Mechanical Engineer Designer

Job Description

Job Overview

At NOLA Ed, we don’t create lessons. We create experiences. We’re redesigning hands-on learning from the ground up with one goal: bring real-world careers into the classroom through systems students can touch, build, and understand.

We’re not interested in surface-level STEM flash. We’re building functional, career-connected kits that reflect how things actually work in the real world. Our focus spans construction, trucking logistics, medical systems, power plants, agriculture, architecture, manufacturing, and more. We’re looking for a builder with a systems mind. Someone who sees how the world works and wants to help students touch and understand it. Your role will be to invent, prototype, and test the systems, then collaborate with our content team to turn them into classroom-ready products.

If you’ve ever looked at a machine, tool, or system and asked, “How can I help people understand this with their hands?” this might be your dream role.

Key Responsibilities

Replace discontinued or outdated kits with relevant and inspiring alternatives. This includes finding a scalable solution.

Design and prototype physical, career-connected learning kits used in the classroom

Collaborate with curriculum writers to connect your builds to real-world learning goals

Visit schools to gather student and teacher feedback

Attend industry expos, STEM/CTE conventions, and conduct online kit research

Maintain and organize a backlog of product concepts for future development

This role is focused on finding and or creating scalable kit solutions. You are not expected to be a curriculum designer or required to have a background in the classroom. This role is all about finding different ways to make our curriculum exciting and engaging, and then working with our curriculum team to integrate the kits into the lessons.

Workload & Process

In the First 6-12 Months:

Replacing Discontinued Item (60%): The majority of your time, in the first few months, will be spent solving our current kit replacement challenges and working with Content and Operations teams to source new solutions

Supporting Content Recapture (20%): About 20% of your time will be providing context to the script and media teams within the content team to ensure the new kits are properly presented in the material

Ideation and Innovation (20%): About 20% of your time will be spent creating a backlog of new ideas and a system to track all the ways these ideas can be leveraged.

After the First 6-12 Months:

Ideation and Innovation (45%): The bulk of your time will pivot to primarily creating a backlog of new kit ideas that can be used for all grade levels. This can be hands-on development or online kit research.

Supporting Content Development (25%): About 25% of your time will be to continue providing context to the script and media teams within the content team to ensure the new kits are properly presented in the material

Site Visits and Research (15%): About 5% of your time will be spent learning what excites kids and how it engages them. This includes conducting site visits, pushing out surveys, and conducting online research to understand student learning. This will allow the team to push for creating new content that aligns with what is engaging to students.

Replacing Discontinued Item (10%): After the backlog is resolved, this effort will drop substantially but is a perpetual effort.

Industry Expos and STEM Conferences (5%): About 5% of your time will be spent traveling to various conferences and expos to get inspiration for new kits and careers to introduce in our curriculum.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, Systems, Electrical, etc.), or equivalent trade skill/fabrication experience

2–6 years of experience in at least one relevant industry:

Manufacturing, construction, plant operations, logistics, aviation, power, agriculture, medical systems, or similar

Demonstrated ability to prototype or build physical systems, rigs, or tools (Provide a portfolio)

Strong problem-solving mindset; comfortable working in ambiguous, early-stage environments

Ability to explain complex systems to non-technical stakeholders (e.g., curriculum writers)

Comfort with sourcing materials, testing components, and iterating on physical designs

Willingness to travel for conferences, school site visits, or inspiration scouting (within reason)

Team & Collaboration:

Reporting: Report directly to the Content Team Manager, ensuring regular 1:1 meetings, direct support, and clear guidance as you navigate your responsibilities. You will receive structured feedback, mentorship, and the tools needed to succeed in your role.

Collaboration: Partner closely with internal content creators, the Operations team, the Education team, and external contractors to ensure kit solutions are developed, scaled, and properly handed off to each department.

Growth Opportunities:

Rapid Growth: We are a fast-growing company, and high-performing team members have the chance to take on new responsibilities and advance their careers. Your growth is based on your impact and initiative.

Our Core Values

Our culture is defined by several core values that we live by every day. We seek team members who naturally embody these values:

Have Fun – We bring positivity and enthusiasm to our work, making the learning experience enjoyable for both students and staff.

Build Relationships – We invest in strong, supportive relationships with our teams, our partners, and our customers so we can foster collaboration and trust.

Unreasonable Urgency – We act with a high sense of urgency and purpose, tackling goals quickly and efficiently to drive outstanding results.

Outpace the Ordinary – We strive for excellence and innovation, always going beyond the typical to deliver extraordinary outcomes.

PIVOT – We stay agile and adaptable, ready to change course or try new approaches when needed to best serve our customers.

Maverick Mindset – We think outside the box and encourage bold ideas, challenging the status quo to find better solutions.

Candor for Growth—We communicate honestly and transparently. We give and receive feedback openly to help each other and the company grow.Company Description

NOLA Education LLC is an innovative curriculum provider for academically at-risk students. Our solution, Star Academy, is an accelerative program proven to advance middle school students, who are at least a year behind, by two grade levels in a single year while dramatically improving grades and standardized test scores. We've achieved a 95% retention rate among at-risk cohorts from which 90% were expected to drop out. Our unique STEM approach to core curriculum re-engages disengaged students by combining hangs-on project based learning with workforce readiness skills.

Full-time