Lead Engineer – Mechanical (5–6 Years Experience)

About the role:We are looking for a mechanically strong Lead Engineer – Mechanical with 5 to 6 years of experience to lead our product development team. You will own machine programmes end to end - from concept definition and hand calculations through detailed CAD models, engineering drawings, prototype builds, field validation, and release to production. Beyond your own design work, you will set the technical direction for the team, review and sign off the calculations and drawings of junior engineers, and be accountable for whether the design works in the field. You will be expected to think analytically, justify decisions with numbers, and iterate quickly based on real-world feedback.Roles and Responsibilities:Own the mechanical design of complete agricultural machines and lead their development from concept through production release: structural frames, drive systems, conveyor mechanisms, cutting assemblies, and collection systemsDefine design architecture and specifications at the concept stage - establish load cases, duty cycles, safety factors, and design targets before detailed work beginsPerform and review engineering calculations to size components and validate designs before fabrication: forces, torques, stresses, deflections, fatigue, and power requirements; act as the technical check on the team's calculation sheetsDevelop 3D models and detailed manufacturing drawings using parametric CAD; apply GD&T for fabrication clarity, and review the models and drawings released by the teamGuide component selection - bearings, chains, sprockets, fasteners, seals, motors - using manufacturer catalogues and relevant IS / BS / ISO standards, and standardise part selection across machinesMentor and technically supervise junior design engineers: allocate design work, run design reviews, and build the team's analytical disciplineWork directly with the fabrication workshop and external vendors to resolve manufacturing constraints, drive design for manufacture and cost, review first-article parts, and close the loop between drawing and metalPlan and lead prototype testing in field conditions; define validation criteria, analyse failure modes, and drive design changes through to closureOwn the NPD documentation set - calculation sheets, design records, BOMs, and change control - and hold the team to itWhat we are looking for: B.E. / B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering, M.Tech. in Engineering Design from a recognised institution5 to 6 years of experience in mechanical product design, machine design, or equipment engineering, including demonstrated ownership of at least one product or machine taken from concept to productionExperience guiding junior engineers and reviewing their design output, whether formally as a lead or informally within a project teamStrong analytical foundation in Engineering Mechanics (EM): ability to construct free body diagrams, analyse static and dynamic systems, resolve forces in mechanisms, and calculate power and torque through multi-stage drive trainsStrong analytical foundation in Strength of Materials (SOM): confident in stress and strain calculations, beam bending, torsional shear, column buckling, contact stress, and fatigue life estimation using standard criteria such as Goodman or SoderbergProficiency in Autodesk Inventor or equivalent parametric CAD; working proficiency in FEA simulation (ANSYS, or equivalent) with the judgement to know when a hand calculation is sufficientPractical experience with fabrication processes and vendor interaction, and the ability to design for the equipment and skills actually available on the shop floorAbility to read engineering standards and apply them practically to material selection, tolerancing, and component specification.