Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, High-Power Propulsion

Odys Aviation; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Odys Aviation in California seeks a senior Mechanical Design Engineer to design, analyze, and integrate mechanical and thermal systems for high-power hybrid-electric propulsion. You will work with electrical, manufacturing, test, and flight teams on motors, generators, inverters, turbines and their cooling systems.

You’ll own critical hardware from concept through build, test to production, mentoring junior engineers and shaping propulsion design standards.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience with high speed rotating machinery and associated challenges (e.g. vibration, critical speed, dynamic balancing, bearings/seals)
• 5+ years of mechanical design experience on complex systems
• Proficiency in 3D CAD (NX preferred) and GD&T for production-quality drawings
• Experience designing for multiple manufacturing processes (machining, sheet metal, additive) and hands-on hardware involvement

Responsibilities

• Lead design and analysis of rotating machinery subsystems (turbines, motors, generators), addressing vibration, dynamic balancing, and bearing/seal challenges
• Drive resolution of real hardware issues discovered during prototype and early production builds
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to mid-level and junior engineers
• Contribute to planning and technical strategy for the propulsion team, including design reviews and technical standards
• Create and maintain 3D CAD models and 2D drawings, including GD&T and tolerance stackups
• Perform DFM/DFA trade studies, balancing weight, cost, thermal performance, reliability, and manufacturability
• Work with suppliers and internal teams to assess manufacturing feasibility, refine designs, and rapidly resolve build issues
• Support hands-on prototype assembly, integration, and test, including debugging and root cause analysis
• Conduct engineering analysis using a mix of hand calculations and FEA to inform design decisions
• Implement and refine thermal management strategies (air and/or liquid cooling, heat sinks, TIMs, enclosures, insulation)
• Translate test data and build feedback into actionable design improvements
• Document designs, analyses, and design changes clearly to support team alignment and future production

Skills

3D CAD

GD&T

Root cause analysis

Hands-on hardware

Prototype testing

Education

B.S./M.S. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

NX CAD

Teamcenter

Job description

Odys Aviation in California seeks a senior Mechanical Design Engineer to design, analyze, and integrate mechanical and thermal systems for high-power hybrid-electric propulsion. You will work with electrical, manufacturing, test, and flight teams on motors, generators, inverters, turbines and their cooling systems.

You’ll own critical hardware from concept through build, test to production, mentoring junior engineers and shaping propulsion design standards.