Senior Mechanical Engineer - Equipment Design
Halter · Auckland
About Halter
At Halter, we’re on a mission to enable farmers and graziers to run the most productive and sustainable operations. Our customers are using Halter to break free from the time-intensive constraints of conventional practices. Imagine watching 500 cattle stand up and walk calmly towards their next break?
No quad bikes, no dogs, no fences. Just a group of cattle walking at their own pace. People say it looks like magic.
Our customers are revolutionizing grazing with Halter. It's changing lives and transforming an industry. People join Halter to do meaningful work.
By joining us you’ll be solving challenging problems within a talented team and a culture built for high performance. Our team out-think, out-work and out-care. We’re committed to delivering real change in the world - this isn’t easy, and in truth, we love that it’s hard.
We’re backed to deliver on a mission that matters by Tier 1 investors including Founders Fund, Bessemer Venture Partners, BOND, DCVC, Blackbird, Promus Ventures, Rocket Lab’s Peter Beck and Icehouse ventures.
To find out more, visit our LinkedIn & Instagram.
The role
This is a senior individual contributor role focused on production equipment: the fixtures, jigs, test stations and automation that make and test our product in a high-throughput environment. It’s different from designing the product itself or heavy industrial plant. You’ll own complex equipment programs end to end and be accountable for NPI readiness and sustained line performance.
What you’ll do
Own complex, capacity-critical equipment programs and land them on time for builds and ramps
Lead architecture and design reviews for complex stations across mechanical, electrical and integration constraints
Define and run validation for durability, repeatability and change impact, including risk reviews, containment and rollback plans
Lead commissioning and debug through to rock-solid, not mostly works, and keep it that way
Reduce downtime through reliability engineering and data-driven root cause analysis
Manage vendor builds, including acceptance testing, and mentor engineers through reviews and coaching
The technical environment
Equipment: fixtures, jigs, multi-station automation and pogo-pin ICT / production test fixtures
Systems: pneumatics and actuators, with vision system integration
Lifecycle: design, vendor build, acceptance testing, commissioning and sustaining support
Production: high-throughput lines, including our contract manufacturer in Thailand
What you’ll bring
Proven ownership of complex production machinery or automation systems
Strong mechanical design depth across fixtures, pneumatics and automation
Experience commissioning equipment in a high-throughput production environment
Supplier quality and vendor management experience on complex builds
Willing and able to travel to suppliers and production sites, typically 15–25% depending on project needs
Nice to have
Pogo-pin ICT or production test fixture design
Vision system integration
Make-vs-buy decisions with full lifecycle thinking
Experience mentoring other engineers
How we work
You’ll drive your own design agenda, spotting risks early and resolving them before they reach the line. We move quickly, make decisions with the best data available, and give people real ownership of their work, with the trust and support to make the call.
Don’t meet every point above? If you’ve designed and commissioned production equipment for volume manufacturing and most of this resonates, we’d still love to hear from you.
Join our team
Halter is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace — a place where we can each be ourselves and do the best work of our lives. Research shows that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the requirements, women and under-represented groups of candidates tend to only apply when they meet every requirement. If you think you have what it takes but don’t necessarily tick every requirement on this job description, please still get in touch and apply to Halter. We’d love to chat to see if you’ll be an epic fit!
If this opportunity sounds like you, please apply below by sending through your cover letter explaining why you’re excited about this role and working at Halter, along with your CV, and we’ll be in touch!
Please also feel free to check out the careers page for more information on working at Halter and don't forget to follow us on LinkedIn & Instagram.
Why our team loves working at Halter:
Work that genuinely matters. Every now and again a company comes along that transforms an entire industry and leaves the world in a better place. Our team gets to be part of something truly meaningful, helping farmers improve their livelihoods, spend more time with their families, and build more sustainable operations.
Spectacular people solving hard problems. Our culture is designed for talented people to do work that changes lives. The team is filled with diverse, kind, and driven people who push each other to do their best work. You'll be thrown into the deep end, tackling complex challenges and building something tangible that solves real problems.
You'll grow here. Autonomy, mastery, and learning define how we work. You'll have the freedom to work on interesting problems, master new skills, and continuously develop yourself, both through your role and our personal growth fund.
This isn't easy, and we love that it's hard. Working at Halter will be the most rewarding and the most challenging work of your life. We move fast, take bold bets, and work hard to reshape an entire industry. As one team member put it: "Joining Halter is a bit like strapping yourself to a rocket ship, but it's an epic journey to be a part of!"