Senior Automation Engineer (Inspection)

Senior Automation Engineer (Inspection)

MAKO is putting 'shark skin' on planes to save fuel and reduce emissions

Your Mission

MAKO's mission is to improve the efficiency of the global aviation fleet, saving billions of dollars in fuel and megatonnes of CO2 every year. We are hiring a Senior Automation Engineer (Inspection) to own our automated inline vision and characterisation systems - from measurement strategy and technology selection through to rig design, integration, and validation. You will report to the Manufacturing Systems Team Lead

What You Will Do

• Lead the development of inspection and characterisation systems end-to-end, translating product specification requirements into robust, repeatable automated inspection solutions
• Design and deliver inline inspection rigs integrating machine vision, optical sensing, and mechatronic control systems, generating the bill of materials and design files needed to meet our Quality Management System and regulatory requirements
• Drive the selection and validation of sensing technologies capable of surface and geometry inspection of microtextured film at production line speed, ensuring these technologies can be implemented within our current control system framework
• Define and review tests and experiments to verify and validate quality control system performance using statistical reasoning, and develop processes to guide these activities. You will use MSA / Gauge R&R to ensure inspection data is statistically defensible - particularly for aerospace customers and certification bodies
• Develop machine vision solutions for surface characterisation across production runs, moving beyond threshold-based pass/fail to robust defect-type identification
• Collaborate with MAKO engineers and review engineering documents

What Success Look Like

• First month: You will be introduced to our manufacturing processes, equipment, and product requirements. You will assess the current quality control landscape and begin defining measurement requirements for the automated inspection system
• First six months: You will have selected and validated key sensing and mechatronic components for the inline inspection rig, proven against the manufacturing criteria required for scale production. Measurement system capability will be established and documented
• First year: You will have completed the design, build, integration, and handover of our core automated inline inspection system. Automated Outgoing Quality Control (OQC) will be operational on the scale manufacturing line, replacing manual inspection and verifiably meeting all critical riblet specifications on every roll

About You

• Degree in a relevant discipline (Mechanical or Mechatronics Engineering)
• 5+ years of work experience in a similar or relevant field
• Outstanding record of designing mechatronic and/or vision systems, familiar with CAD tools such as SolidWorks and control systems such as PLCs (Beckhoff preferable)
• Experience developing quality control systems compliant with company QMS and regulatory authority requirements (desirable)
• High attention to detail, particularly for component selection, and able to liaise with suppliers for bespoke systems
• Hands-on, proactive, and solutions-focussed, with the ability to work independently and collaboratively

Why You Should Join MAKO

• Impact: Aviation is one of the hardest-to-abate industries, and its share of global emissions is only growing. Join our mission to improve the efficiency of the global fleet and save megatonnes of CO2 every year
• Technology: Our technology leverages the drag-reducing properties of shark skin to make aircraft more efficient. You'll be exposed to expertise and developments in materials, photolithography, fluid dynamics, and scale manufacturing
• Team: Our team is focused on achieving our mission. We live our values of lif t over drag, active t ranspa rency, and changing the boundary conditions, and we welcome new team members who want to do the same
• Corporate jet: We have (most of) a corporate jet. It won't fly, but it sure does cool

Join a team that is working to improve the efficiency of the global aviation fleet, and build a future where a new surface replaces the need for a new aircraft.