Principal/Senior Principal Mechanical Engineer (Defense)

TL;DR

Principal/Senior Principal Mechanical Engineer (Defense): Lead end-to-end mechanical design, development, and integration of advanced missile and UAV launcher systems across mobile ground and maritime platforms with an accent on ruggedized hardware, environmental protection, and electro-mechanical interfaces. Focus on designing mechanisms and actuation systems, ensuring compliance with military standards, and resolving cross-disciplinary integration challenges under harsh operational conditions.

Location: On-site in Hawthorne, California, United States. Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance required.

$150k-275k

Company

Redefining modern defense with multi-product portfolio powered by Coherent Distributed Networks (CDN™), founded in 2022 with $1B funding from leading investors, headquartered in Los Angeles with global offices.

What you will do

• Own mechanical architecture and integration of launcher systems across ground and maritime platforms.
• Define and manage mechanical and electro-mechanical interfaces between missile, canister, and platform.
• Develop solutions for environmental protection, blast, plume, thermal effects, gas management, shielding, and structural protection.
• Design mechanisms, actuation systems for deployment, retention, release, safing features, and contribute to hazard analyses.
• Lead integration onto platforms accounting for structural loads, motion, corrosion, installation constraints.
• Serve as technical interface with customers, suppliers, manufacturing partners; support production transition and sustainment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline
• 10+ years in mechanical design and system integration for aerospace or defense
• Demonstrated experience designing missile launcher systems or related hardware
• Strong background in structural design, mechanisms, ruggedized hardware for harsh environments
• Experience with electro-mechanical integration, power/data interfaces, connector systems
• Knowledge of blast, thermal, dynamic loads; system safety principles, interlocks
• Proficiency with CAD tools (SolidWorks or equivalent) for large assemblies
• Understanding of tolerancing, alignment, ICDs, MIL-STD-810, environmental qualification
• Ability to obtain and maintain U.S. security clearance

Nice to have

• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering
• Prior experience as mechanical technical authority on a program
• Experience planning and executing hardware tests
• Familiarity with vehicle integration constraints (shock, vibration, loads)
• Experience with FEA/multiphysics (NASTRAN, ABAQUS, ANSYS)
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes, prototyping, additive manufacturing, CNC
• Familiarity with military-style connectors

Culture & Benefits

• Health benefits: Medical, dental, vision 100% paid by company; 401k with 50% match up to 6% of pay, FSA, HSA, life insurance.
• Perks: Free daily lunch, no meeting Fridays, unlimited PTO, casual dress code.
• Compensation: Competitive base, pre-IPO stock options, relocation assistance, annual bonuses coming soon.
• Team: 250 employees across 5 global offices, fast-paced hands-on environment.