Mechanical Engineer, Sr.

AV; Petaluma (CA); On-site; USD 122,500 - 187,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401K with company match

9/80 work schedule

Paid holiday shutdown

Job summary

AeroVironment, Inc. is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead mechanical design, analysis and packaging for high‑altitude aerospace electronics.

You will drive development for production rotating electrical machines, manage sub‑contractors, and ensure robust performance under extreme environmental conditions. The role requires deep expertise in SolidWorks, ANSYS, and thermal management, with hands‑on testing in lab and field.

Qualifications

• 8–12 years of mechanical engineering experience, production rotating electrical machines and aerospace packaging experience.
• Familiar with MIL-STD 961D or equivalent.
• Proficient with CAD/CAE tools: SolidWorks for modeling; ANSYS for structural and fatigue; ANSYS IcePack for thermal analysis.
• Extensive experience designing electrical rotating machines for high‑performance applications.
• Experience with thermal management, bonding techniques for extreme environments, and materials properties.
• Experience creating and maintaining product BOMs and document trees.
• Experience with test and measurement techniques such as torque transducer calibration.

Responsibilities

• Lead or support thermal, structural, dynamic, and fluid flow analyses for electronics equipment.
• Lead testing and data collection in lab and field.
• Model mechanical devices and select materials.
• Perform stress, fatigue, and thermal analyses; select bonding materials.
• Develop mechanical drawings and tolerance specs; create assembly instructions and test procedures.
• Develop test plans to verify designs and manage complex issues with deep technical knowledge.
• Coordinate team activities and resources to meet milestones; supervise others as needed.

Skills

Mechanical engineering

Project leadership

Education

MS preferred

Tools

SolidWorks

ANSYS

ANSYS Icepack

Job description

Overview

The Sr. Mechanical Engineer applies engineering techniques to design, install, modify, analyze, repair and test tools, engines, machines and other mechanically functioning equipment. Leads and supports the mechanical design, testing, and production of electrical machines as well as the design of electronics packaging for high altitude aerospace applications. Leads or supports mechanical packaging development effort for electronic equipment that withstand stringent environmental requirements (i.e., mass, volume, thermal, vibration). Manages mid-size development projects outsourced to sub-contractors (development of a system, equipment or components).

Position Responsibilities

• Leads or supports the thermal, structural, dynamic, and fluid flow analysis efforts for electronics equipment
• Leads the testing and data collection in the laboratory and the field
• Models the mechanical devices and selects the proper material
• Performs stress and fatigue analysis; Performs thermal analysis and selects bonding material
• Develops mechanical drawings and specifies the dimensional tolerances
• Develops assembly instructions and test procedures
• Develops test plans and test procedures to verify designs
• Works on complex issues where analysis of situations or data requires an in-depth knowledge of variable factors
• Executes team assignments effectively following the given schedule, milestone, and available resources. May coordinate activities of other personnel (Team Lead).
• Other duties as assigned

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Minimum 8 – 12 years of relevant technical experience in Mechanical Engineering, of which a minimum of 5 years in developing for production rotating electrical machines, electronics equipment packaging solution, and/or mechanical devices solutions for industrial and aerospace applications
• Experienced in developing requirements specification for mechanical subsystems and according to MIL-STD 961D standard or equivalent
• Has sufficient proficiency with CAD/CAE tools to perform position responsibilities: SolidWorks for mechanical modeling; ANSYS for structural and fatigue analysis; ANSYS Icepack for thermal analysis
• Extensive experience with SolidWorks and designing electrical rotating machines for high-performance applications
• Extensive experience with thermal management tradeoffs and solutions and materials properties
• Experienced with bonding techniques for extreme environmental conditions using different adhesives
• Experienced with manufacturing methodologies of electrical machines
• Experienced with creating and maintaining product document tree
• Experienced with creating and maintaining products BOM
• Experienced with test and measurement techniques, such as torque transducer calibration and instrumentation

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• MS degree in Mechanical Engineering is preferred
• Recognition by a reputable international engineering society such as ASME at the senior membership level or higher is desired
• Demonstrates familiarity with MIL-STD-810 or DO-160
• Demonstrates familiarity with MIL-STD 961D standards (or equivalent) for developing subsystem technical specifications
• Demonstrates full understanding & knowledge of engineering principles in the technical discipline and successfully works independently
• Effectively articulates concepts and ideas to both technical and non-technical staff
• 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 (Verbal and written)
• Focuses on teamwork, collaboration and puts the success of the team above one\'s own interests

Physical Demands

• Ability to work in an office and production environment (Constant)
• Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent)

Clearance Level

No Clearance

Salary

The Salary Range For This Role Is $122,500 - $187,000

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. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits. We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

EEO Statement

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.