. 

Backburner Labs is a multidisciplinary engineering consultancy where mechanical, electrical, systems, and software engineers work together to solve complex technical challenges. From embedded systems and industrial automation to robotics, medical devices, IoT, cloud platforms, and AI-enabled applications, we help our clients build products that often don't exist yet. 

Our clients come to us when engineering is difficult, the timeline is ambitious, and there isn't a roadmap waiting to be followed. They're looking for engineers who can create one. 

If that sounds exciting rather than intimidating, you'll probably enjoy working here. 

You'll collaborate with talented engineers across disciplines, influence technical decisions, learn new technologies, and help turn ideas on a whiteboard into products used in the real world. We move quickly, trust our engineers, and expect everyone to contribute ideas, not just code, designs, or specifications. 

If you're the kind of engineer who asks, "What's the hardest problem we're solving?" Before asking, "What's the tech stack?", you'll probably feel right at home. 

Come build what doesn't exist yet. 

Quick Facts

• Founded: 2019  
• Company: ~50 people (full-time and contract employees)  
• Current location: St Paul- St Anthony Park area 
• Future location: Minneapolis- Prospect Park area (we have leased a 43,000 sq ft building) 
• Revenue: doubled every year for 5 years (more details shared later) 
• Client retention: 93% 

We're looking for a Senior Mechanical Engineer to join our engineering team. You'll lead the mechanical design of complex products from early concept through manufacturing while working alongside software, electrical, and manufacturing engineers to solve difficult technical challenges. 

At Backburner Labs, no two projects are the same. One month you may be designing a custom automation system, the next optimizing a medical device for manufacturing, or developing a first-of-its-kind product that has no existing roadmap. We're looking for an engineer who enjoys solving real-world problems, takes ownership of outcomes, and is comfortable making technical decisions in fast-moving environments. 

This is a hands-on engineering role. We value engineers who are just as comfortable reviewing a CAD model as they are building prototypes, troubleshooting hardware, or collaborating with customers to solve difficult design challenges. 

Details:

• Reports to: Principal Engineer
• Team: ~5
• Status: Full-time employee
• Salary range: $!15,000 - $140,000
• Interview process: (~2.5 weeks):
  • Head of Talent - video call
  • Principal Engineer - video call
    • Panel interview and tour - in person
      • Peers
      • Leadership
  • Decision

What You'll Do 

• Lead the mechanical design and development of complex products from concept through production. 

• Create detailed 3D models, assemblies, and manufacturing drawings using industry-standard CAD software. 

• Design mechanical systems with a strong emphasis on manufacturability, reliability, cost, and serviceability. 

• Develop designs for injection molded, machined, sheet metal, cast, and fabricated components as appropriate for each project. 

• Apply Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) principles throughout the product development process. 

• Build, assemble, prototype, and troubleshoot mechanical and electromechanical systems. 

• Work directly with customers to understand technical requirements, communicate design decisions, and help solve engineering challenges. 

• Collaborate closely with software, electrical, manufacturing, and project management teams to deliver integrated solutions. 

• Evaluate technical tradeoffs and make sound engineering decisions while balancing schedule, performance, cost, and manufacturability. 

• Support supplier selection, manufacturing partners, prototype vendors, and production transitions when needed. 

• Review the work of other engineers, provide technical guidance, and mentor less experienced team members. 

• Contribute to continuous improvement of engineering processes, design standards, and best practices. 

• Take ownership of technical problems from initial concept through successful customer delivery. 

Position Requirements 

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from an accredited university. 

• Typically 7+ years of experience designing mechanical products in a professional engineering environment. 

• Strong proficiency with an industry-standard CAD platform such as SolidWorks or Onshape. 

• Demonstrated experience creating detailed manufacturing drawings and production documentation. 

• Experience designing products for manufacturing, including injection molding, machining, sheet metal, and other common manufacturing processes. 

• Experience designing complete mechanical systems rather than individual components. 

• Hands-on experience building, assembling, testing, and debugging mechanical or electromechanical systems. 

• Excellent communication, organization, and project ownership skills. 

• Ability to independently manage technical work across multiple projects with minimal supervision. 

Additional Skills and Traits We Value 

• Experience designing machinery, automation equipment, robotics, or custom electromechanical systems. 

• Cross-disciplinary experience with electrical engineering or software development, including embedded systems, robotics, Linux environments, microcontrollers (ESP32 or similar), industrial automation, or basic programming. 

• Experience working in consulting, product development, or engineering services where projects vary across industries. 

• Strong understanding of Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA). 

• Experience working directly with customers and participating in technical design reviews. 

• Ability to mentor junior engineers while remaining an active individual contributor. 

• A builder's mindset—you enjoy solving problems with your hands as much as with CAD. 

• Curiosity, humility, and a continuous desire to learn new technologies. 

• Ownership mentality. You don't wait to be told what to do—you identify problems, propose solutions, and see them through. 

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