Lead Mechanical Engineer - Machine Design

Icehouseventures; Auckland; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Halter is seeking a senior mechanical/mechatronics engineer to own portfolio-wide machine design and automation programs, guiding high-risk projects from concept through production. You will drive standards, mentor engineers, and partner with cross‑functional teams to deliver reliable, scalable equipment that elevates whole‑factory performance.

You will lead the hardest automation challenges, set technical direction, and champion maintainability, uptime, and safety while coaching others and

Qualifications

• Deep technical expertise in mechanical/mechatronics engineering, with track record in fixtures, automation equipment, and production test stations.
• Proven ability to deliver complex manufacturing automation from concept through commissioning, validation, ramp, and sustaining support.
• Strong technical leadership and standards-setting across design reviews, documentation, validation expectations, and engineering best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to improve reliability and production line performance, including reducing downtime and improving maintainability.
• Excellent communicator and cross-functional leader; able to set direction and align across teams, balancing schedule, risk, quality, and factory impact.

Responsibilities

• Own priorities across multiple machine design programs, balancing schedule, technical risk, production line impact, and long-term sustaining needs.
• Lead complex automation delivery from concept through design, build, commissioning, validation, ramp, and handover into production.
• Set and continuously improve standards for mechanical/mechatronics design, commissioning, validation, documentation, design reviews, and sustaining ownership.
• Sponsor the highest-risk station, fixture, automation, and production test designs, making critical technical decisions where reliability, throughput, maintainability, or yield are at stake.
• Drive systemic improvements to line performance, including downtime reduction, maintainability, spares/support strategy, and operator-friendly equipment design.
• Develop team capability through coaching, technical bar-setting, and review of key designs, while creating clarity and direction for engineers across the portfolio.
• Partner cross-functionally with Production Engineering, NPI, Manufacturing, Reliability, vendors, and leadership to drive whole-factory outcomes.

Skills

Machine design

Mechatronics

Automation equipment

Team leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

About Halter

At Halter, we’re on a mission to enable farmers and graziers to run the most productive and sustainable operations. Our customers are using Halter to break free from the time‑intensive constraints of conventional practices. Imagine watching 500 cattle stand up and walk calmly towards their next break? No quad bikes, no dogs, no fences. Just a group of cattle walking at their own pace. People say it looks like magic. Our customers are revolutionizing grazing with Halter. It's changing lives and transforming an industry. People join Halter to do meaningful work. By joining us you’ll be solving challenging problems within a talented team and a culture built for high performance. Our team out‑think, out‑work and out‑care. We’re committed to delivering real change in the world – this isn’t easy, and in truth, we love that it’s hard.

Role summary

Player/coach. Own a portfolio of machine design and equipment delivery programs, scaling outcomes through others while still directly leading the highest-risk automation and station design work. Accountable for turning ambiguous production needs into reliable, maintainable equipment that improves whole‑factory performance.

What you’ll do

• Own priorities across multiple machine design programs, balancing schedule, technical risk, production line impact, and long‑term sustaining needs.
• Lead complex automation delivery from concept through design, build, commissioning, validation, ramp, and handover into production.
• Set and continuously improve standards for mechanical/mechatronics design, commissioning, validation, documentation, design reviews, and sustaining ownership.
• Sponsor the highest-risk station, fixture, automation, and production test designs, making critical technical decisions where reliability, throughput, maintainability, or yield are at stake.
• Drive systemic improvements to line performance, including downtime reduction, maintainability, spares/support strategy, and operator‑friendly equipment design.
• Develop team capability through coaching, technical bar-setting, and review of key designs, while creating clarity and direction for engineers across the portfolio.
• Partner cross‑functionally with Production Engineering, NPI, Manufacturing, Reliability, vendors, and leadership to drive whole‑factory outcomes.

What we’re looking for

• Deep technical expertise in mechanical/mechatronics engineering, with strong experience designing fixtures, automation equipment, and production test stations.
• Proven ability to deliver complex manufacturing automation from concept through commissioning, validation, ramp, and sustaining support.
• Strong technical leadership and standards‑setting capability across design reviews, documentation, validation expectations, and engineering best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to improve reliability and production line performance, including reducing downtime and improving maintainability.
• Excellent communicator and cross‑functional leader; able to set direction, create alignment across teams, and make sound tradeoffs across schedule, risk, quality, and factory impact.

Join our team

Halter is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace — a place where we can each be ourselves and do the best work of our lives. Research shows that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the requirements, women and under‑represented groups of candidates tend to only apply when they meet every requirement.

Why our team loves working at Halter

• Work that genuinely matters. Every now and again a company comes along that transforms an entire industry and leaves the world in a better place. Our team gets to be part of something truly meaningful, helping farmers improve their livelihoods, spend more time with their families, and build more sustainable operations.
• Spectacular people solving hard problems. Our culture is designed for talented people to do work that changes lives. The team is filled with diverse, kind, and driven people who push each other to do their best work. You'll be thrown into the deep end, tackling complex challenges and building something tangible that solves real problems.
• You’ll grow here. Autonomy, mastery, and learning define how we work. You'll have the freedom to work on interesting problems, master new skills, and continuously develop yourself, both through your role and our $1,000 personal growth fund.
• This isn’t easy, and we love that it’s hard. Working at Halter will be the most rewarding and the most challenging work of your life. We move fast, take bold bets, and work hard to reshape an entire industry. As one team member put it: "Joining Halter is a bit like strapping yourself to a rocket ship, but it's an epic journey to be a part of!"