Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Approach Venture; Thousand Oaks (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

9/80 schedule

Company holidays

Vacation and sick leave

Medical, dental, vision, and life

401(k) matching

Health savings account or flexible–spn

Job summary

Approach Venture in Thousand Oaks, CA, seeks a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to own propulsion hardware design from concept to production. You will create production-ready CAD models, develop tooling, and work closely with manufacturing to ensure designs are manufacturable and reliable.

The role demands 4+ years in mechanical design, strong GD&T expertise, and hands-on collaboration across engineering teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.
• 4+ years of professional mechanical design or 3D CAD experience.
• Advanced knowledge of GD&T and ASME Y14.5.
• Experience creating detailed engineering drawings suitable for manufacturing.
• Experience designing tooling, fixtures, and supporting hardware.

Responsibilities

• Design propulsion components, assemblies, tooling, fixtures, and supporting mechanical hardware.
• Develop detailed 3D CAD models and production-ready drawings.
• Apply mechanics, thermodynamics, and fluids principles to propulsion system design.
• Own mechanical designs from concept through manufacturing and release.
• Apply GD&T to communicate design intent and ensure manufacturability.
• Lead design reviews and collaborate with manufacturing to resolve issues.

Skills

Mechanical design

3D CAD

GD&T

ASME Y14.5

Detailed drawings

Manufacturing interfacing

Technical communication

On-site work

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Creo Parametric

Windchill PLM

Job description

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer - Rocket Propulsion Hardware

Thousand Oaks, California | On-site

Opportunity Summary

Join a growing aerospace company designing and manufacturing liquid propulsion hardware for spacecraft and launch applications. The engineering team develops complex propulsion systems from initial concept through detailed design, manufacturing, qualification testing, and delivery. As a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, you will take ownership of mechanical design across propulsion components, assemblies, tooling, and test hardware. You will develop production-ready designs, solve manufacturing challenges, support hardware through build and test, and provide technical guidance to other engineers. This is a hands-on role for an engineer who enjoys working closely with manufacturing and seeing designs progress from CAD to finished hardware.

About Us

We are a growing aerospace company developing and manufacturing liquid propulsion systems for commercial, civil, and defense space applications. Our engineering and manufacturing teams work closely together throughout the full hardware lifecycle, giving engineers direct exposure to design, production, testing, and qualification.

Job Duties

• Design propulsion components, assemblies, tooling, fixtures, and supporting mechanical hardware
• Develop detailed 3D CAD models and production-ready engineering drawings
• Apply principles of mechanics, thermodynamics, and fluid dynamics to mechanical and propulsion system design
• Own mechanical designs from early concepts through detailed design, manufacturing, and hardware release
• Apply GD&T to clearly communicate design intent and ensure manufacturability
• Review drawings, models, and specifications for technical accuracy and compliance with engineering standards
• Lead and participate in conceptual, preliminary, and critical design reviews
• Work directly with manufacturing teams to resolve production issues and improve hardware producibility
• Support engineering change activity to improve performance, reliability, manufacturability, and cost
• Evaluate hardware nonconformances and provide technically sound dispositions
• Perform root cause analysis and assess technical, schedule, and manufacturing risks
• Collaborate with suppliers and external stakeholders to resolve technical issues
• Verify product definition is complete, properly dimensioned, manufacturable, and aligned with system requirements
• Mentor less experienced design engineers and provide technical guidance on mechanical design and engineering practices
• Support hardware assembly, validation, and qualification testing as needed

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline
• 4+ years of professional mechanical design or 3D CAD experience
• Strong experience designing complex mechanical components and assemblies
• Advanced knowledge of GD&T and ASME Y14.5
• Experience creating detailed engineering drawings suitable for manufacturing
• Strong understanding of aerospace materials, manufacturing processes, and surface treatments
• Experience designing tooling, fixtures, and supporting hardware for complex mechanical systems
• Ability to evaluate designs for manufacturability, reliability, performance, and cost
• Experience supporting hardware through manufacturing and resolving production issues
• Strong technical communication and documentation skills
• Ability to work on-site in Thousand Oaks, California
• Ability to meet U.S. export control requirements

Preferred Experience

• Mechanical design experience with rocket engines, spacecraft propulsion, or other fluid system hardware
• Creo Parametric and Windchill PLM experience
• Experience designing liquid propulsion components and assemblies
• Familiarity with valves, injectors, manifolds, combustion hardware, pressure vessels, or similar propulsion components
• Experience developing manufacturing tooling, assembly fixtures, and test hardware
• Experience supporting qualification and acceptance testing of aerospace hardware
• Background working closely with machining, additive manufacturing, or other aerospace manufacturing processes
• Experience mentoring or technically leading other mechanical engineers

Why Join Us

• 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off
• 10 to 12 company-paid holidays
• Vacation and sick leave
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Health savings account or flexible spending account
• Opportunity to own complex propulsion hardware from design through manufacturing and testing
• Broad technical responsibility within a growing aerospace organization

Compensation Details

$120,000 - $160,000