Mechanical Design Engineer - Pressure Boundary Hardware & Skid Integration

Approach Venture; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) plan

Paid holidays and PTO

Job summary

Approach Venture in El Segundo, California seeks a Mechanical Design Engineer to own the mechanical design of its next-generation turbine power blocks. Translate thermodynamic and aerodynamic requirements into casings, housings, and pressure-retaining hardware, from concept through released drawings and testing.

You will work directly with the founding team, touching nearly every part of the machine and helping scale hardware toward production, with hands-on building and cross-functional

Qualifications

• BS or higher in mechanical or aerospace engineering.
• Experience taking complex mechanical hardware from concept through released drawings, test, and validation.
• Strong CAD skills and GD&T per ASME Y14.5.
• Knowledge of machining, fabrication, and assembly; manufacturability matters.
• Strong communicator eager to learn and teach.

Responsibilities

• Own detailed mechanical design of the machine and supporting systems, including the turbomachinery test section, pressure boundary components, skid structure, and piping.
• Produce released drawings with disciplined GD&T and drafting practice.
• Work with vendors to bring designs from drawing to assembled hardware.
• Manage interfaces and tolerance stacks across the machine so parts fit together cleanly.
• Apply DFMA so designs work for early prototypes and for future production.
• Partner with analysis teammates to verify the structural and thermal performance of your designs.
• Assemble, build, and test the hardware you design.

Skills

Mechanical design

GD&T

Education

BS or higher in mechanical or aerospace engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

NX

Onshape

CREO

Job description

Mechanical Design Engineer - Turn Cycle Intent into Released Power Hardware
El Segundo, CA | On-site

Opportunity Summary

A seed-stage energy startup is hiring a Mechanical Design Engineer to own the mechanical design of its next-generation turbine power blocks. You will translate thermodynamic and aerodynamic requirements into casings, housings, pressure-retaining hardware, and the packaging that holds the full machine together. Working directly with the founding team, you will carry designs from clean sheet through released drawings, vendor builds, assembly, and test, then help scale them toward production. You will touch nearly every part of the machine and build much of the hardware you design.

About Us

We are a venture-backed, seed-stage energy company developing next-generation turbine-based power conversion systems for growing industrial power demand and future clean energy applications. Our team brings deep experience in turbomachinery design, analysis, and testing. Our near-term roadmap includes a natural gas fired MW-class system followed by integration with advanced heat sources. We are based in El Segundo, California, and operate as a small team moving quickly from design to test.

Job Duties

• Own detailed mechanical design of the machine and supporting systems, including the turbomachinery test section, pressure boundary components, skid structure, and piping.
• Produce released drawings with disciplined GD&T and drafting practice.
• Work with vendors to bring designs from drawing to assembled hardware.
• Manage interfaces and tolerance stacks across the machine so parts fit together cleanly.
• Apply DFMA so designs work for early prototypes and for future production.
• Partner with analysis teammates to verify the structural and thermal performance of your designs.
• Assemble, build, and test the hardware you design.

Qualifications

• BS or higher in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field.
• Proven experience taking complex mechanical hardware from concept through released drawings, test, and validation.
• Strong CAD skills (SolidWorks, NX, Onshape, CREO, or comparable) and GD&T per ASME Y14.5.
• Practical knowledge of machining, fabrication, and assembly, and how design decisions affect manufacturability.
• Sound judgment on how designs interact with structural, thermal, and sealing requirements.
• Strong communicator who is eager to learn and to teach.

Preferred Experience

• FEA, bolted joint analysis, and thermal growth assessment of mechanical hardware.
• Elastic-plastic stress analysis, and creep or creep-fatigue assessment of high-temperature alloys.
• Mechanical design for high-pressure, high-temperature systems.
• Packaging machinery, piping, and balance-of-plant equipment onto skids or frames in a compact, buildable, serviceable layout.
• Design of rotating machinery or turbomachinery hardware.
• Startup or early-stage company experience.

Why Join Us

• Own hardware at the center of the company's first megawatt-class system.
• Go from CAD to assembled, tested hardware on short cycles, with your hands on the build.
• Broad scope across nearly every component of the machine, with room to grow as the team scales.
• Meaningful equity ownership.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• 401(k) plan, paid holidays, and PTO.
• Fully stocked kitchen with snacks, coffee, and lunch.

Compensation Details

$140,000 - $200,000 + equity