Lead Mechanical Engineer
Wardstone · El Segundo, United States
Overview
You will own every structural and mechanical system on the interceptor: the airframe, internal structure, mechanisms, and the interface to the launcher. You will lead a team of ~5 mechanical engineers.
The vehicle has to survive extreme launch, aerodynamic, vibration, and thermal loads. It also has to fit hard volume and interface limits set by existing launchers. You’ll work directly with the founders and with the propulsion, aerodynamics, controls, and electrical engineers. You’ll take hardware from first concept through ground test to live flight.
What You Will Do
Lead the Mechanical Team- Lead, mentor, and grow the mechanical engineering team, including hiring, setting priorities, and reviewing designs.
- Set the team’s engineering standards: CAD and drawing practices, GD&T, design reviews, analysis documentation, and configuration control.
- Own the mechanical schedule and technical risks, and give clear tradeoffs to founders and other teams.
Design our Interceptors- Size the airframe and structures for launch, flight, and maneuver loads.
- Lead structural, vibration, shock, and aeroelastic analysis across every phase of flight.
- Own the outer mold line (OML) together with the aerodynamics team, balancing aerodynamic performance, kinematics, and internal volume.
- Design primary and secondary structures, hardpoints, brackets, and mechanisms, including [fin actuation, separation, and canister/launcher interfaces].
- Own the master vehicle CAD assembly and mass properties.
Integrate with other teams- Work with propulsion and aerodynamics to handle thermal loads, structural margins, and drag.
- Work with electrical and controls to package, route, and mount avionics, harnesses, and actuators.
Build and test- Choose materials for high-performance applications, such as composites, high-strength alloys, and high-temperature materials.
- Manage vendors and machine shops, and hold them to quality and tolerance requirements.
- Design and run structural, vibration, and environmental tests, and build the fixtures and rigs to support them.
- Get hands-on in our in-house shop when speed matters.
Required Qualifications
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
- 7+ years of experience designing flight or high-load hardware.
- Experience leading engineers or owning a major subsystem from design through test.
- Expert in CAD, including large, complex vehicle assemblies.
- Expert in structural analysis, including FEA for static, dynamic, and vibration loads.
- Strong material selection experience for high-stress aerospace applications.
- Comfortable working hands-on with hardware in a shop and test environment.
- Must be a U.S. person as defined by ITAR (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual).
Nice to Haves
- Hardware experience on missiles, rockets, UAVs, or other high-speed aerospace vehicles.
- Manual or CNC mill and lathe proficiency.
- Experience with MIL-STD environmental testing (e.g., MIL-STD-810: thermal, vibration, shock).
- Experience designing and building your own structural test rigs.
- Prior early-stage startup experience.
CompensationThe base pay range for this role is $180,000 – $240,000 per year.