Animatronic - Principal Mechanical Engineer (In-Office)

LF Studios / LifeFormations; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

LifeFormations in Cincinnati is seeking a full-time Engineer to lead mechanical design and integration for animated figures and show‑action equipment. You will guide a team through design, analysis, procurement, assembly, testing, and installation, with emphasis on safety and reliability.

The role requires hands‑on troubleshooting, hardware analysis, and leadership across a multi‑discipline team, using SolidWorks and DFMs to meet client specifications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related technical fields.
• 9 years of mechanical design and analysis experience, including 4 years of animatronic design within the themed entertainment industry.
• 3 years of technical and functional leadership experience.
• Leadership experience through a design/build project, fostering positive team morale while delivering a complete product.
• Hands-on troubleshooting and problem-solving skills for complex problems.
• Experience with FFMEA, hazard analysis, DFM, RBDs, and FEA.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering for a portfolio of employees, vendors, projects, and customers; serve as primary engineering contact for customer conversations and concerns.
• Own and lead a team or design vendors through animated figure development lifecycle (design, analysis, procurement, QC, assembly, testing, installation).
• Develop senior engineers to own projects with oversight.
• Audit internal mechanical and shell designs for best practices and reliability.
• Use SolidWorks to design animated figures with DFM considerations.
• Coordinate engineering with digital modeling, controls, and fabrication teams.
• Perform hand calculations, bearing calculations, RBDs, and FEA on animated figures; QC analyses.
• Review drawing packages and approve parts for production.
• Lead design workshops and reviews.
• Present design and fabrication work to customers.
• Troubleshoot assembly and performance issues on the production floor.
• Create mechanical and armature documentation throughout projects.

Skills

Mechanical design

FEA

RBDs

Hand calculations

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Job description

LifeFormations specializes in the design and fabrication of animated figures (animatronics), sculpted elements, exhibits, and interactive experiences. Our work can be found in leading theme parks, museums, science centers, and branded spaces all over the world.

We are seeking a full-time experienced Engineer with an uncompromising commitment to excellent work to join our growing team in Cincinnati, Ohio.

As a key part of the design team's leadership, you would be responsible for overseeing the integration of mechanical design with electrical and control systems of animated figures, mechanical effects, and show‑action equipment. Building upon machine design best practices, customer specifications, and industry standards, you will guide a team to create designs that meet or exceed customer expectations while prioritizing safety and reliability.

In This Role, You Will

• Lead engineering for a portfolio consisting of numerous employees, vendors, projects, and customers, serving as the primary engineering point of contact for all customer conversations and concerns.
• Own and lead a team or design vendors through the development of animated figures through the full lifecycle—including design, analysis, procurement, quality control (QC), assembly, testing, and installation.
• Develop senior engineers to own projects with your oversight.
• Audit internal mechanical and shell designs for best practices and verify that systems will function as intended.
• Use SolidWorks to design animated figures with design‑for‑manufacturing (DFM) considerations.
• Coordinate and lead engineering efforts with digital modeling, controls, and fabrication teams.
• Analyze animated figures through hand calculations, bearing calculations, rigid‑body dynamic simulations (RBDs), and finite element analysis (FEA). Perform quality control on other internally and externally performed analyses.
• Review drawing packages and approve parts going to production, leading the team through the drawing creation process.
• Lead design workshops and reviews.
• Present company design and fabrication work to the customer.
• Troubleshoot assembly and performance problems on the production floor.
• Coordinate and lead the creation of all mechanical and armature documentation throughout the project.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related technical fields.
• 9 years of mechanical design and analysis experience, including 4 years of animatronic design experience within the themed entertainment industry.
• 3 years of technical and functional leadership experience.
• Leadership experience through a design/build project, with the ability to foster positive team morale while driving to a complete product.
• Hands‑on troubleshooting and problem‑solving skills, capable of providing solutions to complex problems outside your comfort zone in a timely and cost‑effective manner.
• Experience and skill in the development, use, and maintenance of FFMEA (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis), hazard analysis, DFM, RBDs, and FEA.