Mechanical Engineering Manager in London

About OLIX

AI is growing faster than any technology in history and the explosion in demand has created a massive infrastructure gap; we can no longer build chips or power stations fast enough to keep up. The industry is still leaning on a ten-year-old hardware blueprint that has reached its limit. A new paradigm that is faster and more efficient will be the biggest economic opportunity of the next century and create the most important company of the next decade. The OLIX Decode Accelerator 1 (DX-1) is the first accelerator architected specifically for decode. Rack-scale co-design of logic, data movement, packaging, optics and interconnect enables a step change in system level performance.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Mechanical Engineering Manager to lead and grow our mechanical engineering organisation. This role spans technical leadership, team development, and hands-on engineering oversight across the full product lifecycle — from concept and architecture through to production and field support. You will drive the delivery of complex mechanical systems, enclosures, and thermal solutions while building the culture, capability, and processes that enable your team to do their best work. The position requires close collaboration across Electronics, Software, Manufacturing, Quality, and Product Management teams.

Responsibilities

• Leadership & Team Management
  • Lead, manage, mentor, and develop a team of mechanical engineers and designers.
  • Set clear objectives, priorities, and performance expectations for team members.
  • Conduct performance reviews, provide regular feedback, and support career development planning.
  • Recruit, onboard, and retain engineering talent.
  • Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
  • Promote knowledge sharing and technical excellence across the engineering function.
• Engineering Delivery
  • Oversee the design, development, verification, and validation of mechanical systems, assemblies, and enclosures.
  • Ensure products meet requirements for performance, reliability, manufacturability, serviceability, and cost.
  • Manage engineering resources and workload planning across multiple projects.
  • Lead the development of mechanical architectures, packaging concepts, and product integration strategies.
  • Ensure designs are optimised for production, assembly, maintenance, and lifecycle support.
  • Support product development from concept through qualification, production release, and sustaining engineering.
• Technical Leadership
  • Provide technical leadership across mechanical design, structural analysis, thermal management, and material selection.
  • Review and approve CAD models, engineering drawings, tolerance analyses, and design documentation.
  • Drive the application of Design for Manufacture (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), and Design for Reliability (DFR) principles.
  • Oversee thermal, structural, vibration, and environmental performance assessments.
  • Lead root cause analysis and resolution of complex mechanical and product integration issues.
  • Identify and manage technical risks throughout the product lifecycle.
  • Monitor emerging technologies, materials, and engineering methodologies to drive innovation and competitive advantage.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with Electronics, Software, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and Product Management teams.
  • Ensure effective integration of mechanical, electrical, and thermal subsystems within product designs.
  • Support New Product Introduction (NPI) activities and transition products into volume production.
  • Collaborate with suppliers, contract manufacturers, and external engineering partners.
  • Support customer-facing activities including technical reviews, requirements definition, and issue resolution.
  • Ensure effective communication of project status, risks, and technical decisions to stakeholders.
• Quality, Compliance & Governance
  • Ensure compliance with applicable industry standards, environmental requirements, and company policies.
  • Maintain robust engineering documentation, configuration control, and change management processes.
  • Support product qualification, certification, and compliance activities.
  • Drive adherence to quality management systems and engineering processes.
  • Ensure designs meet requirements for safety, reliability, environmental performance, and operational durability.
  • Lead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance product quality and development efficiency.
• Planning & Commercial Management
  • Develop and manage departmental budgets, engineering tools, equipment, and resources.
  • Establish and track engineering KPIs and performance metrics.
  • Support project planning, cost estimation, and resource forecasting.
  • Manage product cost targets through design optimisation and supplier engagement.
  • Report engineering performance, risks, and opportunities to senior leadership.
  • Align engineering activities with company strategy and business objectives.
• Strategic Responsibilities
  • Define and implement the mechanical engineering roadmap in line with organisational goals.
  • Drive innovation in product packaging, thermal management, structural design, and manufacturability.
  • Build capability within the engineering team to support future business growth and technology adoption.
  • Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and accelerate product development.
  • Contribute to technology strategy, product platform development, and long-term engineering planning.
  • Champion sustainable engineering practices and lifecycle-focused product design principles.

