Mechanical Design Engineer - Aerospace

TheDriveGroup; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

TheDriveGroup in Sydney, NSW, is seeking hands-on CAM programming talent to support an early-stage aerospace manufacturing effort. You will work across design-to-manufacture, turning engineering designs into physical components with a focus on CAM programming and machining.

Ideal candidates bring hands-on CAM experience, familiarity with CAD and CAD/CAM software, and some scripting ability. The role is broad, collaborative, and geared toward practical problem-solving across disciplines.

Qualifications

• Hands-on CAM programming and CNC machining experience.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings and assess manufacturability.
• Familiarity with CAM software, toolpath generation and G-code.
• Some coding or scripting aptitude is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Turn engineering designs into physical components across design-to-manufacture.
• Develop CAM programs and toolpaths for CNC machining.
• Work with CAD/CAM software and machining processes to produce complex parts.
• Apply knowledge of machining methods, tooling, and materials to improve production.
• Contribute to prototyping, production, and continuous improvement across the lifecycle.
• Apply coding or scripting to engineering challenges and manufacturing workflows.
• Collaborate across engineering, design and manufacturing, with potential to expand responsibilities.

Skills

CAM programming

CNC machining

CAD

G-code

scripting

problem solving

Tools

CAM software

CAD software

Job description

We're exclusively recruiting for an early-stage aerospace company working on advanced manufacturing and complex physical engineering challenges.

This is an opportunity for someone who enjoys understanding how things are made, particularly the processes involved in taking a design through to a finished, manufactured component.

We're particularly interested in people with hands-on CAM programming and machining

experience, ideally alongside CAD, engineering drawings and broader manufacturing knowledge. Experience with CNC machining, toolpath generation and G-code is highly relevant.

We're open to junior, mid-level and senior candidates. Practical technical capability matters more than job title or years of experience.

What You'll Be Doing

• Work across the design-to-manufacturing process, helping turn engineering designs into physical components.
• Develop CAM programs and toolpaths to support CNC machining and manufacturing.
• Work with engineering drawings, CAD/CAM software and machining processes to produce complex components.
• Apply an understanding of machining methods, tooling, materials and manufacturing constraints to improve how parts are produced.
• Contribute to prototyping, production and continuous improvement across the product lifecycle.
• Apply coding, scripting or software skills to engineering challenges and manufacturing workflows.
• Collaborate across engineering, design and manufacturing, with the opportunity to contribute beyond a narrowly defined role.

What We're Looking For

• Hands-on experience with CAM programming and CNC machining, or a strong practical background in machining and manufacturing processes.
• Familiarity with CAM software, toolpath generation, G-code and CNC machine setup or operation.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings and understand how design decisions affect manufacturability.
• Experience with CAD and mechanical design, ideally alongside practical manufacturing knowledge.
• Some coding, programming or software experience, or a strong technical aptitude in this area.
• A practical, problem-solving mindset and an interest in improving how physical products are designed and manufactured.

Experience across the full process, from CAD and design through to CAM, machining and finished components, would be ideal. However, strong CAM and machining capability is the priority.

Experience with manufacturing automation, tooling, materials or aerospace components would also be valuable.

The Opportunity

You'll join an early-stage aerospace business developing complex hardware, where you can get close to the product and contribute directly to how components are designed and manufactured.

This is a broad, hands-on engineering opportunity for someone who enjoys solving practical problems, working across disciplines and seeing their work translated into real-world hardware.

We're keen to speak with people from a range of backgrounds, including manufacturing engineering, CNC machining, toolmaking, mechanical engineering and aerospace.

Location: Sydney, NSW – hybrid with flexibility.

Work rights: Applicants must have unrestricted Australian work rights.