Forward Deployed Engineer
About The Position
The founding mechanical engineer will work directly with the founder to solve aerospace and defense hardware challenges while collaborating with the software team to develop an AI-enabled engineering platform. The role starts with structural and dynamics work on flight hardware for paying customers and evolves toward translating engineering workflows into platform requirements and automation capabilities. As the company grows, the engineer will take ownership of customer accounts and may lead delivery across customers and engineers. The position combines hands-on mechanical engineering with software-oriented workflow development. Work includes structures, dynamics, loads, mechanisms, finite element analysis, engineering margin policies, design reviews, trade studies, test planning, and resolving flight hardware issues. The engineer will also develop scripts and AI agent workflows, collaborate with the software team to validate platform features against real engineering work, and manage customer calls, deliverables, and project scope once fully ramped. This is a full-time hybrid role based in Long Beach, California, with remote work, regular in-person collaboration with the founder in the Los Angeles area, and onsite work at customer facilities, primarily in California. Compensation is a base salary of $95,000–$130,000, depending on degree and experience, with equity available as part of the package.
Requirements
- Master’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering, with new graduates welcome, or a bachelor’s degree plus a few years of experience in a demanding hardware environment.
- Knowledge of structures and dynamics.
- Hands-on finite element analysis experience using Ansys, Abaqus, NX/Simcenter, Femap, or similar tools.
- Practical engineering approach grounded in first principles.
- Hands-on record of successfully building hardware through professional work, laboratory projects, or competition teams.
- Regular use of software-driven approaches in hardware workflows, such as Python, TypeScript, Docker, or similar technologies.
- Ability to turn incomplete direction into progress, take initiative, and work effectively amid ambiguity and changing priorities.
- U.S. citizenship required.
Nice To Haves
- Aerospace or defense internship experience.
- Familiarity with APIs for mechanical engineering tools.
- Active use of AI agents in work and interest in advances in agent-enabled engineering and development.
- Competition-team hardware experience, such as rocketry, CubeSat, or Formula SAE.
Responsibilities
- Solve mechanical hardware challenges across aerospace and defense, including structures, dynamics, loads, and mechanisms.
- Develop load cases; create, process, and interpret finite element models; establish engineering margin policies; and resolve critical flight hardware issues for customers.
- Conduct design reviews, trade studies, and test planning for structures and mechanisms.
- Turn inputs such as CAD, FEA results, test data, spreadsheets, and technical conversations into clear engineering conclusions and automated workflows.
- Develop scripts and AI agent workflows to automate engineering checks that are otherwise performed manually.
- Partner with the software team to translate engineering workflows into platform features and validate them against real engineering work.
- Manage customer calls, deliverables, and project scope once fully ramped.
- Initially work side by side with the founder on customer programs, then take independent ownership of customer accounts.
Benefits
- Equity available as part of the compensation package.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
