Innovation Engineer
2 months ago
Herriman
Job Description Innovation Engineer Syndicate Riverton Full-time Exempt Shift: Monday-Friday Company Overview: Syndicate is a growing organization that provides shared services and operational support to multiple affiliated entities. The innovation engineer plays a critical role in driving a culture of solution focused creativity and tangible results across all entities. Position Overview Small Arms Defense Skunk Works environment. Job Responsibilities • Lead the design and development of new firearm products, components, and accessories from concept through commercialization, • Conduct research on emerging technologies, materials, and manufacturing methods to drive innovation, • Create detailed 3D models, engineering drawings, and specifications using CAD software, • Develop and execute product testing protocols, including durability, safety, and performance validation, • Analyze test data and implement design improvements based on findings, • Ensure all products meet applicable federal, state, and industry regulations and safety standards, • Collaborate with manufacturing teams to optimize designs for manufacturability and cost efficiency, • Support prototyping efforts, including hands-on assembly and evaluation of test units, • Conduct root cause analysis and implement corrective actions for product issues, • Work with suppliers and vendors on material selection and component development, • Maintain thorough documentation including design history files, test reports, and compliance records, • Participate in continuous improvement initiatives and innovation strategy planning Job Qualifications (Required) • Technical Foundation, • Mechanical engineering fundamentals with deep understanding of firearms and accessories, • Materials science expertise: metallurgy, composites, polymers, and emerging materials (metal matrix composites, advanced ceramics, carbon fiber applications), • CAD proficiency (SolidWorks or Creo) with ability to rapidly iterate designs, • Multidisciplinary Technical Skills, • Additive manufacturing expertise (DMLS, SLM, binder jetting) for rapid prototyping and novel geometries, • Innovation & Problem-Solving, • Systematic innovation frameworksBiomimicry and cross-domain, • solution mining (applying concepts from unrelated fields), • Constraint-based thinking: thriving when told "impossible" requirements, • Prototyping & Testing, • Rapid prototyping mindset: comfort with "good enough to test" over perfection, • Data acquisition and analysis (LabVIEW, Python, MATLAB), • Test plan development and DOE (Design of Experiments) methodology, • Hands-on troubleshooting in field conditions, • Manufacturing & Producibility, • Design for manufacturability (DFM) and design for assembly (DFA), • Understanding of production processes: CNC, MIM, stamping, extrusion, IM, • Tolerance stack-up analysis and GD&T expertise, • Domain-Specific Knowledge, • Operational experience or deep user empathy (combat veteran, competitive shooter, or extensive end-user engagement), • Threat assessment and emerging tactical requirements, • International small arms landscape and competitive analysis, • Military standards (MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-1913, etc.) and proof testing requirements, • Skunk Works Mindset, • Extreme ownership and self-direction, • Comfort with ambiguity and rapidly changing requirements, • Speed bias: 80% solution tomorrow beats 100% solution next quarter, • Scrappiness: making do with limited resources, • Direct communication style, bypassing bureaucracy when mission-critical, • Willingness to challenge conventional wisdom, • Soft Skills & Attributes, • Technical communication: translating complex engineering to military end-users and non-technical leadership, • Collaborative spirit despite independent work style, • Intellectual curiosity: constant learning across disciplines, • Resilience: handling failed tests and rapid pivots without losing momentum, • Cultural Fit Indicators, • Thrives in unstructured environments, • Driven by mission impact over process compliance, • Comfortable being the "jack of all trades, master of several", • Excited by technical risk-taking, • Prefers building things to endless analysis, • Can context-switch rapidly between projects Job Qualifications (Preferred) • Multidisciplinary Technical Skills, • Electronics and programming, • Optics and photonics experience, • Bonus Differentiators, • Competition shooting experience (USPSA, 3-Gun, PRS) for user perspective, • Software development skills Job Posted by ApplicantPro