Senior Mechanical Engineer

Salient Motion, Inc.; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

100% company-paid healthcare

Flexible PTO

401K

Job summary

Salient Motion, Inc. is seeking an experienced Engineer to lead the development of mission-critical hardware for aerospace and defense applications.

The role covers the full lifecycle from concept to flight hardware assembly and qualification. You will translate high-level needs into detailed requirements, design electromagnetic actuators and precision mechanisms, and ensure ruggedized avionics enclosures with advanced thermal management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of experience through the full product lifecycle—from ideation to production.
• Deep understanding of electromagnetic principles and mechanical load paths.

Responsibilities

• Translate mission needs into actionable functional and operational requirements for electromechanical systems.
• Design and iterate electromagnetic actuators and intricate mechanisms.
• Develop ruggedized avionics enclosures with thermal management and high-vibration survivability.
• Architect test equipment for DO-160 and MIL-STD-810 hardware qualification.
• Lead cross functional teams and coordinate with suppliers to ensure quality hardware.

Skills

EM principles

Load paths

Grit

System integration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline

Tools

SolidWorks

GD&T

3D modeling

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 motor control technology, 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 are open to relocating you
• We have great benefits
• We are well funded, and already generating revenue
• We are located in beautiful Hawthorne, CA and just moved into a new large hangar facility

What You’ll Do

We are seeking a versatile, high-impact 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.

• Requirements Architecture: Translate high-level, ambiguous mission needs into actionable functional and operational requirements for complex electromechanical systems.
• 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.
• Ruggedized Avionics: Develop high-performance avionics enclosures, focusing on innovative thermal management (heat rejection) and structural survivability in extreme, high-vibration, or vacuum environments.
• 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 and supporting multidisciplinary teams through complex system testing.
• 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.
• Experience: 5+ years of experience through the full product lifecycle—from initial ideation and prototyping to high-fidelity production.
• Technical Expertise: A deep intuition for electromagnetic principles and a mastery of mechanical load paths and load cases.
• 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 complex assemblies 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, writing formal procedures, and executing complex qualification test campaigns.
• Gearbox Specialization: Detailed knowledge of AGMA Standards, gearbox design analysis (ratios, backlash, lubrication), and specialized fabrication methods.
• Process Versatility: Experience navigating both high-compliance, "heavy" programs and fast-paced, lean R&D environments.

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.

• We offer competitive compensation: $160,000 to $190,000 base salary + equity
• Exceptional healthcare benefits, Medical is 100% covered by the company
• Flexible PTO
• 401K
• More to come!