Mechanical Engineer

About Wildfire Defense Systems, Inc.

Wildfire Defense Systems (WDS) is the North American leader in insurer wildfire services, combining professional wildfire consulting, loss intervention services, and Qualified Insurance Resources (QIR). Founded in 2001 to fulfill initial‑attack assignments for the U.S. Forest Service, WDS added professional services support in 2005 and launched wildfire loss‑intervention programs for insurers in 2008. WDS Wildfire Loss Intervention Service (WDS Service) applies a comprehensive approach to reducing risk in catastrophic exposure on an industry scale, decreasing the average annual loss (AAL) for our insurer clients, and providing peace of mind to their policy holders during wildfire events.

WDS provides these industry‑leading services to insurer clients and their policy holders across a 22‑state service area.

FLSA Status: Exempt
Reports To: Director of Engineering
Location: Post Falls,
Salary Range: $84,900 to $124,100 DOE

The Mechanical Engineer II/III transforms ideas into field‑ready wildfire mitigation solutions that protect structures, support operations, and reduce wildfire risk. This role is for a bold, highly creative engineer who thrives in ambiguity, moves quickly from concept to prototype, and is driven to build things that have never been done before. The ideal candidate is a disciplined innovator who learns fast, iterates relentlessly, and pushes ideas to practical, operational success.

The position bridges engineering design and field deployment, owning projects end‑to‑end: conceiving, designing, prototyping, testing, refining, and helping transition solutions into production and operational use.

Wildfire Defense Systems Inc. operates as a family of integrated companies and subsidiaries that combine engineering, operations, innovation, and consulting expertise to deliver end‑to‑end wildfire mitigation solutions. The Mechanical Engineer operates within an entrepreneurial, agile, and mission‑driven environment at WDS, where engineering decisions directly affect reliability, safety, and continuity of operations.

• Wildfire Protection Engineering (WPE):
  Designing and developing wildfire mitigation technology, testing materials, and advancing new wildfire protection technology for internal customers.
• Innovation & Assembly:
  Executing the construction, prototyping, and testing phase of projects and entrepreneurial ideas, assembling fire apparatus and upfitted resources, wiring and integrating critical systems, and delivering fully tested innovative wildfire fighting equipment from concept to field‑ready deployment.
• Wildfire Technical Services, LLC (WTS):
  Providing consulting wildfire protection engineering for external clients, delivering wildfire risk assessments, hazard mitigation recommendations, and structural and site design concepts for wildfire resilience.

The position reports directly to the Director of Engineering and works closely with the Innovation & Assembly Manager, WPE engineers, Innovation & Assembly technicians, Chief Wildfire Officer, Field Operations personnel, and external vendors and partners. The engineer also periodically supports projects directed by company ownership through WTS.

The essential functions include designing, building, testing, and deploying mechanical and electromechanical systems in both lab and field environments. The engineer will assemble and modify physical systems, conduct testing and validation activities, troubleshoot mechanical and electrical issues, and collaborate across departments to ensure solutions are operationally effective.

• Lead design‑build projects from concept through prototype, validation, and production‑ready deployment.
• Develop wildfire mitigation technologies such as pumps, barriers, sprinklers, suppression systems, thermal protection systems, and related deployment equipment.
• Integrate mechanical, electrical, and control components into functional prototypes and field‑ready systems.
• Conduct structured lab and field testing, including live‑burn or simulated‑condition testing where appropriate.
• C…