Senior Tooling Design Engineer – Ground Support

Antares; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Antares in Torrance, CA is seeking a senior mechanical engineer to own the design, fabrication, qualification and deployment of tooling and ground support equipment for R1 microreactors. You will partner with manufacturing, test, reactor hardware, operations and quality teams to translate needs into practical engineering solutions.

With 8+ years in mechanical hardware design and strong 3D CAD skills (Siemens NX preferred), you will develop fixtures, lifting devices, and fixtures, ensuring

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 8+ years of experience designing mechanical hardware, tooling, fixtures, ground support equipment, manufacturing equipment, or similar systems.
• Strong 3D CAD skills and experience developing production-quality engineering drawings; Siemens NX experience is preferred but not required.
• Demonstrated ability to take mechanical designs from initial concept through detailed design, fabrication, assembly, and implementation.

Responsibilities

• Own the design, development, fabrication, qualification, and implementation of tooling and ground support equipment required to manufacture, assemble, test, transport, install, service, and ultimately decommission Antares R1 microreactors.
• Work directly with manufacturing, test, reactor hardware, operations, quality, and deployment teams to understand how hardware will actually be built and handled, identify tooling needs, and translate those needs into practical engineering solutions.
• Develop tooling concepts from first principles, balancing safety, usability, manufacturability, schedule, cost, reliability, and the constraints of both factory and field environments.
• Create detailed 3D CAD models, assemblies, and engineering drawings for fixtures, handling equipment, lifting devices, assembly tooling, test support equipment, transportation fixtures, installation equipment, and other specialized mechanical systems. Siemens NX experience is preferred.
• Perform mechanical design and basic engineering analysis necessary to ensure tooling is structurally adequate, stable, safe to operate, and appropriate for its intended loads and environments.
• Design tooling with the operator in mind, including ergonomics, access, alignment, tolerance stack‑up, repeatability, mistake‑proofing, inspection access, maintainability, and efficient integration into manufacturing and test workflows.
• Take designs beyond the drawing package by working hands‑on with machinists, welders, technicians, suppliers, and engineers to fabricate, assemble, troubleshoot, modify, and commission tooling.
• Direct and support the initial use of new tooling on the factory floor and at deployment sites, incorporating operator feedback and observed performance into rapid design improvements.
• Develop ground support equipment and handling solutions for large, heavy, sensitive, or high‑value reactor hardware, including equipment used for lifting, positioning, alignment, transportation, installation, and removal.
• Support integrated reactor and subsystem testing by developing fixtures, test stands, interfaces, temporary structures, and other equipment needed to safely configure and operate development and qualification hardware.
• Develop tooling and equipment required for reactor transportation and site deployment, accounting for packaging, shipping, field handling, limited site infrastructure, environmental conditions, and installation sequence.
• Partner with deployment and reactor engineering teams to develop tooling concepts and procedures for future maintenance, removal, and decommissioning activities so that lifecycle handling considerations are incorporated into the reactor design early.
• Generate and maintain complete engineering definition for tooling, including drawings, bills of material, specifications, load requirements, operating limits, inspection requirements, and supporting documentation.
• Work closely with suppliers and internal fabrication teams to source components and manufacture tooling, resolving fabrication issues and making practical design decisions that maintain schedule without sacrificing safety or functionality.
• Develop operating instructions, checkout requirements, and safe‑use criteria for specialized tooling and support training of technicians and operators responsible for its use.
• Participate in design reviews, build readiness reviews, test readiness activities, and field planning to ensure the equipment required to safely execute the work is identified and available before it becomes a schedule constraint.
• Identify opportunities to simplify reactor assembly, test, transportation, and installation through improved tooling, automation, mechanization, or changes to the product design itself.
• Serve as a hands‑on technical owner for tooling throughout its lifecycle, from initial concept through fabrication, use, modification, maintenance, and retirement.

Skills

Mechanical design

3D CAD

Siemens NX

Ground support equipment

Manufacturing equipment

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Related technical discipline

Tools

Siemens NX

Job description

Antares in Torrance, CA is seeking a senior mechanical engineer to own the design, fabrication, qualification and deployment of tooling and ground support equipment for R1 microreactors. You will partner with manufacturing, test, reactor hardware, operations and quality teams to translate needs into practical engineering solutions.

With 8+ years in mechanical hardware design and strong 3D CAD skills (Siemens NX preferred), you will develop fixtures, lifting devices, and fixtures, ensuring