Principal Mechanical Engineer

Salient Motion; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Company wellness healthcare

Life insurance

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Salient Motion in Torrance, CA is seeking a Principal Engineer to lead the development of mission-critical hardware across the full lifecycle from concept through flight-qualified production.

You will translate ambiguous needs into actionable requirements for electromechanical systems, design electromagnetic actuators, and develop rugged avionics enclosures with advanced thermal management while guiding cross-functional teams and collaborating with suppliers.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of full product lifecycle experience in mechanical/aerospace hardware.
• Experience with JPL, NASA, or DoD programs is highly valued.
• Strong electromagnetic intuition and knowledge of load paths and analysis.
• Familiarity with DO-160 and MIL-STD-810 qualification processes.

Responsibilities

• Translate high-level needs into actionable requirements for complex electromechanical systems.
• Design and iterate electromagnetic actuators and precision mechanisms.
• Develop ruggedized avionics enclosures with advanced thermal management and survivability.
• Architect test equipment and qualification methodologies per DO-160 and MIL-STD-810.
• Lead cross-functional teams, write test plans, proposals, and program docs.
• Collaborate with suppliers to ensure conforming hardware and manage deviations.
• Hands-on assembly, bring-up, and debugging of hardware prototypes.

Skills

Electromechanical design

Robotic systems

FEA/CFD analysis

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor's in Aerospace Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Creo

Inventor

PDM/MBD workflows

ASME Y14.5 GD&T

Job description

• Applicants must be U.S. Citizens or U.S. Permanent Residents (Green Card holders) to meet customer and regulatory requirements**

Who We Are

We are pioneering modular motion technologies to power the next generation of innovation for Industrial, Aerospace and Defense. If you're excited about disrupting legacy industries, and passionate about building the financial infrastructure behind cutting-edge hardware, let's chat! We are at the forefront of innovation, crafting exclusive motion control components that propel the industrial, aerospace, and defense sectors into the future.

A Couple Other Things

• We offer a lot of autonomy
• We like to run lean for impact
• We have great benefits
• We are well funded, and already generating revenue
• We're currently in Torrance, CA, but will be moving into a new facility in Hawthorne, CA in the summer!

What You’ll Do

We are seeking a versatile, high-impact Principal Engineer to lead the development of mission-critical hardware. This is a "full-lifecycle" role where you will own everything from the initial conversion of ambiguous concepts into rigorous requirements to the hands-on assembly and environmental qualification of flight hardware. You will also review and advise across mechanical programs, contribute to proposals, and serve as a senior technical resource for our growing team.

• Requirements Architecture: Translate high-level, ambiguous mission needs into actionable functional and operational requirements for complex electromechanical systems, including spacecraft structures, docking and release mechanisms, robotic arm systems, and military-grade ground support hardware.
• Precision Mechanism Design: Design and iterate on electromagnetic actuators and intricate mechanisms, integrating components such as precision gears, bearings, lead screws, braking systems, and encoders. Experience with launch restraints, sample handling mechanisms, optomechanical assemblies, and custom actuator builds is especially relevant.
• Ruggedized Avionics: Develop high-performance avionics enclosures, focusing on innovative thermal management (heat rejection) and structural survivability in extreme, high-vibration, or vacuum environments, including lunar and planetary surface conditions.
• Environmental Qualification: Architect the test equipment and methodologies required for formal hardware qualification, ensuring total compliance with DO-160 and MIL-STD-810 standards.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Act as a technical anchor across the organization, guiding integration efforts, supporting multidisciplinary teams through complex system testing, and authoring test plans, procedures, proposals, and associated program documentation.
• Supply Chain & Quality Advocacy: Partner closely with external suppliers to ensure the delivery of conforming hardware; proactively manage manufacturing deviations to maintain rigorous quality and schedule standards.
• Hands-on Execution: Maintain a "design-build-test" mindset, taking personal responsibility for the assembly, bring-up, and debugging of your own hardware prototypes.

What You Need

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline; advanced degrees (M.S. or above) a plus.
• Experience: 10+ years of experience through the full product lifecycle—from initial ideation and prototyping to flight-qualified production hardware. Experience with JPL, NASA, or DoD programs is highly valued.
• Technical Expertise: A deep intuition for electromagnetic principles and a mastery of mechanical load paths and load cases. Hands-on familiarity with robotic systems, kinematic mechanisms, and FEA/CFD analysis tools is a strong advantage.
• Analysis & Simulation: Proficiency in sizing analysis for strength, fatigue, and life cycles of actuator components (gears, shafts, housings).
• CAD Mastery: Advanced design experience in SolidWorks (or equivalent 3D modeling packages, including SolidWorks, Creo, and Inventor), including complex assemblies, PDM/MBD workflows, and configuration management.
• Manufacturing & GD&T: Fluency in ASME Y14.5 GD&T standards; ability to produce high-quality 2D drawings and collaborate with vendors to solve DFM (Design for Manufacturing) hurdles.
• Standards & Qualification: Proven track record of qualifying hardware against rigorous aerospace or military standards (DO-160, MIL-STD-810).
• Grit: A "builder" mindset—you are as comfortable at a computer as you are in the lab spinning wrenches and debugging your own hardware.

Nice To Have

• Qualification: Experience designing custom test equipment (including GSE for robotic or flight systems), writing formal test plans and procedures, and executing complex qualification campaigns.
• Gearbox Specialization: Detailed knowledge of AGMA Standards, gearbox design analysis (ratios, backlash, lubrication), and precision fabrication methods including injection molding and machine shop capability.
• Process Versatility: Experience navigating both high-compliance aerospace/DoD programs and fast-paced, lean R&D environments—including optomechanical systems, robotic platforms, and cross-industry hardware such as animatronics or special-purpose machinery.

What We Have To Offer

We are not just building components. We are reshaping the future of the Aerospace and Defense component industry, which is a $300B+ market! Come join us and help build next generation systems that will make a massive impact at global scale.

• Competitive compensation: $200,000 to $230,000 base salary + equity
• Exceptional healthcare benefits - Medical is 100% covered by the company
• Life Insurance (2x Salary) 100% covered by the company
• Flexible PTO, 401K, Financial Wellness Resources, and more