ENGINEER, DESIGN AND FABRICATION
INVEST OTTAWA – AREA X.O
Reporting to the Engineering Manager, Programs at Area X.O, the Engineer, Design and Fabrication is responsible for establishing and operating the Area X.O design and fabrication lab and serves as its primary technical resource. The lab spans machining and metalwork, electronics and simple printed circuit board fabrication and assembly, embedded systems, and additive manufacturing. The role requires direct operation of shop and fabrication equipment, not specification and oversight alone. Its primary purpose is to enable rapid prototyping and accelerated development for the client companies, startups, and SMEs engaged at Area X.O, converting concepts, requirements, and failed or incomplete hardware into physical articles that can be tested and iterated within compressed development timelines. The Engineer, Design and Fabrication is also responsible for the safe operation of the lab, including equipment selection and commissioning, operating procedures, user training and authorization, and ongoing safety management.
Work Model:
In person role at our Area X.O site located in Nepean
Corporate Pay Band D: $76,000 - $114,000
Hiring Salary Range: $76,000 - $104,500 (Segment 1 - Segment 2)
Reason for Opening:
This is an anticipated role. The position is contingent on confirmation of program funding, and posting does not guarantee that the role will be filled. Applicants will be notified of any change in status.
WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING
Client Collaboration & Communication
- Work directly with client companies, engineers, and researchers to establish build objectives and translate loosely defined requirements into a manufacturable design and a realistic build plan
- Advise on design for manufacturability, material and process selection, tolerances, cost, and lead time, and explain trade-offs clearly to audiences without a fabrication background
- Collaborate with integration, field support, and test and evaluation engineers on parts, fixtures, enclosures, mounts, and test hardware
- Support tours, demonstrations, and client-facing activities involving the lab
Prototyping & Fabrication
- Produce prototype parts, assemblies, and small production runs across the full range of lab capability
- Machine and fabricate metal parts: operate manual and CNC milling and turning equipment, and perform sheet metal work, drilling, cutting, joining, finishing, and assembly to drawing and to tolerance
- Design, fabricate, assemble, and rework circuit boards, including through-hole and surface-mount components, wiring harnesses, and cable assemblies, and bring up, test, and debug electronic hardware
- Develop embedded systems: select microcontrollers and modules, write and flash firmware, interface sensors and actuators, and debug hardware and software together at the bench
- Prepare, print, post-process, and iterate additive manufacturing parts across available processes and materials, and choose between additive, subtractive, and off-the-shelf solutions
- Produce and modify CAD models, drawings, and CAM programs, apply design for manufacturability and assembly, and reverse-engineer or repair existing hardware where no documentation exists
- Diagnose and resolve machine, tooling, process, material, and quality problems
- Develop workable solutions under schedule pressure where no established approach exists, without compromising safety or the validity of the result
Lab Setup, Safety & Operations
- Set up and commission the lab, including layout, workflow, equipment specification, procurement support, installation, calibration, and acceptance
- Own lab safety management: hazard assessment, written safe operating procedures, machine guarding, pre-start health and safety reviews, lockout/tagout, ventilation and fume extraction, ESD control, personal protective equipment, and chemical and material handling and disposal
- Ensure compliance with applicable occupational health and safety legislation and organizational policy
- Establish and administer machine-specific training and authorization for all users, and maintain a current register of user qualifications
- Maintain preventive maintenance schedules, tooling, consumables, spares, and material inventory
- Administer the job intake queue and prioritize competing work across concurrent client projects and program deadlines
- Support capital and operating budget planning for the lab
Leadership & Standards
- Serve as the technical authority for fabrication at Area X.O, and promote an iterative, prototype-driven approach across the team and client base
- Establish and uphold standards for workmanship, documentation, and shop discipline
- Train, qualify, and supervise staff and, where appropriate, client personnel in equipment use, with the authority to suspend unsafe work
- Identify opportunities to expand lab capability through new equipment, processes, materials, or techniques, and develop the supporting business case
- Pursue continuous improvement in turnaround time, repeatability, and cost of prototyping work
Relationships & Partners
- Serve as the primary point of contact for client companies using the lab, and build relationships that support sustained and repeat engagement
