Senior Mechanical Engineer — Aerospace Motion Control

Salient Motion; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary + equity

100% company-paid healthcare

Job summary

Salient Motion is seeking a versatile engineer in Torrance, CA to lead full‑lifecycle hardware development for mission-critical flight components. You will convert ambiguous concepts into rigorous requirements and oversee hands-on assembly, environmental qualification, and test of hardware.

Responsibilities span architecture, precision mechanics, rugged avionics, and supplier coordination to ensure on‑time, compliant delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience through the full product lifecycle—from ideation to high-fidelity production.
• Deep intuition for electromagnetic principles and mastery of mechanical load paths.
• Proficiency in sizing analysis for strength, fatigue, and life cycles of actuator components.
• CAD mastery in SolidWorks or equivalent, including complex assemblies and configuration management.
• Manufacturing & GD&T: ASME Y14.5; produce high-quality 2D drawings and collaborate with vendors for DFM.
• Proven track record of qualifying hardware against DO-160 and MIL-STD-810.
• Grit: builder mindset, capable in both computer work and lab/debug tasks.

Responsibilities

• Translate mission needs into actionable requirements for electromechanical systems.
• Design and iterate electromagnetic actuators and mechanisms (gears, bearings, screws, brakes, encoders).
• Develop rugged avionics enclosures with advanced thermal management and structural survivability.
• Architect test equipment and methodologies for hardware qualification per DO-160 and MIL-STD-810.
• Act as technical anchor across the organization to guide integration and testing.
• Collaborate with external suppliers to ensure conforming hardware and manage deviations.
• Hands-on responsibility for the design-build-test cycle of prototypes.

Skills

EM principles

Mechanical load paths

Sizing analysis

SolidWorks

ASME Y14.5 GD&T

DFM collaboration

Aerospace/DoD qualification

Builder mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Job description

Salient Motion is seeking a versatile engineer in Torrance, CA to lead full‑lifecycle hardware development for mission-critical flight components. You will convert ambiguous concepts into rigorous requirements and oversee hands-on assembly, environmental qualification, and test of hardware.

Responsibilities span architecture, precision mechanics, rugged avionics, and supplier coordination to ensure on‑time, compliant delivery.