Senior Mechanical Engineer

CultureMill Recruiting; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

CultureMill Recruiting seeks a Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead the mechanical design of highly automated production systems in Los Angeles, contributing to AI-driven factory solutions for rockets and frontier hardware. You will architect mechanical, robotic, or industrial automation systems and own hardware from concept to production.

You will collaborate across disciplines, applying strong CAD fundamentals, GD&T, and hands-on validation to deliver reliable, manufacturable systems.

Qualifications

• BS in mechanical engineering or related field; advanced degree a plus.
• 5+ years designing and developing mechanical systems.
• Strong CAD skills, including GD&T and detailed drawing documentation.
• Solid ME fundamentals and extensive hands-on hardware development experience.
• Systems thinker able to go deep on details and deliver complex mechanical systems.
• Bonus: 10+ years designing capital equipment for semiconductor, robotics, CNC, automation, or materials processing.

Responsibilities

• Act as responsible engineer for hardware from concept through production.
• Research, design, and test complex mechanical components, subassemblies, equipment, and full systems.
• Run tolerance analysis at the system and subsystem level.
• Plan and execute tests to prove out feasibility, performance, and reliability.
• Build, integrate, and validate new systems hands-on.
• Drive continuous improvement in system performance, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Collaborate closely with electrical, software, and process engineers on integrated systems.

Skills

Mechanical design experience

CAD skills

Systems thinking

Hands-on hardware development

Tolerance analysis

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Education

BS in mechanical engineering

Advanced degree (plus)

Tools

CAD tools

Job description

The most advanced hardware in the world is being held back by how it gets made. Our client is fixing that. From their facility at the heart of LA's hard-tech corridor, they're building AI-driven factories that produce precision components for rockets, defense systems, and the next generation of frontier hardware. Their platform combines proprietary production hardware with real-time sensing, machine learning, and on-site GPU compute, so the factory sees, learns, and corrects as every part is built. Backed by top-tier investors including NVIDIA, the company is past proof-of-concept: demand outpaces capacity, and the team is scaling fast.

As a Senior Mechanical Engineer, you'll lead mechanical design for complex, highly automated production systems, and you'll set the pace for how fast hardware moves from idea to production. This role calls for broad mechanical engineering range plus deep expertise in architecting complex mechanical, robotic, or industrial automation systems. You'll be the technical lead on a major system, working across disciplines and getting your hands dirty building and validating what you design. No manufacturing background required, just strong fundamentals and a builder's mindset.

What You'll Do

• Act as responsible engineer for hardware from concept through production
• Research, design, and test complex mechanical components, subassemblies, equipment, and full systems
• Run tolerance analysis at the system and subsystem level
• Plan and execute tests to prove out feasibility, performance, and reliability
• Build, integrate, and validate new systems hands-on
• Drive continuous improvement in system performance, reliability, and manufacturability
• Collaborate closely with electrical, software, and process engineers on integrated systems

Who You Are

• BS in mechanical engineering or a related field (advanced degree a plus)
• 5+ years designing and developing mechanical systems
• Strong CAD skills, including GD&T and detailed drawing documentation
• Solid ME fundamentals and extensive hands-on hardware development experience
• A systems-level thinker who can also go deep on details, with a track record of delivering complex mechanical systems
• Bonus: 10+ years designing capital equipment for semiconductor, robotics, CNC, automation, materials processing, or other industrial manufacturing
• Bonus: motion control and kinematics, fluid or thermal system design, or electromechanical systems
• Able to work on-site in Los Angeles five days a week, and a U.S. person (U.S. citizen or green card holder) per ITAR requirements