Mechanical Forward Deployed Engineer
Required skills
- CoLab
- AI tools
- AutoReview
- Operator
- PLM
- ERP
- QMS
- LLMs
- APIs
- data integrations
Nice to have
- internal tool development
- scripting
- automation
- AI/ML tools
- engineering workflows
- product development at scale
Role summary
CoLab is seeking a Mechanical Forward Deployed Engineer to act as a technical problem-solver and advisor for strategic enterprise customers. This role involves embedding with large mechanical engineering organizations to optimize their use of CoLab's AI tools, focusing on rethinking feedback, data, and decision-making processes. You will investigate and solve complex engineering data and integration challenges, test new workflows, and collaborate with product teams to refine capabilities. The position requires a mechanical engineering background with strong PLM and enterprise data architecture understanding, experience leading technical projects, and familiarity with AI architecture and data integrations. The role is remote-friendly within Eastern or Central time zones in Canada/US, with some travel for customer visits.
About CoLab
At CoLab, we help mechanical engineering teams bring life-changing products to market years sooner.
We build AI for engineers designing cars, medical devices, and jet engines. Products this complex aren't sketched and sent to production. Teams spend months on iterations, reviews, and tests, predicting how every part performs before anything is built. CoLab is where those reviews happen, and we capture the rationale behind every change. Other tools show what changed between versions. Only CoLab knows why. That's how our AI helps manufacturers like Bobcat, Triumph Motorcycles, and GE Appliances make better decisions, eliminate rework cycles, and get to market faster.
Proudly based in St. John’s, Newfoundland, CoLab started with one customer in 2018. Since then we’ve raised a $72M Series C, been named the 57th fastest growing company in North America by Deloitte (Fast 500™), signed multi-year AI partnerships with companies like Bombardier, and grown to a team of 250+.
About the Role
This is a high-impact role that helps define how CoLab delivers technical value to its most strategic customers. You'll act as a dedicated technical problem-solver and trusted advisor, embedding with enterprise customers to optimize how they use CoLab—especially our AI tools.
You'll help large mechanical engineering orgs rethink how they manage feedback, data, and decision-making across design and PLM. That means getting deep into customer workflows, testing new ways of working, and building repeatable methods the rest of the team can scale.
You'll work within our forward deployed team, alongside a technical program manager, software FDE, and customer-facing teams to close technical gaps, shape product direction, and directly influence customer success. This role isn't about selling or pitching—it's about deeply understanding engineering problems and solving them alongside the customer.
Our Ideal Candidate
You're a mechanical engineer by trade but your superpower is applying that knowledge in creative, systems-level ways. You're curious, technical, and comfortable working through ambiguity. You've likely been a design engineer or worked in a PLM-heavy environment. Maybe you've dabbled in automation, scripting, or app development for internal tools.
You don't need to be the loudest voice in the room—but you can run a sprint, lead a cross-functional project, and talk shop with both customer engineers and internal developers.
If the average person might find this job too undefined or complex, that probably excites you.
Job Responsibilities
Qualifications
Must-haves:
Nice-to-haves:
Extra Details
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.
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