Senior Mechanical Engineer

Senior Mechanical Engineer Position Overview 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. Disclosures: Pay Transparency Disclosure: This compensation and benefits information is based on Lyten's estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future. We generally do not negotiate on salary once we have made an offer. 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. New hires joining the company tend to be paid within the starting base pay range noted above, with opportunities to increase pay over time based on development of additional skills, competencies, and company-specific knowledge. 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)