Lead Mechanical Engineer

wardstone.space•El Segundo, CA

11d

About The Position

The Lead Mechanical Engineer will own the interceptor’s structural and mechanical systems, including the airframe, internal structure, mechanisms, and launcher interface. The role leads a team of five mechanical engineers, with additional team members to be hired, and works closely with the founders and propulsion, aerodynamics, controls, and electrical engineers. The interceptor must withstand extreme launch, aerodynamic, vibration, and thermal loads while meeting strict volume and interface limits imposed by existing launchers. The engineer will take hardware from initial concept through ground testing and live flight. The position includes leading and growing the mechanical engineering team, establishing engineering standards and practices, and managing the mechanical schedule and technical risks. It also involves designing and analyzing interceptor structures and mechanisms, maintaining the master vehicle CAD assembly and mass properties, coordinating mechanical integration with other engineering disciplines, and selecting materials for demanding applications. The engineer will manage vendors and machine shops, plan and conduct tests, develop supporting fixtures and rigs, and work hands-on in the in-house shop when needed.

Requirements

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.
Expertise in CAD, including large, complex vehicle assemblies.
Expertise in structural analysis, including FEA for static, dynamic, and vibration loads.
Strong material selection experience for high-stress aerospace applications.
Comfort 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, such as MIL-STD-810 thermal, vibration, and shock testing.
Experience designing and building structural test rigs.
Prior early-stage startup experience.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and grow the mechanical engineering team, including hiring, setting priorities, and reviewing designs.
Establish engineering standards for CAD and drawings, GD&T, design reviews, analysis documentation, and configuration control.
Own the mechanical schedule and technical risks, and communicate tradeoffs to founders and other teams.
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 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.
Coordinate with propulsion and aerodynamics on thermal loads, structural margins, and drag.
Coordinate with electrical and controls teams to package, route, and mount avionics, harnesses, and actuators.
Choose materials for high-performance applications, including composites, high-strength alloys, and high-temperature materials.
Manage vendors and machine shops and ensure quality and tolerance requirements are met.
Design and run structural, vibration, and environmental tests, and build supporting fixtures and rigs.
Work hands-on in the in-house shop when speed matters.