Senior Design Engineer, Show Production

About the role

The Senior Design Engineer, Show Production at AOA is responsible for designing, engineering, and fabricating special effects and illusions for high-profile clients. This role requires a blend of creative problem-solving and technical expertise, with a focus on delivering results that other designers can build upon.

Responsibilities

• Design and engineer integrated show technical specialty elements, including special effects, illusions, show action equipment, animated figures, and interactive elements, across the full life of multiple concurrent projects.
• Own the budget and schedule for your scope of work, flagging risks and communicating trade-offs proactively.
• Create, maintain, and communicate facility interface data (power, structural, mounting, controls, and other requirements).
• Coordinate closely with show set, ride, media, and controls engineering, and represent your work directly to clients and other stakeholders.
• Produce fabrication-ready drawings and models, in Fusion, that fabricators and other disciplines can build from.
• Program, tune, and cue each element's control systems on-site.
• Troubleshoot and resolve problems in the field, often under a tight schedule and with limited resources.
• Document each finished element clearly and hand it off to operations.
• Build every element to be safe, reliable, and low-maintenance under continuous daily operation.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to other designers working alongside you.

Requirements

• Exceptional ability in both design and engineering at a senior level, demonstrated across a substantial body of delivered work.
• A background that fuses rigorous creative and technical training (for example, a design education with substantial engineering coursework, or an engineering education paired with a serious creative practice).
• Advanced CAD fluency in Fusion; strong proficiency in Adobe Illustrator.
• Strong command of electronic components and circuit design, with the ability to hand-code embedded systems (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or similar) without relying on AI-generated code.
• Accomplished hands-on fabricator, building, wiring, and programming show technical elements at a professional standard.
• Proficient across traditional manufacturing (machining, sheet metal forming, extrusion, injection molding, grinding, welding) and rapid manufacturing methods (3D printing and related rapid prototyping techniques).
• Proven track record delivering show technical elements end to end, independently, across multiple concurrent projects.
• Demonstrated ability to own project budgets and schedules, and to communicate clearly when either is at risk.
• Comfortable owning technical communication with other disciplines and clients, including facility and interface requirements.
• Experienced providing guidance and mentorship to other designers.
• Collaborates effectively with project teams, vendors, and other technical disciplines.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering, with Mechatronics coursework preferred.
• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science coursework.
• Able to select and engineer the right technical approach across mechanical and electromechanical systems, motion and robotics, pneumatics, optics, lighting, and water, fog, and fire effects.
• Solid grounding in statics, dynamics, and material science, including free body diagrams and basic FEA.
• Skilled in designing and building precision jigs and assembly tooling.
• Experienced in urethane and epoxy casting and finishing.
• Applies lean manufacturing principles to minimize waste and build repeatable process.
• Experience writing and managing scopes of work and requests for proposal.
• Experience writing and managing factory and site acceptance test procedures, and carrying elements through formal client acceptance.
• Familiarity with QLab, projection mapping software, or other stage-technology suites.
• Detail oriented.
• Exemplary writing and communication skills.
• Ability to manage through conflict, complexity, and to problem-solve issues to resolution.
• Ability to understand the needs of the client and to manage relationships between the owner/operator.
• Ability to comfortably and effectively communicate, both verbally in presentation and conversation, and written in correspondence to project team, vendors, consultants and AOA partner.
• Ability to give direction, adapt to change, establish relationships, work in a team environment, and produce results.

Skills

• Advanced CAD fluency in Fusion.
• Strong proficiency in Adobe Illustrator.
• Advanced knowledge of electronic components and circuit design.
• Strong hands-on fabrication skills.
• Advanced knowledge of traditional and rapid manufacturing methods.
• Experience with electronic component programming and embedded systems.
• Experience with 3D modeling and sculpting tools.
• Experience with Python or any C variant.

Benefits

At AOA, we offer a robust PTO package, a variety of insurance coverages, and both paid maternity and paternity leave. Our benefits include health and wellness benefits, commuter benefits, special reimbursements for cell phone use, athletic classes, and more. We also prioritize our team members' personal lives and real obligations outside of work, fostering an inclusive, supportive, and high-spirited culture.

Pay

Competitive compensation based on experience and qualifications.

Schedule

Full-time position with flexible hours to accommodate project needs.