Head of Mechanical Engineering

Torus•Salt Lake City, UT

7d•$175,000 - $220,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We are looking for an experienced mechanical engineering leader who builds and scales a high-performing team while maintaining the technical credibility to guide hard decisions. As Head of Mechanical Engineering at Torus, you will own the technical direction and day-to-day execution of our mechanical engineering team, building a culture of engineering excellence, mentorship, and disciplined design practice across rotating machinery, structural systems, thermal management, and electromechanical integration. This is a leadership role for someone who leads through technical judgment, not volume of individual output. You will stay close enough to the work to make sound calls and earn your engineers’ respect, but your primary output is the team’s capability, the quality bar, and engineering decisions that set that direction. You will also build and scale the team, set expectations, develop talent, and hold the bar on design quality across our flywheel and hybrid battery-flywheel energy storage systems. Product requirements and roadmap priorities are set in partnership with product management. Within that direction, you own the mechanical engineering strategy: the technical and architecture direction for our mechanical systems, the team’s capability roadmap, build-vs-buy decisions, and where we invest in deeper engineering expertise (such as rotor dynamics, structural analysis, or thermal management) as we scale. You translate product direction into a clear technical path, and you build the team, the structure, and the leaders to execute it. You will report to the Head of Hardware Products and work cross-functionally with product management, manufacturing engineering, electrical engineering, and other key stakeholders to translate product direction into outstanding engineering outcomes and build the mechanical engineering capability Torus needs.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (Master's preferred in dynamics, structures, or thermal systems)
8+ years of mechanical engineering experience with 3+ years leading and growing engineering teams, including developing other managers and leads
Deep mechanical expertise in at least two of: rotating machinery, structural design, thermal management, battery systems integration, precision mechanical systems, high-volume manufacturing, or electromechanical integration
Product development experience from concept through production ramp
Demonstrated leadership through technical judgment: able to set direction, make and own hard calls, hold the design-quality bar, and build team capability without being the team’s primary individual contributor
Manufacturing mindset: design for high-volume production, optimize assembly processes, drive cost reduction at scale
CAD proficiency (SolidWorks, Creo) and FEA experience (structural, thermal)
Cross-functional credibility: ability to influence without authority across mechanical, electrical, firmware, and manufacturing disciplines
Strong communicator: able to explain mechanical design rationale to non-mechanical audiences and give direct, useful feedback to engineers at all levels

Nice To Haves

Rotating machinery experience: high-speed rotors, flywheels, motors, or turbomachinery
Vibration and dynamics expertise: modal analysis, rotor dynamics, vibration isolation
Precision mechanical systems: tight tolerances, alignment, bearing selection
Thermal management for power electronics or battery systems
Environmental qualification: outdoor installations, seismic loads, temperature extremes
Cost engineering: should-cost modeling, value engineering, design-to-cost
Experience building a mechanical engineering team from an early stage and scaling it through a period of rapid growth
Experience in aerospace, defense, robotics, or industrial systems

Responsibilities

Build a hiring plan tied to the product and capability roadmap, and partner with People Ops on leveling, compensation alignment, and workforce planning
Develop managers and leads beneath you, not only individual contributors, building the bench that lets the organization scale beyond your direct reach
Mentor engineers on mechanical design principles, analysis methods, manufacturing considerations, and engineering judgment through direct, daily engagement, not periodic check-ins
Build and develop a high-performing mechanical engineering team across design, analysis, testing, and prototyping
Hire mechanical talent spanning design, structural analysis, rotating machinery, battery systems integration, and manufacturing-focused design
Conduct performance reviews, set clear expectations, provide honest feedback, and hold the team accountable in a way that makes them better rather than smaller
Foster a culture of continuous improvement, rigorous analysis, design excellence, and collaborative problem-solving
Develop mechanical design leaders who can own subsystems independently and grow into greater responsibility over time.
Set and hold the bar on design quality, leading and raising the standard of design reviews, guiding analysis, and staying close enough to the technical work to make sound calls without becoming a primary individual contributor.
Own mechanical design quality across energy storage systems, including rotating machinery (FESS rotor, tub, motor, sensors, encasement), structural systems, thermal management integration, and electromechanical assembly
Make critical design decisions on materials, manufacturing processes, structural approaches, and integration strategies, balancing performance, cost, schedule, and risk
Guide the team through rigorous mechanical problem-solving across the full range of challenges: rotating machinery dynamics, bearing systems, vibration isolation, thermal management, structural fatigue, battery sled and module integration, and precision alignment
Lead design reviews with first-principles thinking and experience-based judgment, holding the bar on design quality without creating process burden
Ensure design for high-volume manufacturing by partnering closely with manufacturing engineering on assembly processes, tooling, and cost optimization at GigaOne scale
Ensure rapid resolution of mechanical field issues across rotating machinery, thermal systems, structural systems and assembly
Own the mechanical engineering technical strategy: architecture direction, technology selection, and the capability roadmap that supports Torus’s product and manufacturing scale-up
Make and own high-leverage decisions: build-vs-buy, make-vs-source, materials and platform direction, and where to invest in deeper analysis capability (e.g., rotor dynamics, structural, thermal)
Own the mechanical validation and reliability strategy (e.g., structural, vibration and dynamics, thermal, and environmental qualification) balancing quality with speed at the portfolio level
Own the mechanical risk posture for safety-critical systems (high-speed rotating machinery, battery integration); identify and resolve systemic mechanical issues, not just point failures
Allocate engineering resources across projects against priorities, and report mechanical progress, risks, and team needs to leadership clearly and without sugar-coating
Work closely with product management to translate product requirements and architecture decisions into executable mechanical engineering direction
Partner with the electrical engineering team on electromechanical interfaces and thermal management integration
Partner with the embedded controls team to ensure mechanical sensor integration, motor interfaces, and vacuum system requirements are well-defined and achievable
Engage with field operations and quality to bring real-world failure modes and serviceability requirements into the design process
Partner with product management and manufacturing engineering on the engineering change process, ensuring design intent is preserved through manufacturing execution

Benefits

Employee Rewards Package including equity
401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
Torus paid life and AD&D Insurance with options to purchase additional coverage
Voluntary short- and long-term disability insurance
Health Benefits Package: Choice between traditional PPO or HSA-eligible medical plans with Torus covering 50% of medical premiums; Dental insurance; and Vision insurance
Plan participants have access to telehealth services, mental health support and coaching, and exclusive discounts on brands, dining, entertainment, and more.
Unlimited discretionary PTO
10 paid company holidays
Waiting period-free 100% paid parental leave
Regular company-wide offsites to showcase our progress and learnings. A time to step back, think strategically, and work on the business together.
Team members receive Torus branded gear
Peer Recognition Program
Fully stocked break rooms with free snacks and drinks.