Mechanical Engineer

Wardstone; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Wardstone is seeking Mechanical Engineers to design, build, and test structures for interceptors. You will take CAD parts through fabrication and flight testing, reporting to the Mechanical Engineering Lead and collaborating with propulsion, avionics, controls, and electrical teams.

You’ll also work alongside senior engineers who will review your work and help you grow. The role emphasizes hands-on ownership of flight hardware in a small team, with opportunities to run hand calculations, perform

Qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering.
• 2+ years of hardware design and build experience (student teams count).
• Strong CAD skills with assemblies and drawings.
• Experience with hand calculations and FEA.
• Comfortable hands-on in a shop and test environment.
• U.S. person per ITAR; eligible for U.S. security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Design structural parts, brackets, housings, and mechanisms.
• Create CAD models and clear drawings with GD&T.
• Perform hand calculations and FEA for loads.
• Work with vendors and machine shops to fabricate parts.
• Assemble and integrate hardware with propulsion, avionics, and controls.
• Design and run tests, record results, and use data to improve designs.

Skills

CAD

Structural analysis

Hands-on fabrication

Team collaboration

GD&T proficiency

Education

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

FEA

GD&T

Job description

Overview

We’re hiring several Mechanical Engineers to design, build, and test structures and mechanisms for our interceptors. You’ll take parts and assemblies from CAD through fabrication and test, and see them fly. You’ll report to the Mechanical Engineering Lead and work closely with our senior engineers, who will review your work and help you grow. You’ll also work alongside the propulsion, aerodynamics, controls, and electrical engineers. At our size, you’ll get more ownership and hands‑on time with flight hardware than you would almost anywhere else.

What You’ll Do

Design

• Design structural parts, brackets, housings, and mechanisms for the interceptor.
• Build CAD models and assemblies, and make clear drawings with GD&T.
• Run hand calculations and FEA to check that your designs can handle launch, flight, and vibration loads.

Build

• Work with vendors and machine shops to get parts made, and inspect them when they arrive.
• Build and modify parts, fixtures, and assemblies in our in‑house shop.
• Assemble and integrate hardware with the propulsion, avionics, and controls teams.

Test

• Design and build test fixtures.
• Run structural, vibration, and environmental tests, and record the results.
• Use test data to improve your designs.

Collaborate

• Present your work in design reviews and take feedback well.
• Work with other teams to solve packaging, routing, and interface problems.

Required Qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 2+ years of experience designing and building hardware. Student rocketry, Formula SAE, or similar project teams count.
• Solid CAD skills, including assemblies and drawings.
• Working knowledge of structural analysis, including hand calculations and FEA.
• Comfortable working hands‑on in a shop and test environment.
• Must be a U.S. person as defined by ITAR (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual). [Must be eligible to obtain a U.S. security clearance.]

Nice to Have

• Experience with missiles, rockets, UAVs, or other aerospace hardware.
• Manual or CNC mill and lathe experience.
• Experience with GD&T and tolerance analysis.
• Experience with composites or high-temperature materials.
• Experience running vibration, shock, or thermal tests.

Compensation

The base pay range for this role is $100,000 – $130,000 per year.