Mechanical Engineer

Poseidon Aerospace; California; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and meaningful?

Relocation support

Employee Health Benefit Plans

6% Retirement matching

Flexible PTO

Free lunches, snacks, and a stocked Fr

AI tools and subscriptions

Job summary

Poseidon Aerospace in the San Francisco Bay Area is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to design the structural and mechanical systems for our autonomous cargo aircraft. You will work across CAD, mechanism development, and FEA to create lightweight, flight-ready structures and collaborate with manufacturing, aerodynamics, and test teams.

You will contribute from concept through flight hardware, with a hands-on mindset and the ability to manage projects in a fast-paced startup.

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• Proficiency with CAD software such as Fusion 360, SolidWorks, CATIA, or NX.
• Strong understanding of structural design, stress analysis, and mechanical systems.
• Experience with FEA tools such as ANSYS, Fusion Simulation, Nastran, or similar.
• Ability to apply GD&T and mechanical tolerancing to production drawings.
• Familiarity with composite and metallic fabrication methods.
• Understanding of fundamentals of flight mechanics and aircraft dynamics.
• Comfortable working hands-on with prototypes, test articles, and shop tools.
• Capable of managing projects independently in a fast-paced, startup environment.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop aircraft structures, mechanisms, and tooling using CAD software.
• Perform FEA to validate strength, stiffness, and load paths in composite and metallic components.
• Create detailed part/assembly drawings and documentation for manufacturing and inspection.
• Design linkages, control surface mechanisms, and mounting systems for aircraft subsystems.
• Collaborate with manufacturing engineers to ensure designs are practical, cost-effective, and easy to assemble.
• Support testing and validation of structural and mechanical systems, including fixture and rig design.
• Maintain CAD libraries, revision control, and configuration management for aircraft assemblies.
• Provide design feedback to improve manufacturability, maintainability, and structural efficiency.

Skills

CAD proficiency

Structural design

FEA

GD&T

Flight dynamics

Prototyping

Project management

Startup mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Fusion 360

SolidWorks

CATIA

NX

ANSYS

Nastran

Fusion Simulation

Job description

About Poseidon Aerospace:

Poseidon Aerospace is reimagining how the world moves goods. We build and operate full-size autonomous cargo aircraft - capable of carrying two tons of payload over a thousand nautical miles. From remote communities to contested logistics operations, our platforms unlock a new cost curve for air freight, making it faster, cheaper, and accessible anywhere it's needed. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area with locations in Washington DC, Oregon, and Maine; we're building something consequential.

As a Mechanical Engineer at Poseidon Aerospace, you will design the structural and mechanical systems that make our composite aircraft functional and manufacturable. You will work across CAD design, mechanism development, and finite element analysis to create reliable, lightweight structures suited for flight and marine environments. This role is both analytical and hands-on, involving close collaboration with manufacturing, aerodynamics, and test teams to bring designs from concept to flight hardware.

Responsibilities:

• Design and develop aircraft structures, mechanisms, and tooling using CAD software

• Perform FEA to validate strength, stiffness, and load paths in composite and metallic components

• Create detailed part/assembly drawings and documentation for manufacturing and inspection

• Design linkages, control surface mechanisms, and mounting systems for aircraft subsystems

• Collaborate with manufacturing engineers to ensure designs are practical, cost-effective, and easy to assemble

• Support testing and validation of structural and mechanical systems, including fixture and rig design

• Maintain CAD libraries, revision control, and configuration management for aircraft assemblies

• Provide design feedback to improve manufacturability, maintainability, and structural efficiency

Ideal Qualifications:

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field

• Proficiency with CAD software such as Fusion,, SolidWorks, CATIA, or NX

• Strong understanding of structural design, stress analysis, and mechanical systems

• Experience with FEA tools such as ANSYS, Fusion Simulation, Nastran, or similar

• Ability to apply GD&T and mechanical tolerancing to production drawings

• Familiarity with composite and metallic fabrication methods

• Understanding of fundamentals of flight mechanics and aircraft dynamics

• Comfortable working hands-on with prototypes, test articles, and shop tools

• Capable of managing projects independently in a fast-paced, startup environment

Nice to Have:

• Experience with bonded composite structures or hybrid assemblies

• Background in actuation systems, linkages, or motion mechanisms

• Knowledge of vibration, fatigue, or modal analysis

• Hands-on experience with machining, additive manufacturing, or assembly tooling

• Familiarity with design for manufacturing (DFM) and design for assembly (DFA)

• Proficiency in MATLAB or Python for analysis and process automation

• Exposure to aerospace certification or flight test environments

What you get from us

• Competitive salary and meaningful early-stage equity

• Relocation support if applicable

• Employee Health Benefit Plans

• 6% Retirement matching

• Flexible PTO

• Free lunches, snacks, and a stocked fridge at our offices

• AI tools and subscriptions