- Advise clients on the capabilities available through the lab and the wider Area X.O site, and refer them to other capabilities and staff where appropriate
- Maintain relationships with suppliers, machine shops, board houses, and specialist vendors for work beyond in-house capability, and manage outsourced activities
- Protect client intellectual property and maintain confidentiality when working on client designs
Documentation & Reporting
- Maintain design files, drawings, CAM programs, firmware, bills of material, and build records under version control to ensure work is reproducible
- Document processes, settings, and lessons learned to retain capability at the organizational level
- Track job intake, effort, materials, and turnaround time, and report on lab utilization and client activity in support of program reporting
- Maintain safety, training, inspection, and maintenance records, and record test and validation results for parts and assemblies produced in the lab
WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED/GAINED THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER
- Post-secondary degree or diploma in mechanical, mechatronics, manufacturing, electrical, or electronics engineering or engineering technology, or a relevant skilled trade qualification such as machinist or electronics technologist, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant hands-on experience
- Must be a Canadian citizen and capable of attaining and maintaining Secret-level security clearance
- Minimum 3 to 5 years of practical fabrication experience spanning more than one discipline among machining, electronics, embedded systems, and additive manufacturing
- Demonstrated ability to personally operate shop and fabrication equipment to a professional standard
- Demonstrated CAD and, where applicable, CAM experience
- Breadth across fabrication disciplines, with the ability to move between machining, electronics assembly, embedded development, and additive manufacturing within a single work period, and depth in at least one
- Practical machining ability, including workholding, tooling, feeds and speeds, measurement and inspection, and working to tolerance
- Electronics fabrication ability, including schematic capture and simple PCB layout, through-hole and surface-mount assembly and rework, harnessing, and use of oscilloscopes, meters, and power supplies for bring-up and debug
- Embedded development ability in C/C++ or MicroPython on common microcontroller platforms, including interfacing over I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, and USB
- Additive manufacturing ability across FDM and resin processes, including material selection, print preparation, failure diagnosis, and post-processing
- Proficiency in a mainstream CAD package such as SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or Onshape
- Strong design for manufacturability judgment, including selecting the most expedient process adequate to the requirement
- Resourceful problem solving, with demonstrated ability to produce novel hardware from an incomplete specification
- Thorough understanding of shop safety, machine guarding, hazardous materials, and applicable occupational health and safety requirements, with the willingness to enforce them
- Strong organizational ability and capacity to manage competing jobs against deadlines
- Clear communication with clients of varying technical backgrounds
- Familiarity with Git or equivalent version control for design and firmware files
ASSETS
- Experience setting up, running, or managing a shop, makerspace, prototyping lab, or similar facility, including safety responsibility
- Experience supporting external clients or working in a prototyping, R&D, or product development environment
- Applicable trade certification, machine-specific tickets, or occupational health and safety certification
- Familiarity with CAM programming
Do you have some of these skills but maybe not all? We still encourage you to apply, as we would love to review your unique application and learn more about you!
At Invest Ottawa and Bayview Yards, we know that diversity, inclusion and a sense of belonging are critical success factors for globally competitive organizations and are required to drive sustainable wealth creation and prosperity across our region. We prioritize the creation of an inclusive culture and infuse diversity into our programs, operations and governance. As an equal opportunity employer that doesn’t simply accept difference but celebrates, supports and thrives because of it, we invite all qualified candidates to apply, and especially encourage those who identify as members of underrepresented groups. IO and Bayview Yards are determined to provide a barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you require accommodation during any phase of the evaluation process, please contact hr@investottawa.ca to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential. At Invest Ottawa and Bayview Yards, we are focused on doing better and committed to leading by example because it’s what’s best for us, our culture and our community.
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