Mechanical Designer/Drafter I

AeroVironment, Inc.; Virginia Colony (CA); On-site; USD 26,000 - 41,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401K with company matching

9/80 work schedule

Paid holiday shutdown

Job summary

AeroVironment, Inc. is seeking a Mechanical Designer/Drafter I to assist engineers in designing components, drawings, and documentation, while updating BOMs and handling change orders. The role supports manufacturing and ensures designs meet industry standards.

The ideal candidate has 0–2 years in mechanical design/drafting, strong SolidWorks skills, and experience with composite aerospace structures. Office-based work with potential travel and ITAR considerations.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or GED is required.
• 0–2 years of related experience in mechanical design and drafting.
• Proficient with SolidWorks CAD and EPDM.
• Experience with designing composite aerospace structures is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Designs mechanical parts, components & assemblies, including composite parts, metallic, and non-metallic.
• Creates and reviews engineering drawings and documents that conform to company and industry drawing standards.
• Analyzes manufacturing tolerances and fabrication methods to ensure part/assembly manufacturability.
• Applies geometric dimensioning and tolerance (GD&T).
• Specifies materials, finishes, and workmanship callouts per industry specs.
• Works on moderately difficult assignments, providing judgment in issue resolution.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Mechanical design

Drafting

GD&T

Education

High School diploma or GED

Tools

SolidWorks

EPDM

Job description

Worker Type Regular Job Description Summary The Mechanical Designer/Drafter I role assists a team of engineering staff to design components, parts & assemblies, and to create engineering drawings, engineering change orders, bills of materials, and other related engineering documentation. The Designer/Drafter works with engineers and manufacturing personnel to create new designs & drawings, modify existing designs & drawings, document design changes, update bills of materials, and shepherd documents through the configuration management system.

Position Responsibilities

• Designs mechanical parts, components & assemblies, including composite parts, metallic, and non-metallic
• Creates and reviews engineering drawings and documents that conform to company and industry drawing standards
• Analyzes manufacturing tolerances and fabrication methods to help ensure part/assembly manufacturability
• Applies geometric dimensioning and tolerance
• Specifies materials, finishes, and workmanship callouts in accordance with industry specifications
• Works on assignments that are moderately difficult, requiring judgment in resolving issues or in making recommendations
• Other duties as assigned

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• High School diploma or GED equivalent is required
• A minimum of 0 - 2 years of related experience with mechanical design and drafting or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• Experienced and proficient with SolidWorks EPDM; Demonstrated expertise in SolidWorks CAD
• Demonstrated competence in designing composite aerospace structures & related composite manufacturing processes
• Experience should have emphasis on the design of electro-mechanical systems, mechanical assemblies, electronics packaging, composite parts, plastic injected molded parts, tooling & fixtures, and wire assemblies
• Experienced in creating the following types of drawings: machined parts drawings, composite parts drawings, plastic injection molded part drawings, sheet metal fabrication drawings, source control drawings, specification control drawings, wire assembly drawings, mechanical assembly drawings, and weldment drawings
• Demonstrated understanding of industry design & documentation standards (GD&T, ASME, Change Control, etc.)

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• Vocational or technical school training in related discipline is preferred
• Hands on design/build UAV experience preferred, especially lightweight RC aircraft or other miniature robotics systems
• Experience with Agile PLM preferred
• Normally receives little instruction on daily work, general instructions on newly introduced assignments
• Demonstrates substantial understanding of the position and applies knowledge and skills to complete a wide range of tasks
• Consistently demonstrates strong interpersonal skills to be able to interface with the other group members and departments
• Able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, where small teams share a broad variety of duties
• Displays strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives
• Takes ownership and responsibility for current and past work products
• Is committed to learning from mistakes and driven to improve and enhance performance of oneself, others, and the company
• Has effective problem-solving, analytical, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Focuses on teamwork, collaboration and puts the success of the team above one's own interests

Physical Demands

• Ability to work in an office environment (Constant)
• Required to, stand, sit; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Constant)
• Use their hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls. (Frequent)
• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away (Frequent)
• Occasionally may be required to travel

Clearance Level

No Clearance

The salary range for this role is: $19 - $30

• AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement

• This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations ("ITAR") and/or the Export Administration Regulations ("EAR").
• In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction.
• Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements.
• A "U.S. person" according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15.
• Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits

• AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown.

About AV

• AV isn't for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best. We don't just build defense technology—we redefine what's possible.
• As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber.
• From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.
• Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do.
• Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we're not building history, we're building what's next.
• If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there's no better place to do it than AV.
• We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans.
• AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants.
• Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.
• ITAR U.S. Citizenship required.
• Must be willing to work on government contracts and have the ability to obtain a security clearance.

Careers at AeroVironment

Career at AeroVironment