Founding Mechanical Engineer – Aerospace Automation (On-site)

Approach Venture LLC; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Three weeks PTO + company-wide week

Job summary

Approach Venture LLC in Shoreline, WA is seeking a Mechanical Engineer for aerospace automation. This hands-on role blends CAD design with field-backed robot cell integration to advance new aerospace manufacturing equipment.

You will break down requirements, create robust end effectors and fixtures, run engineering math, produce GD&T drawings, and partner with machine shops to deliver production-ready hardware. Travel up to 25% may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering required.
• 4+ years of professional mechanical design experience on automation, robotics, or production equipment.
• Hands-on experience designing hardware that works with industrial robots or automated machinery.
• Expert-level SolidWorks skills with detailed part and assembly drawings.
• Solid working knowledge of GD&T, DFM, and metal fabrication and machining processes.
• Strong grasp of machine design fundamentals: mechanics, materials, elements, and failure modes.
• Comfortable on the shop floor building, testing, and troubleshooting designs.
• Clear communicator who can work independently and meet tight timelines.
• Willing to travel up to 25%, including onboarding and trips to headquarters.
• U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident required.

Responsibilities

• Break down customer requirements and SOWs into design objectives and criteria.
• Design end effectors, multi-axis mechanisms, tooling, and fixtures for robot arms and cells.
• Support robot cell layout and integration with controls engineers on actuators, sensors, and wiring.
• Perform engineering math: free-body diagrams, load and fatigue checks, sizing, trade studies.
• Build 3D models and release production drawings with GD&T.
• Design machined and fabricated metal parts with manufacturability in mind.
• Collaborate with machine shops, vendors, and in-house technicians to build and debug hardware.
• Write work orders, assembly instructions, BOMs, and maintenance docs.
• Present designs at reviews and contribute to proposals; support deployed systems.

Skills

Mechanical design

Shop floor testing

Communication

Travel readiness

US citizenship or PR

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

GD&T

DFM

Machining knowledge

CATIA

PDM systems

Job description

Approach Venture LLC in Shoreline, WA is seeking a Mechanical Engineer for aerospace automation. This hands-on role blends CAD design with field-backed robot cell integration to advance new aerospace manufacturing equipment.

You will break down requirements, create robust end effectors and fixtures, run engineering math, produce GD&T drawings, and partner with machine shops to deliver production-ready hardware. Travel up to 25% may be required.