Aerospace Mechanical Engineer — Hands-on Hardware & Testing

Approach Venture; Alameda (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off and sick leave

Equity opportunity

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Approach Venture in Alameda, CA is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to design, build, and validate advanced aerospace hardware for launch systems. This hands-on role covers design, development, testing, and integration across structures, high-pressure fluid systems, and thermal protection.

You will create detailed mechanical designs, drawings, and documentation, and work closely with electrical, systems, and software teams to ensure successful subsystem integration in a fast-moving startup

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering (or related).
• 3+ years in mechanical design, development, testing, or manufacturing.
• Experience designing and building hardware for high-performance applications.
• Experience with high-pressure gas or fluid systems.
• Strong hands-on assembly, testing, and troubleshooting skills.
• Familiarity with engineering documentation, planning, and configuration management.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and integrate mechanical hardware for launch and flight systems.
• Support structural, thermal, and high-pressure fluid system development.
• Develop mechanical components from concept through manufacturing, assembly, and validation.
• Create detailed mechanical designs, drawings, and technical documentation.
• Participate in lab and field testing, including hardware assembly and integration.
• Support instrumentation, data acquisition, and test hardware integration during development and validation.
• Collaborate with electrical, systems, fluids, and software engineers for subsystem integration.
• Support design for manufacturability, production readiness, and continuous product improvement.
• Investigate hardware failures, perform root-cause analysis, and implement design improvements.

Skills

Mechanical design

Prototyping & testing

Hands-on hardware

Troubleshooting

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering

Tools

CAD software

Data acquisition

Testing equipment

Job description

Approach Venture in Alameda, CA is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to design, build, and validate advanced aerospace hardware for launch systems. This hands-on role covers design, development, testing, and integration across structures, high-pressure fluid systems, and thermal protection.

You will create detailed mechanical designs, drawings, and documentation, and work closely with electrical, systems, and software teams to ensure successful subsystem integration in a fast-moving startup