Engineer - Mechatronics at GE Aerospace in Niskayuna

Job description

Job Description Summary Job Description GE Aerospace Research is seeking an exceptional early career researcher to join our Mechatronics Lab as a Lead Engineer. You will build deep technical expertise in mechatronics while developing the organizational intelligence and leadership skills that define Research's technical leaders. The Mechatronics Lab at GE Aerospace Research designs and builds electromechanical systems that combine mechanisms, sensors, actuators, and feedback control. The lab develops tools that inspect and repair engines on wing through borescope ports and other confined spaces, robotic cells and end effectors for new-make and service shops, and component designs that support automated assembly and maintenance. Projects run from concept and CAD through prototype build, controls integration, and testing on engine hardware. The lab partners with GE Aerospace engineering, manufacturing, and services teams and with U.S. Government research programs. Your first three years at Research include structured development to accelerate your growth: establishing your technical foundation in your home lab, strategic stretch assignments that provide breadth across our capabilities, and connection to a cohort of early career peers. Through independent research, structured projects, coursework, and mentorship, you'll progress from foundational researcher to recognized technical contributor ready for long-term impact in aerospace innovation. Responsibilities: Design mechanisms, end effectors, fixtures, and test rigs in 3D CAD, with engineering drawings, bills of material, and tolerance analysis. Build and debug prototype hardware from machined, 3D-printed, and purchased components. Integrate motors, encoders, load cells, limit switches, and data acquisition hardware into working electromechanical systems. Develop motion control and sensor-feedback software for multi-axis tools, covering homing, sequencing, force and position control, and fault handling. Model mechanism kinematics, system dynamics, and structural loads with hand calculations, MATLAB or Python, and finite element analysis. Plan and run bench and engine-hardware tests, log data, and compare measured performance with predictions. Follow laboratory, environmental health and safety, and security requirements, including hardware interlocks and stop logic. Document designs, code, and test results in reports and presentations for technical teams and customers. Work with researchers in robotics, sensing, materials, and manufacturing, and with GE Aerospace shop and engineering teams, to transition prototypes to field use. Qualifications/Requirements: Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, or a related STEM discipline. Coursework, research, or project experience in mechanism design, control systems, or electromechanical integration. Must be willing to work from the GE Aerospace Research office in Niskayuna, NY. This role may require an individual to obtain active US Government Secret Clearance with ability to attain a Top-Secret Clearance; prerequisite for a security clearance is U.S. citizenship. This role may require use of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) or security clearance to access classified information. Therefore, employment is contingent upon your ability to prove that you meet the qualification of being a US Citizen. Eligibility Requirements: Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background investigation and drug screen. Due to the nature of our projects, US Citizenship is required. You will stand out if you have one or more of these attributes: Prior intern, co-op, or research experience (university, national lab, industry, or applied research setting). Exceptional academic performance with research orientation (e.g., thesis-based work, publications, conference presentations, patents, or open-source techni