Principal Mechanical Engineer

Company Overview

Red 6 is an innovative Augmented Reality (AR) technology startup leading the way in synthetic air combat training. Our primary technology, supporting our ATARS product, enables pilots to simulate the cognitive challenges of flying while accessing realistic, scalable training in dynamic outdoor environments.

The Role

In this position, you will play a pivotal role in guiding and executing the design of advanced products, ensuring technical excellence, and fostering innovation. You will lead and mentor a team of talented engineers, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and contribute significantly to the development of cutting-edge products.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of mechanical engineers, provide technical guidance, design leadership, and foster a collaborative and innovative work environment.

• Provide hands-on technical leadership while setting direction, priorities, and performance expectations for a small team of individual contributors.

• Drive project execution by coordinating task assignments, setting milestones, and ensuring timely delivery of mechanical systems that meet product requirements.

• Act as a player-coach—balancing team leadership with individual technical contributions on critical subsystem design and integration efforts.

• Conduct regular design reviews, 1:1s, and performance feedback to develop talent and promote a culture of engineering rigor and innovation.

• Integrate electronic equipment, sensors, optics, cameras, etc. into complex, high performance hardware systems.

• Conduct thermal and structural analyses to validate and optimize designs for performance and reliability.

• Maintain industrial design intent, ensuring that mechanical solutions align with aesthetic goals and user experience requirements.

• Produce high fit and finish parts, paying meticulous attention to detail, craftsmanship, and quality.

• Work with cutting-edge materials and manufacturing processes to push the boundaries of what is possible in product design.

• Design intricate mechanisms to enable and enhance product functionality.

• Collaborate closely with contract manufacturers to ensure seamless translation of product designs into production.

• This role spans the entire spectrum of product design, from concept development, prototyping and testing, CAD and FEA analysis, to detailed design, product qualification, and LRIP production.

Experience, Skills, and Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering or directly related field.

• 10+ years of hands-on mechanical product design experience, with a proven track record of successful project leadership.

• 2+ years managing or technically leading small, agile engineering teams

• Demonstrated success managing engineering teams through full product development lifecycle, from concept through production and field deployment—preferably in high-reliability or mission-critical systems.

• Strong communicator with the ability to manage up, down, and across disciplines—balancing hands-on technical guidance with organizational clarity.

• Proficiency in CAD software (SolidWorks Preferred) and other relevant engineering tools.

• Consumer electronics design experience in most of these areas: industrial design, optics and lenses, cameras, sensors, displays, PCBs and flexes, sensors.

• Experience in Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing, and detailed drawings a must.

• Experience designing for weight reduction and structural optimization a plus.

• Experience using cutting edge engineering materials and manufacturing processes in production products.

• Detailed knowledge of engineering fundamentals in solid mechanics, material science, heat transfer, and mechanism design.

• Knowledge of design for manufacturability, assembly, and reliability.

• This position may require a security clearance. To obtain clearance, employees must show proof of US Citizenship.

Full-Time Employee Benefits

• Healthcare, Dental, and Vision (100% coverage for Employees)

• Paid time off, including vacation, sick, paid holidays, and parental leave

• Short and Long-Term Disability

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)