Senior Mechanical Engineer

Inition; Christchurch; Hybrid; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Southern Cross health insurance foryou

Employee Assistance Programme

KiwiSaver and wellness allowance

Flexible hours, remote work at times

Up to four hours a week for approved学习

Engineering Ladder growth path

Job summary

Inition is expanding its mechanical engineering team in New Zealand. We seek Senior Mechanical Engineers to lead mechanical design across development programmes from concept to testing, working with cross-disciplinary teams and clients.

You will mentor others and apply first-principles thinking to challenging problems to deliver robust solutions. We offer roles based in Christchurch, Wellington or Auckland with a mix of on-site and remote work, travel to labs, and a structured engineering ladder

Qualifications

• Experience leading the mechanical design of engineered systems.
• Mentoring others and providing direction to a team.
• Strong ability to reason from first principles when solving design challenges.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design on development programmes from concept through build and test.
• Collaborate with electrical, simulation, structural, and design teams, plus clients.
• Turn unclear requirements into feasible concepts and validate performance through analysis and testing.

Skills

Mechanical design leadership

Mentoring others

First principles reasoning

Education

Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical or Mechatronics)

Job description

About Inition

At Inition, we work on projects that matter. We revolutionise industries by creating products others thought were impossible. We partner with ambitious clients to untangle complex problems and shape them into things people can touch, use and rely on.

We’re guided by curiosity, not by industries. This has led us to work on everything from adventure rides and construction products to transport networks and marine safety.

Every project teaches us something new, and we’re always seeking the next question worth answering. Want to help us find it?

Join us

We’re always on the lookout for epic talent. Applications will remain open all year, and we review them every month. If you seem like a good fit, we’ll work with you to find you a place on our team. If the timing isn’t right yet, we’ll keep in touch.

We have full-time opportunities based in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland, on either a permanent or fixed-term basis.

About the role

We’re growing and looking for multiple Senior Mechanical Engineers to join our talented team. You'll lead the engineering design on development programmes, through concept, design, build and test. You'll work in mixed teams with electrical, simulation and structural engineers, designers and technicians, often alongside our business and commercial team, and clients. We value other perspectives, and don't do surprises.

Your focus area will depend on your strengths

• Machine design: Mechanisms, rotating elements, bearings, shafts and power transmission, chassis and support structures.
• Fabrication & Structures: Welded and fastened steel structures under static and cyclic load, designed for fatigue life, ultimate capacity, distortion and tolerance.
• Engineering design and development: Turn unclear requirements into concepts, assess feasibility, and prove performance through analysis and testing.

Essentials

• Experience leading the mechanical design of engineered systems, mentoring others and providing direction.
• A Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical or Mechatronics) or equivalent, and fundamentals strong enough to reason from first principles when there's no precedent or when challenging convention.
• Design and analysis to relevant standards and requirements, with sound understanding of materials, manufacturing, and system integration.
• Experience setting direction and development strategy, reviewing others' work, enabling engineers in your team to grow and succeed.

Desirables

• FEA of complex structures, multibody dynamics, coding tools for engineering work, established workflow practice for AI tools in engineering.
• Experience in structural connections and connection systems; design, development, or analysis.
• Building and testing prototypes, data acquisition and analysis, verification and validation.
• Experience with machinery directive, amusement ride standards, regulatory and compliance frameworks, and other standards based design.
• CPEng or working towards chartership.

Working at Inition

You’ll be joining a supportive, innovative, and down-to-earth team where no two days look the same. You’ll work across a diverse and exciting range of projects, surrounded by people who genuinely care about what they do and how they do it.

We’re a close-knit team that champions innovation, knowledge-sharing, and work-life balance. We celebrate diversity, welcoming applicants from all backgrounds because we believe in the power of varied perspectives to drive innovation.

Some of the great perks we offer

• Southern Cross health insurance for you and your family
• Employee Assistance Programme
• KiwiSaver and an annual wellness allowance
• Flexible hours, and working remotely at times
• Up to four hours a week for approved study, plus conferences and courses
• A growth path on our Engineering Ladder, and many opportunities for enhancing your capabilities.

Where you'll work

You can be based in Christchurch, Wellington or Auckland. Our lab and test facilities are in Christchurch, so if you’re based elsewhere, you can expect some travel. Don’t worry, we’ll take care of it.

Take Your Next Step With Us

If you’re passionate about solving hard problems and want your work to matter, we’d love to hear from you!