Senior Engineer, Systems Engineering

Hyliion•Cincinnati, OH

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Systems Engineer is a key technical leader responsible for the high-level architectural design of the full KARNO generator system, ensuring it satisfies customer and product requirements from concept through delivery. This role owns the translation of customer and product manager inputs into detailed technical requirements, and leads the engineering and validation testing effort needed to prove the system out. Working across mechanical, electrical, thermal, and fluid systems disciplines, the Senior Systems Engineer partners closely with project management, production, and manufacturing teams to keep the product on schedule, while also providing technical mentorship to less experienced members of the engineering team, with the ability to step into hands-on design work directly when needed. This role advances KARNO’s development through disciplined systems thinking, clear requirements ownership, and strong cross-functional leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field
5+ years of experience designing mechanical, electrical, or fluid system components
Demonstrated experience leading system-level architecture on complex hardware products
Basic foundation in mechanical, electrical, and thermal engineering — whether from a formal engineering degree or equivalent practical experience — combined with strong systems-level thinking across mechanical, electrical, thermal, and fluid disciplines
Ability to translate ambiguous customer or product requests into detailed, actionable technical requirements
Proficiency with MATLAB, Python, Excel, or similar tools for system modeling to support architecture trade studies and to correlate models against test data
Ability to support project management, production, and manufacturing teams to keep programs on schedule
Demonstrated ability to mentor and provide technical leadership to junior engineers, supported by sufficient hands-on design experience to assume execution responsibilities directly when program needs require it
Experience contributing to the planning, design, construction, and execution of engineering tests, with prior exposure to laboratory test equipment; extensive test experience is not required, but some direct exposure is expected
Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills across subsystems
Clear and concise technical communication, both written and verbal
Proficiency with a 3D CAD package such as NX, Creo, SolidWorks, or similar; this role requires performing system assembly layout directly in 3D CAD

Responsibilities

Lead and execute the high-level architectural design of the full KARNO generator system to satisfy customer requirements
Make system-level design trade-offs across mechanical, electrical, thermal, and fluid subsystems
Ensure architectural decisions align with performance, cost, manufacturability, and reliability goals
Perform system-level assembly layout in 3D CAD to support architectural design and packaging decisions
Lead efforts to convert customer and product manager requests into detailed technical requirements for design execution
Ensure requirements are clear, testable, and traceable through the design process
Flag conflicts or gaps between customer intent and technical feasibility early
Plan and lead the engineering and validation test effort for the KARNO generator system
Define test strategies and acceptance criteria that confirm the system meets its requirements
Review test results and drive design changes where performance gaps are identified
Support project management, production, and manufacturing groups to assure on-time delivery of the product
Communicate design status, risks, and technical trade-offs to stakeholders across the organization
Participate in design reviews and program milestones as the systems-level technical lead
Provide technical mentorship and leadership to younger members of the engineering design team
Guide junior engineers through design execution, reviewing their work and unblocking technical issues
Step in and perform design work directly when required to keep the program on track
Maintain clear documentation of system architecture, requirements, and test results
Communicate complex system-level trade-offs clearly to cross-functional stakeholders
Ensure traceability between customer requirements, design decisions, and validation outcomes
Additional duties and responsibilities as assigned, needed, or required for the business.