Senior Mechanical Engineer Hardware

Frontdoor Defense; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 115,000 - 173,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tier-based bonus

Equity

Healthcare

Dental

Vision

401K

Relocation assistance

Paid holidays

PTO & sick time

Corporate discounts

Job summary

Lyten Motorsports in Indianapolis is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead carbon fiber development and additive manufacturing initiatives. You will design CFRP components, assess legacy metal parts for replacement to reduce weight, and guide topology optimization for strength-to-weight improvements.

You will collaborate with the composite shop, create detailed drawings, ply-books, and manufacturing instructions; validate with FEA and physical tests.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree with 5+ years of design experience (or 3+ years with a master's).
• Strong knowledge of DFM for composites and 3D printing.
• Experience in carbon fiber development for motorsports.
• Solid understanding of GD&T and aerospace/automotive tolerancing.

Responsibilities

• Lead traditional carbon fiber development from concept through production.
• Design end-use parts, jigs, and fixtures for additive manufacturing.
• Collaborate with manufacturing to ensure manufacturability and troubleshoot layup or demolding issues.
• Perform structural analysis and FEA; support testing and validation.

Skills

3D CAD

DFM for composites

Composite mechanics

GD&T

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical/aerospace Eng

Master's degree in mechanical/aerospace Eng

Tools

CATIA

Siemens NX

SolidWorks

Fibersim

CPD

Altair Inspire

nTop

Job description

Senior Mechanical Engineer

Own the design and development of carbon-fiber and additive-manufactured components for Lyten Motorsports

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

Compensation: $115,400 - 173,200 USD / year

About The Role

We are seeking a highly innovative Senior Mechanical Engineer to drive our lightweighting initiatives at Lyten Motorsports. In this role, you will be the driving force behind leading traditional, ground-up carbon fiber developments, as well as identifying, designing, and validating the transition of legacy metal vehicle components into advanced Carbon structures.

Additionally, you will lead design efforts for our in-house Additive Manufacturing (3D printing) capabilities. Because our composite manufacturing and additive manufacturing operations are co-located in the same Indianapolis facility, you will have the unique advantage of designing, prototyping, and iterating rapidly alongside the technicians building your parts. The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in Design for Manufacturability (DFM) for both composites and 3D printing, combined with a passion for high-performance motorsports engineering.

Key Responsibilities

• Composite Design & Development:
  • Lead traditional, clean-sheet carbon fiber development projects, designing new CFRP components from initial concept through final production.
  • Identify target metal components within motorsports platforms for composite replacement to achieve significant weight reduction without sacrificing structural integrity.
  • Design complex composite parts, including defining ply schedules, laminate orientations, core materials, and bonded joint designs.
  • Develop surface models and tooling designs (molds, trim jigs) for carbon fiber layup.
• Additive Manufacturing Design:
  • Design end-use parts, manufacturing aids, jigs, and fixtures utilizing our in-house Additive Manufacturing equipment.
  • Apply topology optimization and generative design principles to maximize the strength-to-weight ratio of 3D-printed components.
  • Determine the optimal additive technology (e.g., FDM, SLA, SLS) and material selection for specific engineering applications.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Manufacturing Support:
  • Work hand-in-hand with the composite shop floor (located in the same building) to ensure designs are highly manufacturable and to troubleshoot layup or demolding challenges.
  • Create detailed engineering drawings, ply-books, and manufacturing work instructions for the composites and additive teams.
• Analysis & Validation:
  • Perform structural analysis and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) on both composite and 3D-printed parts to validate stiffness, load paths, and failure modes.
  • Support physical testing and validation of prototype components to correlate with analytical models.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline AND 5+ years of mechanical design experience, with a strong focus on both advanced composites and additive manufacturing OR master's degree in mechanical engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline field AND 3+ years of related experience
• Technical Skills:
  • Advanced proficiency in 3D CAD software (e.g., CATIA, Siemens NX, or SolidWorks).
  • Proven experience in Design for Manufacturability (DFM) specifically tailored to composite layup and 3D printing.
  • Strong understanding of composite mechanics, metal-to-composite joint design (bonding/fastening), and material properties.
  • Solid foundation in Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T).
• Problem Solving: Ability to iterate rapidly, moving from digital design to physical part quickly in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct engineering experience within the motorsports industry (IndyCar, IMSA, NASCAR, F1, etc.).
• Experience using composite-specific design software (e.g., Fibersim, CPD).
• Familiarity with topology optimization software (e.g., Altair Inspire, nTop).
• Hands-on experience running industrial 3D printers or working directly on a composites shop floor.

Compensations Range:

The expected base salary range for this position is between $115,400.00 - $173,200.00. The level of pay within the range will depend on a variety of job-related factors that may include location, relevant prior experience and/or education, or particular skills and expertise.

In addition to base pay this position is eligible for tier based bonus and equity, healthcare, dental, vision, corporate discounts, paid holidays, PTO and sick time, 401K, employee relocation plan (if applicable).

Lyten is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability. EEO Employer/Vet/Disabled.