Senior Mechanical Engineer: Aerospace Rotating Machines

InvestedintheMission; Petaluma (CA); On-site; USD 123,000 - 187,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental & Vision

401K with company matching

9/80 work schedule

Paid holiday shutdown

Job summary

AeroVironment is seeking a Sr. Mechanical Engineer in the California area to drive design, analysis, and testing of mechanical and packaging solutions for aerospace electronics.

You will lead development, specify tolerances, and coordinate subcontractors to deliver robust hardware for mission-critical applications. Role requires 8–12 years in mechanical engineering with strong experience in producing rotating electrical machines, thermal management, and MIL-STD 961D compliance.

Qualifications

• 8–12 years of relevant mechanical engineering experience, including 5+ years in production rotating electrical machines, electronics packaging, or related mechanical devices for industrial/aerospace applications.
• Experience developing mechanical subsystem requirements per MIL-STD 961D or equivalent.
• Proficiency with CAD/CAE tools: SolidWorks for modeling; ANSYS for structural/fatigue; ANSYS Icepak for thermal analysis.
• Experience with thermal management tradeoffs, materials properties, and bonding techniques for extreme environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead or support thermal, structural, dynamic, and fluid flow analyses for electronics equipment.
• Lead testing and data collection in lab and field environments.
• Model mechanical devices and select appropriate materials.
• Perform stress, fatigue, and thermal analyses; select bonding materials.
• Develop mechanical drawings and specify tolerances; write assembly instructions and test procedures.
• Develop test plans to verify designs and ensure quality, collaborating with teammates and subcontractors as needed.
• Coordinate team activities, manage schedules and resources, and supervise others as needed.
• Address complex issues with deep technical knowledge and independent problem solving.

Skills

Mechanical design experience

Thermal analysis

Fatigue analysis

Materials selection

Vendor coordination

Documentation & BOM

Education

MS degree in Mechanical Engineering

ASME senior membership (desirable)

Tools

SolidWorks

ANSYS

ANSYS Icepack

Job description

AeroVironment is seeking a Sr. Mechanical Engineer in the California area to drive design, analysis, and testing of mechanical and packaging solutions for aerospace electronics.

You will lead development, specify tolerances, and coordinate subcontractors to deliver robust hardware for mission-critical applications. Role requires 8–12 years in mechanical engineering with strong experience in producing rotating electrical machines, thermal management, and MIL-STD 961D compliance.