Lead Equipment Design Engineer (High-Temp/Vacuum)

Limelight Steel; South Australia; On-site; AUD 160,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading manufacturing company in South Australia is seeking an Equipment Design Engineer to lead the design of critical hardware for their Laser Furnace. The role requires a strong background in mechanical engineering, experienced in thermals and materials engineering, and proficiency in designing high-temperature industrial equipment. A competitive compensation range of $160-220k, plus equity, is offered.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of industry experience.
• Hands-on experience designing, building, and troubleshooting prototypes and industrial equipment.
• Expertise with thermal modeling tools (e.g., COMSOL) and finite element analysis.
• Experience designing and working with vacuum sealing systems (O-rings, metal seals, feedthroughs).
• Experience designing high-temperature industrial processing equipment (e.g., furnaces, kilns, reactors, or vacuum systems), and knowledge of industrial safety standards.
• Strong fundamentals in heat transfer, stress analysis, and materials selection for high-temperature operation.
• Ability to work across disciplines in a fast-moving, startup environment.

Responsibilities

• Own the design of molten-metal ladles, ensuring mechanical integrity and safety at high temperatures.
• Lead the integration of optics, sensors, vacuum sealing surfaces, and high-temperature mechanical structures into the laser furnace.
• Design and develop a vacuum vessel, ensuring robustness under thermal and pressure gradients as well as mechanical loads.
• Collaborate with pyrometallurgical engineers and subject matter experts to incorporate metals industry best practices into equipment design and implement process improvements.
• Balance speed and rigor in designing, building, and testing new equipment for piloting and scale-up.

Job description

A leading manufacturing company in South Australia is seeking an Equipment Design Engineer to lead the design of critical hardware for their Laser Furnace. The role requires a strong background in mechanical engineering, experienced in thermals and materials engineering, and proficiency in designing high-temperature industrial equipment. A competitive compensation range of $160-220k, plus equity, is offered.