Summit Mechanical Engineer II
About The Position
Join Our Team as a Summit Mechanical Engineer II at W. M. Keck Observatory in Waimea, Hawaiʻi! Are you a hands-on Mechanical Engineer who enjoys solving complex, real-world technical challenges? Do you have experience troubleshooting, maintaining, and improving mechanical systems—from precision mechanisms and opto-mechanical assemblies to large structures, hydraulics, pneumatics, and summit infrastructure? If so, W. M. Keck Observatory invites you to explore this exciting opportunity. As a Summit Mechanical Engineer II, you’ll play a key role in supporting the operation, maintenance, and upgrade of critical mechanical systems at our summit facility on Maunakea. This position is ideal for an engineer who thrives in both the field and collaborative project environments—someone who can diagnose issues, lead testing and repairs, support engineering design and integration, and coordinate multidisciplinary teams to keep world-class observatory systems performing safely and reliably. In this role, you’ll work closely with engineers, summit supervisors, technicians, project managers, and subcontractors to support mechanical system upgrades, maintenance efforts, installation planning, and repair activities. You’ll review and interpret technical documentation, construction drawings, schematics, procedures, and industry standards while helping ensure engineering solutions are safe, practical, and completed with accountability. At Keck, your work directly supports the frontiers of astronomy while honoring the cultural significance of Maunakea and our commitment to stewardship, service, safety, and community engagement. If you’re a motivated problem-solver with strong mechanical engineering fundamentals, hands-on troubleshooting skills, and a passion for supporting complex systems in a unique summit environment, we encourage you to apply.
Requirements
- Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering or a related degree.
- Five (5) years working on complex mechanical systems.
- Varied and broad experience with large industrial equipment such as motors, multi-stage gearboxes, drives, pumps, chillers, ventilation systems, and similar.
- Experience maintaining, testing, and troubleshooting mechanical systems.
- Experience building a machine that moves and requires power.
- Experience participating in design reviews and collaborating with a cross functional engineering team.
- Field experience working with legacy systems and equipment.
- Well-versed in mechanical engineering first principles.
- Experience using 3D CAD software. SolidWorks preferred.
- Experience in Engineering Change (EC) control processes and engineering design reviews.
- Proficient in creating technical engineering documentation including reports and procedures.
- Experience with fabrication. For instance, cutting, milling, welding.
- Experience performing engineering tests. This may include testing for environmental conditions, vibration, shock, thermal, or similar experience and comfort using personnel lifts, cranes, hoists, or other lifting equipment.
Nice To Haves
- Rigging experience and the ability to create and lead lifting plans for use by Operations team.
- Condition monitoring, vibration analysis or other instrumentation experience (strain gauges).
- Reliability engineering and asset management principles.
- Operational fault diagnostics using SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems.
- Use of CMMS (computerized maintenance management system).
- Experience with opto-mechanical systems including kinematic mounting and alignment of optical systems.
- Experience handling both medium and large optics (meter-class).
- Experience with hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
- Experience with cryogenics and cryogenic instrumentation.
- Experience with clean room environments.
- Systems Engineering experience managing requirements verification and interface control.
- Project Management experience generating schedules and budgets.
- Experience with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) per ASME Y14.5.
- Experience creating part and assembly drawings according to ASME Y14.100.
Responsibilities
- Supporting the operation, maintenance, and upgrade of critical mechanical systems at the summit facility.
- Diagnosing issues, leading testing and repairs.
- Supporting engineering design and integration.
- Coordinating multidisciplinary teams to keep observatory systems performing safely and reliably.
- Working with engineers, summit supervisors, technicians, project managers, and subcontractors to support mechanical system upgrades, maintenance efforts, installation planning, and repair activities.
- Reviewing and interpreting technical documentation, construction drawings, schematics, procedures, and industry standards.
- Ensuring engineering solutions are safe, practical, and completed with accountability.
Benefits
- Competitive starting salary ranging from $108,914 to $132,395
- Generous benefits package, including 4 weeks of annual paid vacation
- A robust 8% 403(b) employer contribution (with a 4% employee contribution)
- Comprehensive, fully-paid employee health insurance
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
