Founding Mechanical Engineer / Forward Deployed Engineer

Jobot; Los Angeles (CA); Remote; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobot is seeking a hands-on Founding Mechanical Engineer / Forward Deployed Engineer to work remotely in the United States. You will collaborate directly with the founder to solve aerospace and defense hardware challenges, turning engineering problems into practical software-enabled solutions.

You will design, test, and iterate prototypes, engaging with customers to understand needs, and exploring how AI can improve engineering workflows while owning meaningful projects end-to-end.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in mechanical engineering, aerospace hardware, product development, test engineering, or related field.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline.
• Experience with mechanical design, CAD, engineering analysis, testing, integration, or manufacturing.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings and design constraints.
• Strong troubleshooting and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Work through mechanical engineering and aerospace hardware challenges from requirements to evaluating solutions.
• Engage directly with engineers and customers to understand technical needs and workflows.
• Translate engineering problems into clear requirements, product ideas, and opportunities for software or AI tools.
• Develop, test, and iterate on prototypes, concepts, and technical solutions.
• Work across mechanical design, CAD, engineering analysis, testing, verification, documentation, and manufacturing considerations.
• Investigate technical issues, analyze results, and identify practical paths forward.
• Collaborate with the founder to prioritize problems and take projects from initial discovery through implementation.
• Provide engineering feedback to shape product functionality and ensure real-world relevance.
• Identify opportunities to streamline engineering workflows through automation, scripting, and AI capabilities.

Skills

Mechanical design

CAD

Engineering analysis

Testing

Customer collaboration

Problem solving

Automation interest

AI interest

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Python

MATLAB

Scripting

APIs

Job description

Founding Mechanical Engineer / Forward Deployed Engineer

$110000 - $150000 per year | Los Angeles, CA | Remote | Permanent

Work directly with the founder - fully remote

A bit about us:

We’re building AI-powered tools that help aerospace and defense engineers design, analyze, verify, and manufacture complex hardware. By combining real-world engineering expertise with modern software and AI, we’re working to improve how engineering teams solve problems, make decisions, and bring products to life.

We work closely with engineers to understand their challenges and develop practical solutions that fit real-world engineering workflows.

Why join us?

• Work directly with the founder: Contribute to technical and product decisions while learning from an experienced engineering leader.
• Solve real engineering problems: Work with aerospace and defense professionals on challenges that matter.
• Build from the ground up: Help shape an early-stage product, influence its direction, and take ownership of meaningful work.
• Combine engineering and AI: Apply your mechanical engineering knowledge while exploring how software, automation, and AI can improve engineering workflows.
• Make an impact: Work in a small, hands-on environment where your ideas and contributions can directly influence the product.
• Work remotely: Enjoy the flexibility of a fully remote position while collaborating with a technically focused team.

Job Details

We’re looking for a hands-on mechanical engineer with 2+ years of experience who wants to work at the intersection of mechanical engineering, software, AI, and customer problem-solving.

This is not a traditional mechanical design role. You’ll work directly with the founder and aerospace engineering customers to understand technical challenges, investigate problems, test ideas, and help turn real-world engineering needs into practical software-enabled solutions.

The ideal candidate has a solid mechanical engineering foundation, enjoys working through ambiguous problems, communicates well with technical stakeholders, and is curious about how software and AI can improve the way engineers work.

What You’ll Do

• Work through mechanical engineering and aerospace hardware challenges, from understanding requirements to evaluating potential solutions.
• Engage directly with engineers and customers to understand their technical needs, workflows, and pain points.
• Translate engineering problems into clear requirements, product ideas, and opportunities for software or AI tools.
• Develop, test, and iterate on prototypes, concepts, and technical solutions.
• Work across mechanical design, CAD, engineering analysis, testing, verification, documentation, and manufacturing considerations.
• Investigate technical issues, analyze results, and identify practical paths forward.
• Collaborate with the founder to prioritize problems and take projects from initial discovery through implementation.
• Provide engineering feedback that helps shape product functionality and ensure solutions address real-world needs.
• Identify opportunities to streamline engineering workflows through automation, scripting, and emerging AI capabilities.

What We’re Looking For

• 2+ years of experience in mechanical engineering, aerospace hardware, product development, test engineering, or a related technical field.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Practical experience with mechanical design, CAD, engineering analysis, testing, integration, or manufacturing.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, technical requirements, and design constraints.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, including the ability to work through incomplete information.
• Clear communication skills and comfort working directly with engineers and other technical stakeholders.
• A hands-on, self-directed approach to work and the ability to take ownership without needing every step defined.
• Interest in software, automation, and AI, with a desire to improve how engineering work gets done.
• Comfort working in a fast-moving, early-stage environment where priorities can evolve.

Nice to Have

• Experience in aerospace, defense, space, robotics, or other complex hardware environments.
• Exposure to FEA, simulation, systems engineering, integration, test, or verification.
• Experience working with customers, suppliers, manufacturing teams, or field engineering teams.
• Familiarity with Python, MATLAB, scripting, APIs, or other tools for automating technical workflows.
• Experience using AI tools to investigate problems, automate repetitive tasks, or support engineering work.
• Startup experience or examples of taking ownership beyond a narrowly defined job description.

Work Authorization

This is a fully remote position open to candidates located in the United States. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without current or future employer sponsorship.

Who Will Thrive in This Role?

You’re a practical, curious engineer who likes figuring out how things work, understanding why they fail, and finding better ways to solve problems. You may come from mechanical design, aerospace, test engineering, integration, or manufacturing, and you’re ready to broaden your impact beyond a traditional engineering role.

You enjoy working directly with people, getting into the technical details, testing ideas, and turning complex problems into useful solutions. You don’t need to be an AI expert or a software engineer, but you should be excited to learn and explore how technology can make engineering better.

Equality and Diversity

Jobot is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide an inclusive work environment that celebrates diversity and all qualified candidates receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age (40 and over), disability, military status, genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Jobot also prohibits harassment of applicants or employees based on any of these protected categories. It is Jobot’s policy to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws respecting consideration of unemployment status in making hiring decisions.

Sometimes Jobot is required to perform background checks with your authorization. Jobot will consider qualified candidates with criminal histories in a manner consistent with any applicable federal, state, or local law regarding criminal backgrounds, including but not limited to the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

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