Design & Automation Engineer

Lava-Island; Aurora (CO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Lava Island seeks a senior mechanical/product designer to own the original design of playground equipment from concept to build-ready specifications in Autodesk Inventor. You will also design automation using iLogic to make APS production smarter and scalable as manufacturing grows.

This is a from-scratch role where you lead the move from AutoCAD to Inventor, building training materials and coaching the team through the transition.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in mechanical or product design with real Inventor work.
• Hands-on iLogic experience is required.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and specifications.

Responsibilities

• Design playground and jump deck equipment from concept through build-ready specification in Autodesk Inventor.
• Build automation using iLogic and Inventor API for scalable production.
• Lead transition from AutoCAD to Inventor and train the team on the new workflow.
• Coordinate design work with Revit and production for feedback and integration.

Skills

Mechanical/product design

iLogic programming

Reading engineering drawings

Education

Autodesk Certified Professional in Inventor for Mechanical Design

Tools

Autodesk Inventor

AutoCAD

Revit

Job description

The Job

You will own original product design for Lava Island's playground and jump deck equipment, built in Autodesk Inventor, from first concept through build-ready specification. You will also design the automation, using iLogic, that makes APS's production floor smarter and more efficient as manufacturing scales.

This is a from-scratch role. You are not maintaining files somebody else built, you are the one building them, and you will lead APS's move from AutoCAD to Inventor, training the team on the new way of working as you go.

Why APS

• Real design authority.
• Two disciplines, one seat.
• Build something.
• Own the transition.
• Denver home base.
• Per company benefits program.

What You Will Do

Design the equipment

• Design playground and jump deck equipment from concept through build-ready specification in Autodesk Inventor.
• Review drawings and models for accuracy, manufacturability, and compliance with our design standards.
• Build a library of reusable design templates, standard parts, and design documentation for APS.

Build the automation

• Design and refine warehouse automation and machine programming, using iLogic and Inventor's API, as production volume scales.
• Evaluate and recommend equipment and tooling upgrades that improve manufacturing efficiency.

Lead the transition

• Move APS from AutoCAD to Inventor, building the training materials and coaching the team through it.

Coordinate across teams

• Work with the Design/architecture team in Revit so equipment integrates cleanly with building layouts.
• Partner with production floor leadership to refine designs based on real build feedback.

What You Need

• 5+ years in mechanical or product design, with real, original design work in Autodesk Inventor, not just editing existing files.
• Autodesk Certified Professional in Inventor for Mechanical Design (or equivalent) is strongly preferred, and matters more to us than a four-year degree. Real, demonstrated Inventor and iLogic experience is what we're looking for.
• Hands-on iLogic experience. This is the core of the automation side of the job, not a nice-to-have. Being an Inventor user isn't enough on its own; we need someone who has actually built iLogic rules and automation.
• Strong working knowledge of Inventor iProperties, including their role in drawings, bills of materials, and design documentation.
• Experience integrating CAD design with automation, CNC, or robotics systems.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and manufacturing requirements.
• Comfortable teaching others a new tool and new design standards.
• Comfortable working on-site in a production/warehouse environment.
• Comfort with email, digital documentation, and design/PDM systems. APS operates in a Microsoft 365 environment.

Background in playground, amusement, or structural steel manufacturing is a plus. So is familiarity with Revit, experience building configurable product models, experience with process automation or "smart" manufacturing systems, and having led a CAD platform transition before.

Ready to Build What's Next?

If you want to be the one designing what Lava Island builds next, not just running someone else's files, we want to meet you.