Founding Mechanical Engineer

Lumicity; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Lumicity in Southern California seeks a founding mechanical engineer lead to own end-to-end mechanical systems for space and energy hardware. You will drive design, testing, qualification, and deployment, working across teams to tackle advanced thermal, structural, and materials challenges.

The role demands startup-like ownership, strong mechanical design and failure-analysis skills, and a hands-on approach to deliver robust hardware in demanding environments.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of mechanical engineering experience in fast-paced, product-driven environments.
• Expertise in mechanical design, CAD, FEA, and GD&T.
• Experience in Aerospace/New Space industry.
• Full lifecycle hardware development from concept to deployment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of high-performance hardware for space and energy applications.
• Own end-to-end mechanical systems from concept through testing, qualification and deployment.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to solve complex engineering challenges.

Skills

Mechanical design

CAD

FEA

GD&T

Aerospace

Thermodynamics

Materials

Job description

Founding Mechanical Engineer (Lead) - New Space/Energy - Southern California

Seeking a hands-on, highly technical Founding Mechanical Engineer to join my client in Southern California as they will lead the design, development, and deployment of high-performance hardware for demanding space and energy applications. This person will have end-to-end ownership of their mechanical systems from concept through design, testing, qualification, and operational deployment while collaborating with the team to solve complex engineering challenges.

Key Qualifications:

• 8+ years of mechanical engineering experience in fast-paced, product-driven environments
• Expertise in mechanical design, CAD, FEA, and GD&T
• Industry experience in Aerospace/New Space
• Proven ability to design, build, test, troubleshoot, and iterate hardware from the ground up - full lifecycle experience
• Experience designing systems such as thermal systems/subsystems, cryogenics, mechanisms,
• Strong understanding of materials, structural design, and thermodynamics

Preferred Experience:

• Aerospace, advanced energy, nuclear, or other deep-tech industries
• High-performance magnetic systems or superconducting technologies
• Hardware designed for extreme thermal environments
• Environmental testing, qualification, and reliability standards for mission-critical systems
• Experience with Cryogenics
• Small team/Startup experience

~Due to the nature of my client's work, this person must be a US Citizen/GC Holder~

Founding Mechanical Engineer (Lead) - New Space/Energy - Southern California