Mechanical Engineer

Furientis; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Furientis is looking for a Mechanical Engineer in Los Angeles, CA, to design, analyze, build, and test structures for interceptor missiles. The ideal candidate will have at least 6 years of experience in mechanical design, strong structural intuition, and proficiency in modern CAD tools like NX.

This on-site role demands hands-on involvement in prototype to flight hardware processes, effective communication skills, and eligibility for a U.S. SECRET security clearance.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of hands-on mechanical design of critical systems.
• U.S. Person, eligible for U.S. SECRET security clearance.
• Comfortable on the shop floor and vendor locations.

Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, build, and test primary and secondary structures.
• Take parts from CAD to prototype to flight hardware.
• Run vehicle integration, environmental test, and flight test campaigns.

Skills

Mechanical design of flight structures

Strong structural intuition

Fluency in metallic or composite design

Modern CAD and PDM fluency

Proficiency with GD&T

Hands-on builder posture

Excellent cross disciplinary communication

Education

B.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering

M.S. welcome

Tools

NX

Teamcenter

Job description

America is critically deficient in production of defensive munitions- we currently produce shipborne interceptors in the few hundreds per year while our adversaries are producing offensive threats in the tens of thousands per year. Furientis was started to help solve this problem- introducing a new class of cost-effective, high production rate, interceptor missiles. We're seeking motivated individuals who internalize this problem and are eager to apply their past experience in similar industries (aerospace, defense, automotive/racing, robotics) and out of the box thinking to solve this problem for the US and its allies.

About the Team

Vehicle Engineering owns the missile as a physical object from design through flight: structures, mechanical integration of the full subsystem stack, and the build.

About the Role

You will design, analyze, build, and test primary and secondary structures, the mechanisms that move on the vehicle, and the launcher and ground support equipment the program runs on. You will work alongside our Principal Mechanical Engineer.

This is a generalist role. We do not have the headcount yet to split airframe, mechanisms, GSE, and launcher across separate engineers, and we are not trying to. The right person reaches across all of it, makes the calls that need making, and pulls in deeper analysis or outside help where the problem warrants it.

Every design decision is also a unit-cost decision, and we expect you to design accordingly.

What You'll Do

• Be a Responsible Engineer for a major subsystem of the interceptor. Work may include primary and secondary structures, mating interfaces with propulsion, seekers, avionics, GNC, recovery, and mechanisms.
• Take parts from CAD to prototype to proven flight hardware. Specify, source, machine, fabricate, inspect, and assemble alongside the technician team.
• Design and build the launcher and the ground equipment the program runs on: handling fixtures, transport cradles, environmental enclosures, and the systems that mate the vehicle to the rail.
• Run vehicle integration, environmental test, and ground and flight test campaigns. Reduce data, close out anomalies, and feed the lessons back into the design.
• Select materials, processes, and joining methods with cost and producibility top of mind. Pick the simplest solution that meets the requirement.
• Coordinate with aero on outer mold line implementation, with propulsion on case and nozzle integration, with avionics on tray and harness routing, with the seeker team on optical-package interfaces, and with the Control Actuation System Engineer on fin actuator integration into the airframe: hinge supports, OML cutouts, and sealing.

Skills We're Hiring For

• B.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering. M.S. welcome.
• 6+ years of hands-on mechanical design of flight structures or similarly mission critical systems.
• Strong structural intuition. Know the right time and place for hand calcs, FEM, and ground testing, and pick the minimum needed to safely size your structure in the allotted timeframe.
• Fluency in metallic or composite design, analysis, and manufacturing.
• Modern CAD and PDM fluency. We use NX and Teamcenter.
• Proficiency with GD&T and a strong eye for manufacturability in part design.
• Hands-on builder posture. Comfortable on the shop floor, at a test stand, and at a vendor.
• Excellent cross disciplinary communication skills.
• U.S. Person, eligible to obtain a U.S. SECRET security clearance.

Bonus Points For

• Tactical missile, munition, or interceptor program experience.
• Launcher, canister, or launch-tube design experience.
• GSE and handling-equipment design at any scale.
• Hands-on safety record working with energetic and hazardous materials.
• Out-of-domain background that gives you practical, first-principles intuition (automotive, motorsports, robotics, eVTOL, hobbyist high-power rocketry). We actively want people who can solve vehicle problems without dragging legacy-prime habits with them.

Eligibility & Logistics

Location: On-site at our Los Angeles, CA HQ; remote work is not available. Monthly weekend travel for test events and supplier engagements. Clearance: A clearance is not required for this position. Must be a U.S. Person.

Equal Opportunity & Export Compliance

Furientis is an equal-opportunity employer. To comply with U.S. export control laws, employment is contingent on eligibility to access export-controlled information.