Mechanical Engineer - Intern

Durin Mining Technologies Corp.; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Durin Mining Technologies Corp. seeks a hands-on mechanical designer who thrives in a fast-paced, shop‑floor environment.

You will model complex assemblies in CAD from napkin sketches to production drawings, owning sub‑assemblies. You will spend substantial time in the shop, assemble, modify, and test parts, and use rapid prototyping tools like 3D printing, laser cutting, and CNC machining to validate ideas.

Qualifications

• CAD fluency in the design of complex mechanical assemblies.
• Understanding of how things are manufactured and tolerance considerations.
• Hands-on fabrication experience with parts that move (Formula SAE, Baja, Solar Car, Rocketry, or BattleBots preferred).
• Ability to perform quick free-body diagrams to validate designs before simulation.
• Ability to create machinist-friendly drawings with GD&T basics.

Responsibilities

• Design from first principles; model assemblies in CAD and own sub-assemblies.
• Spend 30-50% of time in the shop assembling, modifying, and repairing designs.
• Rapid prototyping using 3D printing, laser cutting, and CNC machining.
• Test fixtures design and torture-testing to locate failure points.
• Vendor management and communication with machine shops to source parts on time.

Skills

CAD fluency

Mechanical sympathy

Practical fabrication

FEA/hand calcs

GD&T basics

Hands-on mindset

High agency

Resilience

Tools

SolidWorks/NX

Job description

Durin was founded under the belief that raw materials should not be a constraint on civilization’s progress. We are actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of becoming the foundation of the global supply chain.

What You Will Actually Do

• Design from First Principles: You will model complex mechanical assemblies in CAD (SolidWorks/NX), moving from napkin sketches to production-ready drawings by owning sub-assemblies.

• Get Your Hands Dirty: You will spend 30-50% of your time in the shop. You will assemble, modify, and repair your designs. If a part doesn’t fit, you will find out why and fix it.

• Rapid Prototyping: You will utilize 3D printing, laser cutting, and CNC machining to validate ideas in hours, not weeks.

• Test to Failure: You will design test fixtures and torture-test hardware to find the breaking points before our customers do.

• Vendor Management: You will communicate directly with machine shops and suppliers to get parts made to spec and on time.

The Toolbox (Requirements)

• CAD Fluency: You are fast in CAD. You understand top-down design and can manage large assemblies without breaking references.

• Mechanical Sympathy: You understand how things are made. You know the difference between 3-axis and 5-axis machining. You understand why we don’t put tight tolerances on non-critical dimensions.

• Practical Experience: You have built things that move. Formula SAE, Baja, Solar Car, Rocketry, or BattleBots experience is highly preferred. We want to see what you built, not just what you studied.

• FEA/Hand Calcs: You can do a quick free-body diagram on a whiteboard to prove your design is safe before you open the simulation software.

• GD&T Basics: You can create a drawing that a machinist can actually read.

Who You Are:

• Obsessive: You have “garage projects.” You take things apart to see how they work. You are learning new skills on the weekends because you want to, not because you have to.

• High Agency: You don’t wait for permission.

• Resilient: You don’t hide your mistakes. When you break a part (and you will), you own it, analyze the root cause, and fix it immediately.

• Do not apply if: You prefer working fully remotely. Hardware happens in real life.

• Do not apply if: You are looking for a slow-paced, structured corporate environment with 3 weeks of orientation.

• Do not apply if: You are uncomfortable using a drill press, band saw, or soldering iron.