Development Engineer

ABOUT THE ROLE

As a Mechanical Development Engineer at HIGHCAT, you'll own hardware development end-to-end: from early concept CAD work through prototype iteration to field-ready systems that our customers can rely on. This isn’t a role for someone who wants to specialise narrowly in FMEA or thermal analysis. You’ll work on the whole aspects of mechanical design: DFM, materials selection, integration with electronics and software, and testing. If your energy is always focusing to get the system working in the operator’s hands then this role is for you. The systems you will work on will directly affect operators in contested environments.

Core Tasks & Responsibilities

Full-System Ownership

• Design, prototype, and iterate on mechanical systems for products like our Ocelot, taking them from concept validation through field deployment

• Work across the full stack of hardware development: mechanical, electrical integration, and software interfaces, rather than staying confined to a single discipline

• Make pragmatic tradeoffs between performance, manufacturability, cost, and schedule, especially when information is incomplete

Prototype-to-Production

• Build and test rapid prototypes, then translate lessons learned into production-ready designs

• Coordinate directly with manufacturing and production teams to ensure designs survive contact with reality

• Identify and resolve integration issues between mechanical, electrical, and software subsystems before they become field failures

Scrappy Execution

• Operate effectively with limited resources, ambiguous specs, and tight timelines. Build what's needed now, not the theoretically perfect version

• Get hands-on: machine shop work, bench testing, and field testing are part of the job, not someone else's job

• Anticipate technical bottlenecks before they stall a release and find pragmatic paths around them

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as a technical bridge between engineering, software, and production, translating requirements into working hardware

• Communicate clearly with stakeholders and leadership, especially when tradeoffs need to be made under pressure

High-Performance Culture

• Contribute to a culture of excellence where accountability is high, feedback is direct, and learning from setbacks drives improvements

• Ensure intelligent risk-taking, rapid iteration of development cycles, and unwavering commitment to customer success

• Maintain clear and consistent communication with stakeholders, team members, and upper management, ensuring that information isn’t lost.

Requirements

ABOUT YOU

• 3+ years as a mechanical engineer in high-growth startups, defense tech, hardware/software integrated products, or consumer electronics. Importantly, you’ve owned products from prototype through release.

• Demonstrated generalist range: comfortable moving between CAD, DFM, materials, testing, and enough electrical/software literacy to integrate with those teams

• A track record of shipping, not just designing products in fast iteration cycles (annual or faster release cadence)

• Comfort with ambiguity and incomplete information; you make calls, own outcomes, and adjust fast

• Genuine motivation from the mission you care about what we do and why we do it and want to actively contribute.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

Compensation and Ownership

• Competitive compensation with meaningful equity reflecting the strategic importance of the role

Mission and Impact

• Daily work with tangible, real-world consequences for the safety of firefighters, soldiers, and emergency responders

• Direct exposure to how your hardware decisions play out in the field

Culture and Environment

• High-trust, low-bureaucracy environment where ownership is real and competence earns you more scope, fast

• Work alongside founders Jan Hartmann and Finn Paluch, who prioritize mission success over process

Professional Growth

• Rapid skill development across the full hardware development lifecycle

• Exposure to some of the most demanding operational environments technology gets deployed into

YOUR APPLICATION

We require all candidates for this role to submit a portfolio showcasing previous hands-on work. This should include a curated collection of past projects, physical prototypes, custom modifications, or relevant personal hobbies.

Presentation quality is less important than technical depth; we welcome a raw assembly of videos, photos, or GitHub repositories. We are treating this technical evaluation with the same portfolio-centric focus typically reserved for high-level creative leadership roles.

About HIGHCAT

HIGHCAT builds technology that protects those who protect us. We develop advanced systems for firefighters, military units, emergency responders, and critical infrastructure teams, delivering tools that enhance situational awareness, improve decision-making, and save lives in high-stakes environments. Our customers operate in conditions where technology failure means mission failure, and mission failure can mean loss of life. We take that responsibility seriously.

We're backed by leading venture capital and strategic partners who understand that defense, public safety, and critical infrastructure represent not just massive markets, but moral imperatives. Our team combines deep technical expertise with operational experience in the domains we serve. We're building at scale while staying primarily focused on the people who depend most on our technology. If you believe that technology should serve those who serve, and that operational excellence is how mission-driven companies turn vision into reality, HIGHCAT is where you belong.