Mechanical Aerospace Engineer

Thermopylae Aerospace; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Performance bonuses

Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance

Free meals on launch days

Paid time off

Job summary

Thermopylae Aerospace Corporation in Hawthorne, CA, is seeking a mechanical aerospace engineer to own the airframe, structures, and mechanisms of our interceptor platform. You will run aerodynamic simulations, perform structural and dynamic analyses, and drive manufacturability and cost reductions from concept to flight-tested reality.

The role is on-site in Hawthorne with responsibilities spanning CAD, GD&T, FEA, and hands-on fabrication.

Qualifications

• Experience taking mechanical hardware from concept to flying or fielded product.
• Hands-on experience with CFD or comparable aerodynamic analysis.
• Strong structural and dynamic analysis fundamentals, including FEA and first-principles hand calculations.
• Proficiency in CAD and GD&T with a track record of shop-built drawings.
• Design for manufacturing across machining, sheet metal, castings, composites, and injection molding.
• Hands-on fabrication, assembly, and test experience in shop and range.
• Scripting in Python or MATLAB for analysis, automation, and data reduction.

Responsibilities

• Own mechanical design of the airframe, control surfaces, mechanisms, and subsystem integration, from concept through flight qualification
• Run aerodynamic simulations to size control surfaces, predict vehicle performance across the flight envelope, and inform the shape of the vehicle
• Perform structural, thermal, and dynamic analysis, including hand calculations and FEA, and defend the margins that result
• Trade aerodynamic performance against structural mass, manufacturability, and unit cost, and make the call
• Drive cost and part count out of the design through material selection, process choice, and tooling strategy
• Own CAD models, drawings, GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, bills of materials, and configuration control
• Plan and execute ground qualification, including static, vibration, shock, and environmental testing
• Work directly with machine shops and suppliers to qualify parts, compress lead times, and bring critical processes in house where it pays
• Prototype and iterate rapidly using our internal fabrication capability
• Support vehicle integration and flight test, reconstruct performance from flight data, and lead teardown and failure analysis

Skills

CFD/Aerodynamics

CAD/GD&T

Python/MATLAB scripting

Fabrication & shop experience

Structure/FEA fundamentals

Cost-aware design

Teamwork & communication

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

CAD software (SolidWorks/CADag)

FEA software (ANSYS/Abaqus)

Python

MATLAB

Job description

Thermopylae Aerospace Corporation is an early-stage company building air defense infrastructure to protect assets, critical facilities, and the people underneath them. Threats keep getting faster and more numerous, while the systems meant to stop them cost far more per engagement than the things they are shooting down. No amount of incremental improvement to a legacy architecture fixes an inverted cost curve.

So we are building it from scratch. New vehicles, more effective propulsion, novel guidance primitives, built for the threats that are coming and made by the thousand instead of by hand. Since starting in August 2025, we moved into our first facility in Hawthorne, built our first unique interceptor platform, and started intercepting our first targets in front of customers. We incentivize automation, experiments, and essential intelligence, with a strong emphasis on caring deeply about the work you do.

Role Description

This is a full-time on-site role in Hawthorne, CA. We are already putting interceptors on targets. As a mechanical aerospace engineer here, you will own the airframe, structures, and mechanisms of the vehicle, and you will run the aerodynamic simulations that inform how it is shaped and how it flies. The hardware has to be effective enough to win the engagement and low cost enough to build by the thousand. Design decisions go from your screen to a part in your hands to a flight in days, and you own the outcome the whole way.

Responsibilities

• Own mechanical design of the airframe, control surfaces, mechanisms, and subsystem integration, from concept through flight qualification
• Run aerodynamic simulations to size control surfaces, predict vehicle performance across the flight envelope, and inform the shape of the vehicle
• Perform structural, thermal, and dynamic analysis, including hand calculations and FEA, and defend the margins that result
• Trade aerodynamic performance against structural mass, manufacturability, and unit cost, and make the call
• Drive cost and part count out of the design through material selection, process choice, and tooling strategy
• Own CAD models, drawings, GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, bills of materials, and configuration control
• Plan and execute ground qualification, including static, vibration, shock, and environmental testing
• Work directly with machine shops and suppliers to qualify parts, compress lead times, and bring critical processes in house where it pays
• Prototype and iterate rapidly using our internal fabrication capability
• Support vehicle integration and flight test, reconstruct performance from flight data, and lead teardown and failure analysis

Qualifications

• Experience taking mechanical hardware from concept to flying or fielded product, not just drawings
• Working knowledge of aerodynamics and hands‑on experience running CFD or comparable aerodynamic analysis
• Strong structural and dynamic analysis fundamentals, including FEA and first-principles hand calculations
• Proficiency in CAD and GD&T, with a track record of drawings that shops build correctly the first time
• Design for manufacturing across machining, sheet metal, castings, composites, and injection molding, with real vendor experience
• Hands‑on fabrication, assembly, and test experience, and comfort working in the shop and at the range
• Scripting in Python or MATLAB for analysis, automation, and data reduction
• Experience with missiles, high-speed vehicles, UAS, or wind tunnel testing is a plus
• Experience with high-rate production or cost reduction programs is a plus
• Judgment about when to extend a working design and when to replace it
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, and a willingness to own outcomes through flight test
• Excellent communication and teamwork abilities
• Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field
• Ability to work on‑site in Hawthorne, CA

Compensation and Benefits

• Base salary of $125,000 to $145,000, depending on experience
• Meaningful equity
• Performance bonuses for exceptional work
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Free food every working day and on every launch
• Standard paid time off and holidays

Thermopylae Aerospace Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Thermopylae is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.