Principal Mechanical Engineer
About The Position
RedCat Aerial, a subsidiary of Red Cat Holdings, is a growing drone technology company that manufactures Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for defense, public safety, and other government security organizations. The Principal Mechanical Engineer designs, prototypes, fabricates, tests, and integrates mechanical systems into flight hardware and ground control systems. The role serves as a technical authority for mechanical and system-level changes, leads mechanically focused projects, and advises the business on new ideas and products. The position is based at Flightwave in Torrance, California. The engineer designs UAS electro-mechanical systems in SolidWorks, validates designs, and prepares them for scalable manufacturing through DFMEA, new product introduction (NPI), and sustaining processes. The role also involves building manufacturing tools and fixtures, qualifying vendors and manufacturing partners, preparing technical and production documentation, and participating hands-on in NPI by building hardware systems.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field.
- 10+ years of industry experience in a design-focused engineering role.
- Demonstrated experience leading a team or project from cradle to grave.
- Demonstrated teamwork and collaboration abilities with a clear communication strategy.
- Strong problem-solving, written communication, and verbal communication skills.
- 10+ years of hands-on experience with SolidWorks or comparable CAD platforms such as NX, Creo, or AutoCAD.
- Ability to drive system-level architecture decisions and support full-lifecycle product development using systems engineering principles.
- Ability to perform FEA, including modal, thermal, and aerodynamic analysis.
- Experience designing for high-rate production, including rapid prototyping and new product development.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with BLDC motor system design and integration.
- Background in flexible PCB and cable routing design for high-reliability motion systems.
- Experience in robotics, UAVs/drones, or related industries.
- Familiarity with camera systems and other optical components.
- Experience supporting PCBA layout and production from a mechanical engineering perspective.
- Experience with microcontroller programming for test fixtures, production systems, or related hardware.
- Knowledge of structural composite design, such as fiberglass or carbon fiber, and composite mold design.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the technical authority for mechanical and system-level changes.
- Lead mechanically focused projects and advise the business on new ideas and products.
- Design electro-mechanical systems for UAS in SolidWorks.
- Prototype and validate designs and prepare them for scalable manufacturing through DFMEA, NPI, and sustaining processes.
- Develop and build manufacturing tools, fixtures, and automation jigs.
- Identify and qualify vendors and manufacturing partners.
- Draft assembly, inspection, and test procedures, test reports, and product requirements documents.
- Participate hands-on in the NPI process, including building hardware systems.
- Fly, design, and build drones.
Benefits
- Equity
- Potential bonuses
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Principal
