Senior Mechanical Design Engineer Aerospace & UAV Systems

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer - Aerospace & UAV Systems BlackStar - 4.8 Los Angeles, CA Job Details Full-time $210,000 - $230,000 a year 4 hours ago Qualifications Rapid prototyping Mechanical fabrication English GD&T Mechanical drawings 3D printing Design engineering Prototype creation Manual machining Prototypes Full Job Description Overview We are building a safety-critical electromechanical system integrated into a small UAV platform. This role owns the end-to-end mechanical design of ruggedized, field-deployed hardware, including structural design, internal mechanisms, and mechanical safety architecture. The system must reliably withstand vibration, shock, environmental exposure, and handling while maintaining strict fail-safe behavior across all operating states. You will be responsible for taking mechanical systems from concept through CAD, prototyping, validation testing, and production handoff in a fast-iteration, small-team engineering environment. Key Responsibilities Design mechanical assemblies including housings, internal structures, and actuation/safety mechanisms using parametric CAD tools. Develop mechanical safety architecture in collaboration with electrical and software teams (interlocks, fail-safe geometry, mechanical state constraints). Define materials, finishes, tolerances, fasteners, and mechanical interfaces for harsh operating environments. Build and iterate prototypes using in-house fabrication (3D printing, CNC machining, basic manual machining). Execute mechanical validation testing including drop, shock, vibration, and environmental qualification. Produce manufacturing-ready documentation (GD&T drawings, tolerance stacks, BOMs, and DFM packages). Own system mass properties and center-of-gravity budgets for UAV integration. Collaborate cross-functionally on system integration (PCB constraints, connectors, harness routing, mechanical actuation interfaces). Support vendor engagement for machining, injection molding, and production scaling. Required Qualifications 5+ years of mechanical design experience in field-deployed, rugged, or regulated industries (UAV, aerospace, defense, automotive, or industrial systems). Strong proficiency in parametric CAD (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Onshape, Creo, NX, etc.). Experience producing manufacturing-ready drawings (GD&T, tolerance analysis, fits, surface finishes). Hands-on prototyping experience (3D printing, CNC machining, mill/lathe familiarity). Strong understanding of failure modes and design-for-reliability principles.

Demonstrated end-to-end ownership:

concept design prototype test production transfer. Strong written and verbal English communication skills. Preferred Qualifications Experience with safety-critical mechanical systems (fail-safe mechanisms, safety interlocks, or similar regulated hardware). Familiarity with environmental/qualification standards (MIL-STD-810 or equivalent). Experience with FEA / structural simulation (Ansys, SolidWorks Simulation, or similar). DFM experience for injection molding, metal casting, or precision manufacturing. Background in UAV/FPV systems or mass/CG-sensitive mechanical design. Work Environment Small, high-ownership engineering team with fast iteration cycles (weekly hardware builds). Close collaboration between mechanical, electrical, and software engineers. Strong emphasis on test-driven design, rapid prototyping, and production readiness. Engineers are expected to own systems end-to-end and actively challenge design constraints when needed. Location & Onsite Requirement Full-time onsite role (5 days/week). Mandatory 1-month onsite training in Kearneysville, West Virginia . After training, relocation to and onsite work from one of the following hubs: San Francisco Bay Area, CA Los Angeles, CA Washington, DC Metro Area Candidates must be willing to relocate; relocation assistance is not provided. Mechanical Design Engineer, UAV mechanical engineer, aerospace hardware engineer, safety-critical systems, CAD design engineer, SolidWorks, GD&T, DFM engineer, prototyping engineer, CNC machining, UAV payload design, rugged systems engineer, mechanical systems engineer, FEA engineer, defense hardware engineering.