Mechanical Development Engineer
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 23, 2026. First seen by Alion on Oct 14, 2026.
ABOUT THE ROLE
At HIGHCAT, you’ll develop the mechanical systems behind our drones and their wider product ecosystem -from first concepts and prototypes through testing, industrialisation, and series production.
Working closely with electronics, software, product, manufacturing, and external suppliers, you’ll turn requirements into robust, manufacturable hardware. You’ll work across injection-moulded plastics, sheet metal, machined parts, and mechanical assemblies, with responsibility for making sure products not only perform, but can also be assembled efficiently and manufactured reliably at the right cost.
This is a hands-on role with real ownership. You’ll spend time in CAD, build and test prototypes, work directly with suppliers, solve production problems, and continuously improve our products based on manufacturing and field experience.
If you want to build hardware from the ground up and see it progress from your screen and workbench into series production and real-world deployment, we’d love to hear from you.
CORE TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES
Develop mechanical components and assemblies for HIGHCAT’s drones and supporting product ecosystem, from concept through series production.
Develop injection-moulded plastic, bent sheet metal, and machined components with a strong focus on manufacturability.
Integrate electronics, sensors, antennas, connectors, batteries, motors, cables, and other components into robust mechanical assemblies.
Apply DFM and DFA principles to optimise part count, assembly, reliability, manufacturing cost, and production efficiency.
Create production-ready 3D CAD, technical drawings, tolerances, and manufacturing documentation.
Build, test, and iterate prototypes using 3D printing, CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, and other rapid manufacturing methods.
Work directly with manufacturers and suppliers on tooling, DFM, first articles, quality, cost, and production ramp-up.
Support the transition from prototypes and low-volume builds into stable, repeatable series production.
Identify and resolve mechanical, assembly, tolerance, and manufacturing issues.
Support mechanical testing, validation, failure analysis, and continuous product improvement.
Requirements
ABOUT YOU
5+ years of experience in mechanical engineering or hardware product development, ideally in drones, robotics, electronics, aerospace, mobility, or other complex hardware.
Proven experience taking physical products from prototype through industrialisation into series production.
Strong hands-on experience with injection-moulded plastic parts and a solid understanding of tooling and injection-moulding DFM.
Experience developing bent sheet metal components and understanding their manufacturing constraints.
Strong 3D CAD skills and experience with production-ready technical drawings and tolerancing.
Good understanding of engineering materials, manufacturing processes, fastening methods, and assembly techniques.
You understand DFM/DFA and naturally consider manufacturing cost, part count, assembly time, tooling investment, and production volume when developing a product.
You are comfortable working directly with suppliers and solving real manufacturing and production issues.
You are a hands-on, independent engineer who enjoys building, testing, learning, and iterating quickly.
Experience with GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, IP-rated enclosures, thermal management, vibration, shock, or FEA is a plus.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
Compensation and Ownership:
Competitive compensation with meaningful equity, giving you a real stake in the company you’re helping to build.
Mission and Impact:
See your work become real products used in demanding environments where reliability and good engineering matter.
Access and Influence:
A small, ambitious team with direct access to founders, engineers, and decision-makers-and real influence over the products we build.
Culture and Environment:
A high-trust, low-bureaucracy environment where decisions move quickly, ownership is high, and strong work earns increasing responsibility.
Resources and Engineering:
The freedom and tools to develop, prototype, manufacture, test, break, and improve hardware quickly.
Professional Growth:
The opportunity to grow alongside an early-stage hardware company and help shape its products, engineering practices, and manufacturing capabilities.
YOUR APPLICATION
We’d love to hear from you if you’re excited about building real hardware and taking ownership from concept to production.
To apply, please send us:
Your CV or LinkedIn profile, highlighting your relevant mechanical engineering and product development experience.
A portfolio or examples of previous work showing mechanical components, assemblies, or products you’ve developed-ideally including injection-moulded parts, sheet metal, or products brought into series production.
A short introduction explaining why you’re interested in HIGHCAT and what makes you a good fit for the role.
Your availability and salary expectations.
We care more about what you’ve built and the problems you’ve solved than polished applications. Show us your work, tell us about your contribution, and what you learned along the way.
ABOUT HIGHCAT
Europe’s airspace is evolving. We are building the systems that help secure it.
HIGHCAT is a team of builders, engineers, and problem-solvers. We develop modular unmanned systems and the product ecosystem around them, designed for real-world deployment. Built and manufactured in Germany, our platforms support the people and organisations that protect critical infrastructure, public services, and operational capabilities.
We like solving difficult problems. From first concept to deployment, we build technology that performs when it matters most. Our focus is simple: reliable systems, intuitive operation, and real-world impact.
Our work enables safer and more effective operations across security, industry, and defence-related applications. Guided by strong ethical principles and a commitment to European technological sovereignty, we are helping build the next generation of operational capabilities for Europe.