Lead Debug Engineer (Not for Everyone!)

Surterre Properties Luxury Real Estate Brokerage; Painesville (OH); On-site; USD 80,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision, and life insurance

Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays

401(k) match

Generous parental leave

Job summary

Steven Douglas Corp, located in Painesville, Ohio, is seeking a Lead Debug Engineer to manage custom automated machines from power‑up to customer acceptance. This high-impact role requires strong leadership under pressure, effective problem-solving, and clear communication with various stakeholders.

The successful candidate will be highly competitive, accountable, and ready to embrace challenges with a focus on quality outcomes. Competitive pay and generous benefits offer significant compensation potential based on project performance.

Qualifications

• Strong ownership mindset and accountability for machine outcomes.
• Ultra‑competitive mindset.
• Sound technical judgment and decision-making skills.

Responsibilities

• Own the machine from power‑up through customer sign‑off.
• Build and maintain the debug plan.
• Diagnose and resolve mechanical, electrical, and controls issues.

Skills

Ownership mindset

Problem-solving

Composure under pressure

Clear communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related field

Job description

About the Role

At Steven Douglas Corp (SDC), we specialize in designing and building custom automated machines that serve a wide variety of applications and industries. Every project is unique, and every machine brings new technical challenges.

Let us be clear — this role is not for most people. If you need structure, comfort, or direction, this is not your role. This is a role you take because you think you can do something that most people cannot. This is ownership under pressure. This is a high leverage – high reward position. You want a challenge and you want the opportunity to be one of the key players in the company. You are driven by success and want the opportunity to be rewarded more than the people that don’t want the pressure or the expectations.

Machine Testing and Debug is the least predictable phase of any first time build custom project. Machines do not cooperate on schedule, vendors miss, designs need re‑work, software needs revamped. None of that is your excuse — it is your environment. The Lead Debug Engineer is the person who thrives in that environment, builds a plan, and executes it.

In this role, you are responsible for getting a custom automated machine from power‑up to customer acceptance. You are responsible for looking at issues and quickly determining how to solve them correctly. You are never allowed to use excuses. You are the decision‑maker, the leader and champion working with the managerial team, directing the team of engineers, and working alongside the Project Managers.

Do not apply if you are not up for the challenge. We want someone that knows what you’re getting into — and signs up anyway.

What You’ll Do

• Own the machine from power‑up through customer sign‑off, including planning, technical execution, and final quality validation.
• Build and maintain the debug plan — scope, sequence, daily priorities, and open‑items log updated in real time.
• Mange multiple different project teams at one time, keeping multiple projects on schedule.
• Lead daily team coordination on the floor, providing clear directions to engineers and technicians.
• Diagnose and resolve mechanical, electrical, and controls issues.
• Validate machine quality before Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) — every function, every safety parameter, every spec.
• Lead customer FAT, manage the agenda, run the process, and close acceptance.
• Escalate blockers early to pull resources from project managers and department leads as needed.
• Communicate schedule status and risks proactively to the Project Manager — no surprises.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related field.
• Strong ownership mindset and accountability for machine outcomes.
• Ultra‑competitive mindset.
• Sound technical judgment, with the ability to make decisions quickly using incomplete information.
• Composure under pressure; sets a steady tone for the team.
• Root‑cause problem‑solving across mechanical, electrical, and controls systems.
• Clear communication across engineers, technicians, project managers, and customers.
• Ability to modify mechanical designs and influence PLC logic to resolve issues found on the floor.
• Ability and willingness to travel to support projects, up to 10%.

Compensation

The Lead Debug Engineer receives base pay plus a project‑based bonus tied to margin performance. The bonus amount is defined per project based on size and complexity and is communicated by the manager before the engineer is designated for the role — so you know what you are playing for before the project starts.

If successful, SDC is committed to significant compensation. Project Outcome Debug Lead Bonus: Hits or beats margin target — bonus paid, defined per project. Misses margin target — no bonus, base pay unaffected. Base pay is never at risk; the bonus is upside‑earned by protecting margin and hitting the plan. Engineers who consistently perform in this role are among the highest‑paid individual contributors at SDC.

Benefits

• Competitive pay based upon expertise and contributions.
• 100% employer‑paid medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, with additional supplemental insurance options available.
• Paid vacation, sick leave, and 10 company‑paid holidays to support work‑life balance.
• A 4% employer match to a 401(k) each pay period.
• Generous parental leave, and a company‑sponsored Employee Assistance Program.

Legal/Civil Rights

Steven Douglas Corp is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and innovative workplace.

www.sdcautomation.com