Skills & Experience

• Leadership & People Management
  • Proven experience leading, developing, and motivating high-performing mechanical engineering teams within a product development environment.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage engineers across multiple disciplines, experience levels, and locations.
  • Strong track record of coaching, mentoring, and developing technical talent, including succession planning and career progression.
  • Experience setting engineering objectives, performance expectations, and development plans aligned with organisational goals.
  • Proven ability to build collaborative, accountable, and results-oriented engineering cultures.
  • Experience managing engineering resources, workload planning, and project prioritisation across multiple concurrent programmes.
  • Ability to balance technical excellence with commercial, schedule, and business objectives.
  • Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence technical and business decisions at all levels of the organisation.
  • Experience leading teams through organisational growth, product transitions, and changing business priorities.
• Technical Expertise
  • Strong background in the design and development of complex mechanical systems, enclosures, assemblies, and product platforms for high-performance electronic equipment.
  • Demonstrated understanding of structural design, thermal management, materials selection, tolerance analysis, and manufacturability considerations.
  • Practical experience developing products that require high levels of reliability, serviceability, and operational performance.
  • Solid understanding of thermal management technologies, including air-cooled and liquid-cooled solutions, enabling effective technical oversight and decision-making.
  • Experience guiding teams through the development of complex sheet-metal, machined, cast, moulded, and fabricated assemblies.
  • Strong understanding of mechanical development processes, including concept generation, detailed design, design reviews, simulation, testing, and qualification activities.
  • Ability to provide effective technical leadership during architecture definition, design trade-off analysis, and engineering review processes.
  • Experience balancing performance, reliability, manufacturability, serviceability, and cost considerations when evaluating technical solutions.
  • Working knowledge of system-level design considerations, including electronics integration, thermal performance, airflow management, cable routing, assembly constraints, and manufacturing requirements.
  • Ability to challenge assumptions, identify technical risks, and support engineering teams in resolving complex product development issues.
  • Experience reviewing and assessing mechanical architectures, thermal strategies, qualification plans, and design decisions to ensure alignment with product and business objectives.
  • Strong understanding of product reliability, lifecycle considerations, environmental requirements, and quality-focused design methodologies.
  • Familiarity with simulation-driven design approaches including thermal, structural, vibration, and airflow analysis.
  • Ability to engage credibly with subject-matter experts across multiple engineering disciplines while empowering teams to own detailed technical execution.
  • Experience supporting technology selection, platform roadmaps, and long-term architectural decisions through informed engineering judgement.
  • Maintains awareness of emerging materials, cooling technologies, manufacturing methods, and industry trends to guide engineering direction and organisational capability development.
• Product Development & Delivery
  • Proven experience delivering complex mechanical products and assemblies from concept through production and lifecycle support.
  • Experience leading design reviews, verification planning, qualification activities, and production readiness assessments.
  • Strong understanding of structured product development methodologies, engineering governance, and stage-gate processes.
  • Experience managing technical risk, issue resolution, and engineering decision-making throughout the product lifecycle.
  • Ability to evaluate programme priorities and make informed trade-offs between performance, cost, schedule, and risk.
  • Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI), manufacturing ramp-up, and sustaining engineering activities.
  • Familiarity with configuration management, engineering change control, and product lifecycle management processes.
  • Experience establishing and tracking engineering metrics to drive predictable delivery and continuous improvement.
  • Experience supporting cost optimisation initiatives through design improvements, manufacturing efficiencies, and supplier collaboration.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Demonstrated success working closely with Electronics Engineering, Software Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Product Management, Programme Management, and Operations teams.
  • Experience leading cross-functional decision-making to resolve complex technical and commercial challenges.
  • Strong systems-thinking approach with the ability to understand interactions between mechanical, thermal, electrical, manufacturing, and operational requirements.
  • Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Experience participating in executive reviews, customer engagements, and strategic planning activities.
  • Proven ability to align engineering execution with wider business objectives and product strategy.
  • Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to foster collaboration across geographically distributed teams.
• External Partner Management
  • Experience managing relationships with external design partners, engineering service providers, contract manufacturers, tooling suppliers, and technology partners.
  • Ability to define technical requirements, review deliverables, and ensure external partners meet quality, schedule, and performance expectations.
  • Experience coordinating development activities across internal and external engineering teams.
  • Strong supplier engagement and technical relationship management skills.
  • Experience supporting supplier selection, manufacturing readiness reviews, and component qualification activities.
  • Ability to hold partners accountable while maintaining effective long-term working relationships.
• Quality, Compliance & Continuous Improvement
  • Strong understanding of engineering best practices, design standards, and quality management principles.
  • Experience driving design quality, reliability improvement, and root cause analysis activities.
  • Understanding of compliance, safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements applicable to mechanical product development.
  • Experience implementing process improvements that enhance engineering efficiency, product quality, and delivery performance.
  • Familiarity with qualification testing, failure analysis, corrective action processes, and reliability-focused product development practices.
  • Commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence within engineering organisations.

Personal Attributes

• Strong technical leadership combined with a pragmatic, delivery-focused mindset.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to operate effectively at both strategic and tactical levels.
• Confident communicator with strong presentation and stakeholder engagement skills.
• High degree of personal accountability, integrity, and professionalism.
• Adaptable and resilient, with the ability to lead teams through ambiguity and change.
• Passion for developing people, fostering innovation, and building high-performing engineering organisations.
• Collaborative leadership style with a focus on enabling teams to succeed and deliver exceptional results.

Compensation & Equity

• Competitive Salary: Commensurate with your experience, skills, and location.
• Equity & Ownership: Meaningful stock options. You’re not just joining the mission; you’re owning a piece of it.
• Proximity Bonus: We value your time. To minimise your commute and maximise your life, we offer an annual Living-Local Bonus if your residence is within 20 minutes of the office.
• Retirement Benefits: Employer-contributed retirement plans to help you build long-term financial security.

Due to U.S. export control regulations, candidates’ eligibility to work at OLIX depends on their most recent citizenship or permanent residency status. We are generally unable to consider applicants whose most recent citizenship or permanent residence is in certain restricted countries (currently including Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Russia, Belarus, China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Venezuela). Applicants who have subsequently obtained citizenship or permanent residency in another country not subject to these restrictions may still be eligible.