Technical Lead – Mechatronics

Who we are

Arkeus builds AI-powered sensing systems that help autonomous platforms detect, track and understand what's happening in the most complex and contested environments. Our technology is deployed across defence and national security applications — already protecting lives and strengthening security across the U.S. and allied markets. 

Backed by QIC, Main Sequence, R+VC, Salus Ventures, Folklore Ventures, DYNE Ventures and Beaten Zone Venture Partners, Arkeus is entering a major growth phase. We are a small, fast-moving company with the energy and ambition of a start-up and the technical credibility of a world-class defence technology provider. 

We work at the intersection of optics, autonomy, robotics and real-time AI and we deploy what we build. If you want to build technology that gets deployed in the real world, not technology that stays on the roadmap, this is where you belong. 

Check it yourself on News | Arkeus 

We have developed an inclusive, transparent and engaging culture that focuses on building a diverse workforce — realising that to attract the very best, we need to ensure our culture is ready to welcome people from all ages, genders and backgrounds. 

About the role

We’re looking for a Technical Lead – Mechatronics to take ownership of complex electro-mechanical and sensing systems — from architecture and design through to integration, testing and deployment.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role for an engineer who can see the whole system, not just one discipline.

You’ll work across mechatronics, electronics, firmware, sensors, controls, thermal management and software, understanding how each part connects to deliver the required system-level performance.

You’ll work closely with Product Managers and multidisciplinary engineering teams to architect solutions, break down complex problems and get things built.

Key responsibilities

• Own system architecture for complex mechatronic and sensing systems from concept through to production.
• Translate product requirements into practical electro-mechanical and control solutions. 
• Architect systems across mechanical, electrical, electronics, firmware, sensors, controls, power and thermal management. 
• Lead a multi-disciplinary team to design and develop high-precision electromechanical systems, including precision motion and multi-axis control. 
• Apply control theory to real-world systems involving sensors, actuators and moving components. 
• Integrate embedded firmware, software, algorithms and hardware to achieve the required system-level outcome. 
• Work with sensing systems and understand their performance limits, constraints and opportunities for optimisation. 
• Lead multidisciplinary technical problem solving — connecting issues such as thermal performance, electrical design, mechanical tolerances, signal integrity and control. 
• Decompose complex problems into deliverable work and coordinate engineers across disciplines. 
• Lead integration, testing and validation in increasingly challenging real-world environments. 
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineers.
• Make decisions in an environment of ambiguity, rapid prototyping and constant learning. 

Your experience and skills

Must have: 

• Degree in Mechatronics, Robotics, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Systems Engineering or a related discipline. 
• Significant industry experience building complex defence, aerospace or other advanced technology systems. 
• Proven track record of building and shipping products that customers actually use. 
• Strong technical communication skills and the ability to architect, explain and coordinate across multidisciplinary teams. 
• Comfortable working with ambiguity, rapid prototyping and an Agile engineering environment. 
• Experience technically leading or coordinating multidisciplinary engineering teams. 
• Strong mechatronics, systems engineering and control engineering fundamentals. 
• Ability to operate at system level while going deep into a technical problem when required. 
• Experience architecting and integrating complex electro-mechanical systems. 
• Strong understanding of how mechanical, electrical, electronics, firmware, software and controls interact within a system. 
• Experience with sensors, actuators and precision motion systems. 
• Deep experience with ROS. 
• A genuine hands-on engineering mindset — you learn by building, testing and understanding how things actually work. 

Highly regarded: 

• Drone autonomy, aerial robotics or autonomous systems experience. 
• Defence, aerospace, deep tech or advanced robotics experience. 
• Optical sensing or electro-optical systems. 
• Experience with mechanisms required to operate with precision timing and synchronisation. 
• Embedded firmware development or deployment, including industrial PCs, I/O and fieldbus technologies. 
• Linux kernel or kernel module development. 
• High-bandwidth electronics and signal integrity. 
• Thermal management, particularly for spaceborne or high-performance systems. 

Why Join Arkeus

• You will work on the hardest problems in deep-tech — optics, autonomy, real-time AI and hardware-software integration in a single product. The gap between what you build and where it ends up is almost non-existent. 
• You will collaborate with exceptional leaders who have 40+ years of combined experience in autonomy, optics and defence. You will be learning from — and contributing to — the best in the field. 
• You will become part of a close-knit, ego-free team where ideas compete on merit, not seniority. Low politics, high trust. The kind of team you will still be talking about in ten years. 
• You will work hard and be expected to bring your best — and in return, you will grow faster than you ever would at a large organisation. 
• You will work on technology that is already deployed in real environments — protecting lives and strengthening security across defence and national security applications. 
• You will receive a competitive, market-benchmarked salary, structured career pathways built to grow with you, and the opportunity to participate in our Employee Share Option Plan (ESOP). 
• You will have the opportunity to mentor bright emerging talent through our highly sought-after intern program and strong connections with leading universities. 

If this sounds like you, please apply even if you don't check every box — we care more about how you think than whether your CV is perfect. Join our growing team and help us change the world through autonomous systems.