Senior Mechanical Engineer, DFM Focus

Young Community Developers • Irvine, CA

8d • Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer with a strong background in high‑volume product development and production‑oriented mechanical design. This role focuses on creating robust, manufacturable components and assemblies for unmanned aircraft systems, with emphasis on Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) at production rates of 1,000+ units per month.

The ideal candidate has hands‑on experience selecting appropriate manufacturing processes, driving cost‑efficient designs, and collaborating closely with electrical, manufacturing, and integration teams. Our aircraft require dense packaging of mechanical, electrical, propulsion, and avionics subsystems; success in this role depends on the ability to balance structural needs with aerodynamic, electrical, thermal, and routing constraints within limited volumes.

This position provides the opportunity to influence system‑level design decisions, guide manufacturing strategy, and mentor junior engineers while contributing directly to hardware transitioning from prototype to scalable production.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in mechanical design for aerospace, consumer electronics, automotive, robotics, or similar electromechanical products.
• Proven track record of designing components and assemblies for high‑volume production (1,000+/month).
• Strong understanding of DFM, DFA, tooling considerations, and manufacturing cost drivers.
• Fluency with 3D CAD tools (SolidWorks preferred), including advanced part and assembly design.
• Experience collaborating with electrical teams, including familiarity with harness routing, PCB packaging, and integration of electrical components.
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes conducive to volume of 1,000+/month, such as injection‑molded plastic, sheet metal stamping, aluminum die‑cast, aluminum extrusion, or compression‑molded composites.
• Strong understanding of tolerance stack‑ups, material selection, and mechanical fundamentals.
• Able to communicate effectively across disciplines and with external suppliers.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with injection‑molded, stamped, die‑cast, extruded, or compression‑molded components.
• Experience bringing products through tooling, pilot builds, and scaling to production.
• Familiarity with production automation, fixture design, or assembly line considerations.
• Background working on compact electromechanical systems requiring tight packaging constraints.
• Experience with aircraft, unmanned systems, robotics, or similar products
• Exposure to composites manufacturing and lightweight structural design.
• Experience qualifying suppliers or working with manufacturing partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical design of airframe structures, housings, and mechanically complex assemblies intended for high‑volume production environments.
• Drive DFM and DFA principles from concept through release, ensuring designs are optimized for repeatability, cost, and quality at volumes of 1,000+/month.
• Select appropriate manufacturing processes (e.g., injection molding, stamping, die casting, compression molding, machined components) based on performance, cost, and production scale.
• Collaborate closely with electrical engineering to integrate batteries, motors, avionics, sensors, and wiring within constrained aircraft volumes.
• Collaborate closely with Aero engineering to ensure the finished product meets the aerodynamical criteria such as surface roughness, steps and gaps.
• Perform tolerance analysis, evaluate material choices, and assess manufacturability trade‑offs.
• Work directly with manufacturing engineers, suppliers, and production teams to validate tooling, address build issues, and improve assembly efficiency.
• Generate detailed CAD models, assemblies, and production documentation under configuration control.
• Support prototype builds and conduct hands‑on troubleshooting during integration and testing.
• Provide technical mentorship and guide junior engineers in best practices for high‑volume mechanical design.

Benefits

• Our benefits are DZYNE’ed for your overall health and financial wellness.
• DZYNE offers a comprehensive healthcare benefits package.
• Base dental, vision, life, accident, disability, and other core benefits are fully covered by DZYNE.
• DZYNE provides paid time off and paid holidays.
• Additionally, DZYNE offers a 401 (k) plan with an employer match and immediate vesting.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees