Senior Mechanical Design Engineer [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

About Odys

At Odys, we’re mobilizing power, with Hybrid Power Systems developed for aerospace and in-demand everywhere. It’s the kind of mission diversity that demands a fresh way of thinking.

We began with an early bet on hybrid, when the mobility industry was focused on batteries. We designed, tested, and validated our first 1 MW high-speed generator in 12 months. And then we pushed further, developing systems with greater power density in less time. Today, our Hybrid Power Systems offer outputs ranging from 20 kW to 4 MW, with applications in the air or on the ground.

One of those applications is Laila, an unmanned drone designed for critical logistics and defense missions. With its 100 kW-class onboard Hybrid Power System, Laila can support medical cold-chain transport or serve as an aerial platform for counter-UAS measures.

The market interest has been overwhelming: Over 30 inbound requests from leading US and global manufacturers, and 14+ DoD contracts.

Our team comes from deep tech and aerospace, with backgrounds spanning drone and aircraft development, high-volume production, and electrified mobility.

We operate with urgency and ownership at every level. We validated high-speed generator technology faster than our peers, not because we skipped steps, but because we've been doing this long enough to know which ones matter most.

Creating the future of power, in the air and on the ground, is a challenge we’ve been training our entire lives for. If that sounds like you, this is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.

About The Role

Odys Aviation is seeking a senior level Mechanical Design Engineer to join our Propulsion Team. In this role, you will design, analyze, and integrate mechanical and thermal systems that support high-power hybrid-electric propulsion, including motors, generators, inverters, turbines and their supporting structures and cooling systems.

You’ll work closely with electrical, manufacturing, test, and flight teams. This is a hands-on role with ownership of critical hardware, where you will play a key role as we mature our propulsion systems.

What You’ll Do

• 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

What We’re Looking For

• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field


• Experience with high speed rotating machinery and associated challenges (ex. vibration, critical speed, dynamic balancing, bearings/seals)


• 5+ min years of experience in mechanical design of complex systems


• Demonstrated experience owning and delivering on a critical assembly or subsystem with ownership from concept through build, test through production


• Proficiency in 3D CAD (NX preferred) and creating production-quality drawings with GD&T


• Strong understanding of tolerance stack-ups and real-world fit/integration challenges


• Experience designing for a range of manufacturing processes (machining, sheet metal, additive, etc.)


• Hands-on experience building, testing, and troubleshooting hardware


• Comfortable working on electromechanical systems (motors, power electronics, rotating machinery, batteries, cooling systems, etc.)


• Demonstrated ability to debug issues, perform root cause analysis, and drive corrective actions


• Experience working in fast-pace, iterative hardware development environments


• Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and bias toward action


• Clear communicator who collaborates effectively across multidisciplinary teams


• Technical leadership experience (ex. leading design reviews, mentoring engineers, or setting technical standards for the team)

Nice to Have

• Experience with propulsion systems or electromechanical systems


• Background in thermal management of high-power systems (liquid cooling, forced air, heat exchangers)


• Experience with rotor dynamics or vibration analysis tools (e.g., modal analysis, critical-speed analysis)


• Experience performing thermal and/or structural analysis (FEA, analytical modeling, or CFD)


• Experience supporting prototype builds and early production environments


• Familiarity with PLM systems (Teamcenter preferred)


• Background in aerospace, automotive (EV/powertrain), robotics, or similar high-performance hardware industries

Compensation Range: $125K - $200K