Mechanical Engineer

About CoLab

At CoLab, we help mechanical engineering teams bring life-changing products to market years sooner.
CoLab is the AI platform for driving stronger product development  decisions. Every design review in CoLab builds a knowledge repository of design feedback, decisions, and lessons learned - with AI agents flagging design issues before they compound. Companies like Ford, Komatsu, and Johnson Controls use CoLab to catch issues earlier, eliminate rework cycles, and bring products to market faster.
Founded in St. John’s, Newfoundland, CoLab has grown quickly from our first customer in 2019 to a rapidly scaling company. We’ve recently been recognized on Deloitte’s Fast 50™ and Fast 500™, and named a Canadian company to watch by The Globe and Mail and Financial Post.

About the Role

We’re hiring a Mechanical Engineer to help shape the future of engineering collaboration.

This is not a traditional mechanical engineering role focused on designing physical products. Instead, you’ll work at the intersection of engineering, software, and customer problem-solving — helping ensure CoLab deeply understands how modern engineering teams actually work.

You’ll partner closely with Product, Engineering, Design, Sales, and Customer teams to bring real engineering context into everything we build. You will help inform product decision making through the lens of an expert Mechanical Engineer. This  helps bridge the gap between complex engineering workflows and intuitive software experiences. 

One day you might be helping a product team understand why a design review process breaks down between manufacturing and suppliers. Another day you could be reviewing CAD workflows with a customer, testing new product capabilities, or helping translate technical engineering challenges into product insights.

This role is ideal for someone who loves engineering problems, but also enjoys navigating complex data systems and processes while working cross-disciplinary., 

You probably won’t enjoy this role if you want highly repetitive work, narrowly scoped ownership, or an environment where engineering knowledge stays siloed. This role requires curiosity, initiative, and comfort operating in ambiguity.

The average person might think this role sounds unusual for a mechanical engineer. They’d be right. That’s part of what makes it interesting.

Our Ideal Candidate

You’re an expert on how  products get designed, reviewed, and manufactured in the real world.

You understand intrinsically the realities of engineering work — competing priorities, messy workflows, supplier coordination, revision cycles, and risk management. But you also enjoy stepping back and thinking about how systems, tools, and processes could work better.

You communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical audiences. You ask good questions. You’re comfortable challenging assumptions respectfully, and you care more about solving the right problem than protecting your ego.

You’ll thrive here if you enjoy:

• Working across engineering, product, and customer-facing teams
• Learning quickly in ambiguous environments
• Thinking beyond individual parts or assemblies toward larger workflows and systems
• Helping shape the future of engineering tools and collaboration

Job Responsibilities

• Bring real-world engineering expertise into CoLab’s product development process
• Work closely with Product and Design teams to scope and test new product capabilities Partner with customers to understand design review challenges, collaboration bottlenecks, and process gaps
• Review and validate product concepts through an engineering lens
• Help translate complex technical workflows into clear product requirements and user insights
• Support customer conversations, product demos, and feedback sessions when deep engineering context is needed
• Collaborate cross-functionally to improve how engineering knowledge is captured and operationalized within CoLab
• Stay close to emerging trends in mechanical engineering workflows, CAD collaboration, and AI-assisted engineering tools

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical, Mechatronics, Manufacturing Engineering or a related discipline
• 5+ years of experience working in product development, manufacturing, industrial equipment, automotive, aerospace, or related industries
• Familiarity with multiple CAD systems and engineering review workflows
• Brought complex mechanical products from concept to production, at scale 
• Worked iteratively on designs through validation and verification
• In-depth experience with design reviews, change management, or supplier collaboration processes
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work cross-functionally and communicate with both technical and non-technical teams
• Curiosity, adaptability, and a strong learning mindset

Bonus points for:

• Experience with PLM, ERP, CAD collaboration, or engineering workflow or simulation software
• Exposure to ECAD software and experience with integrated electromechanical products
• Experience working with enterprise engineering teams
• Interest in software development, AI and the future of engineering tools

Extra Details

• This is a full-time, permanent position with a competitive compensation package that includes stock options.
• This role offers an extended health and benefits package that includes unlimited paid vacation and RRSP/401K matching
• This role has the flexibility to work remotely from anywhere in North America.

Equity Note

Frequently cited statistics show that people who identify with historically marginalized groups are likely to apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We encourage you to help us break that statistic and apply even if you don’t meet every single qualification—your potential is what matters most to us.