Principal Mechanical Engineer (Drones)

Location: Torrance, CA, USA; onsite at Flightwave, Torrance, CA 90503.

Salary: $181,240–$283,245 per year, plus equity and potential bonuses.

Company

RedCat Aerial, a subsidiary of hirify.global, manufactures unmanned aircraft systems for defense, public safety, and government security organizations.

What you will do

• Act as the technical authority for mechanical and system-level changes and lead major mechanical projects.
• Design electro-mechanical UAS systems in SolidWorks and support system-level architecture decisions.
• Design, prototype, validate, fabricate, test, and integrate flight hardware and ground control systems.
• Prepare designs for scalable manufacturing through DFMEA, NPI, and sustaining processes.
• Develop manufacturing tools, fixtures, automation jigs, assembly procedures, inspection and test procedures, reports, and product requirements.
• Identify and qualify vendors and manufacturing partners while building hardware hands-on during NPI.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field.
• 10+ years of industry experience in a design-focused engineering role, including 10+ years of hands-on experience with SolidWorks or comparable CAD platforms such as NX, Creo, or AutoCAD.
• Experience leading a team or project from cradle to grave.
• Ability to drive system-level architecture decisions and support full-lifecycle product development using systems engineering principles.
• Experience performing FEA, including modal, thermal, and aerodynamic analysis.
• Experience designing for high-rate production, rapid prototyping, and new product development.
• Strong teamwork, collaboration, problem-solving, written communication, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to lift 15 lb and work on your feet for more than 5 hours each day.
• For ITAR/EAR-restricted work, proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residence is required; candidates must not require sponsorship for export-restricted work authorization.
• Successful completion of a post-offer background check is required.

Nice to have

• BLDC motor system design and integration experience.
• Flexible PCB and cable routing design experience for high-reliability motion systems.
• Experience in robotics, UAVs, drones, or related industries.
• Familiarity with camera systems and optical components.
• Experience supporting PCBA layout and production from a mechanical engineering perspective.
• Microcontroller programming experience for test fixtures or production systems.
• Knowledge of structural composite and composite mold design, including fiberglass or carbon fiber.

Culture & Benefits

• Work on UAS drone technology for defense, public safety, and government security applications.
• Hands-on involvement in NPI, hardware fabrication, testing, and manufacturing.
• Equal employment opportunity workplace with consideration of qualified candidates with criminal histories consistent with federal and state law.
• Employment eligibility is verified through E-Verify and Right to Work procedures.
• Compensation includes equity and potential bonuses in addition to the stated salary range.