Senior Mechanical Engineer

Wardstone; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Responsibilities include designing subsystems, running structural, vibration, shock and thermal analyses (hand calcs and FEA), producing production‑ready CAD drawings with GD&T, and contributing to vehicle‑level loads, margins and mass properties. You’ll work with vendors, build test fixtures, and mentor junior engineers as the team grows.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in flight or high-load hardware design.
• Own at least one subsystem from design to test.
• Strong CAD with GD&T for complex assemblies.
• Structural analysis with hand calcs and FEA for static, dynamic and vibration loads.
• High-stress aerospace materials experience.
• Hands-on shop and test environment.

Responsibilities

• Own the design of assigned structures and mechanisms from requirements through flight hardware.
• Run structural, vibration, shock, and thermal analyses on subsystems (hand calcs and FEA).
• Produce production-ready CAD models and drawings with GD&T.
• Contribute to vehicle-level loads, margins and mass properties.
• Work with vendors and machine shops to fabricate parts on time.
• Design test fixtures and rigs, run tests and use results to improve designs.
• Build and modify hardware in-house and mentor junior engineers.

Skills

CAD skills

FEA

GD&T

Structural analysis

Materials selection

Hands-on hardware

Shop environment

Mentoring

Design reviews

Education

B.S. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

MIL-STD testing

Job description

Overview

You will own major structural and mechanical subsystems on the interceptor, such as airframe sections, internal structure, fin actuation, separation mechanisms, or the launcher interface. You’ll take them from first concept through analysis, fabrication, ground test, and live flight. You’ll report to the Mechanical Engineering Lead and work alongside the founders and the propulsion, aerodynamics, controls, and electrical engineers. The vehicle has to survive extreme launch, aerodynamic, vibration, and thermal loads. It also has to fit hard volume and interface limits set by existing launchers. At our stage, you’ll have real ownership: your designs will fly.

What You’ll Do

Design subsystems

• Own the design of your assigned structures and mechanisms from requirements through flight hardware.
• Run structural, vibration, shock, and thermal analysis on your subsystems, including hand calculations and FEA.
• Produce production-ready CAD models and drawings with GD&T, following the team’s standards.
• Contribute to vehicle-level work, including OML trades, loads analysis, and mass properties.

Integrate with other teams

• Work with propulsion and aerodynamics on thermal loads, structural margins, and interfaces.
• Work with electrical and controls to package, route, and mount avionics, harnesses, and actuators.

Build and test

• Select materials and processes for your hardware, including composites, high-strength alloys, and high-temperature materials.
• Work directly with vendors and machine shops to get parts made correctly and on time.
• Design test fixtures and rigs, run structural and environmental tests, and use the results to improve your designs.
• Build and modify hardware yourself in our in-house shop.

Help raise the bar

• Present your work in design reviews and give useful reviews of others’ work.
• Help shape team practices, and mentor junior engineers as the team grows.

Required Qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience designing flight or high-load hardware.
• Has owned at least one subsystem from design through test.
• Strong CAD skills, including complex assemblies and drawings with GD&T.
• Strong structural analysis skills, including hand calculations and FEA for static, dynamic, and vibration loads.
• Material selection experience for high-stress aerospace applications.
• Comfortable working hands-on with hardware in a shop and test environment.
• Must be a U.S. person as defined by ITAR (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual). [Must be eligible to obtain a U.S. security clearance.]

Nice to Have

• Hardware experience on missiles, rockets, UAVs, or other high-speed aerospace vehicles.
• Mechanism design experience, such as actuators, deployables, or separation systems.
• Manual or CNC mill and lathe proficiency.
• Experience with MIL-STD environmental testing (e.g., MIL-STD-810: thermal, vibration, shock).
• Experience designing and building your own structural test rigs.
• Prior early-stage startup experience.

Compensation

The base pay range for this role is $140,000 – $170,000 per year.