Senior Mechanical Engineer - Defense Airframes & Actuation

Heaviside Industries, Inc.; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Heaviside Industries in Los Angeles, CA, seeks a senior mechanical design engineer to own airframe structures and payload packaging from concept to production. You will lead structural analysis, ensure MIL-STD-810 compliance, and drive manufacturability with in-house teams on advanced munitions hardware.

The role requires 10+ years of defense/aerospace experience, expert CAD skills (NX/SolidWorks/CATIA), and strong FEA capability. ITAR compliance and mentoring of engineers are expected.

Qualifications

• 10+ years mechanical design experience in defense or aerospace hardware.
• Ownership of complete mechanical subsystems: requirements, design, analysis, qualification test, and production release.
• Expert 3D CAD proficiency (NX preferred; SolidWorks or CATIA acceptable) and strict GD&T per ASME Y14.5.
• Strong structural analysis capability including FEA (Nastran/ANSYS/Abaqus) tested against results.
• Hands-on experience with composite and machined-metallic airframes and fabrication methods.
• Experience qualifying hardware to MIL-STD-810 environments (shock, vibration).
• BONUS: folding aerosurfaces, tube-launched packaging, deployment mechanisms for munitions/UAS
• BONUS: in-house or rate manufacturing support for defense hardware.
• U.S. Person as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.62)

Responsibilities

• Own the mechanical design of munition airframe structures, mechanisms, and payload packaging from concept through production at Heaviside's in-house LA factory.
• Lead structural design and analysis — hand calculations and FEA — for airframes subject to launch loads, flight loads, and terminal conditions.
• Design for the tactical environment: MIL-STD-810-compliant shock, vibration, temperature, and moisture, with qualification campaigns.
• Drive design-for-manufacture across composites, machined metals, and additive processes with in-house production teams.
• Own thermal management design for dense avionics and RF payload packaging in small airframes.
• Develop single-use-reliability mechanisms: wing/fin deployment, tube-launch packaging, folding aerosurfaces, actuation systems.
• Release production-ready drawing packages with GD&T per ASME Y14.5, and mentor engineers across the mechanical team.

Skills

10+ years aerospace/defense design

Subsystem ownership

Familiar with MIL-STD-810

GD&T per ASME Y14.5

3D CAD aptitude

Systems integration

Tools

NX CAD

SolidWorks

CATIA

Nastran

ANSYS

Abaqus

Job description

Heaviside Industries in Los Angeles, CA, seeks a senior mechanical design engineer to own airframe structures and payload packaging from concept to production. You will lead structural analysis, ensure MIL-STD-810 compliance, and drive manufacturability with in-house teams on advanced munitions hardware.

The role requires 10+ years of defense/aerospace experience, expert CAD skills (NX/SolidWorks/CATIA), and strong FEA capability. ITAR compliance and mentoring of engineers are expected.