Lead Mechanical Design & Manufacturing Engineer – Special Programs (Aerospace)

Location: San Jose, California, United States. The role requires up to 10% travel and candidates must be eligible to work as a U.S. Person under ITAR/EAR.

Base pay: $138,200–$190,100 per year.

Company

hirify.global is an aerospace company developing, manufacturing, and operating all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for sustainable air mobility.

What you will do

• Lead mechanical design and analysis for aerospace and defense prototype systems, including mechanisms, actuation, launch and release hardware, and packaging.
• Plan manufacturing and prototype builds, including design-for-manufacturability, fabrication approaches, and production readiness.
• Support end-to-end rapid prototyping from concept sketches and detailed design through fabrication and testing.
• Support deployment and fielding activities, including logistics, handling, and field-support planning.
• Set technical approaches, standards, and methods for mechanical design, manufacturing, and deployment within Special Programs.
• Evaluate technical feasibility, prepare trade studies and analysis packages, and collaborate with program and engineering teams.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering; an advanced degree is a plus.
• 8–12 years of relevant engineering experience or equivalent experience in rapid prototyping and advanced programs.
• Experience designing and analyzing aerospace or defense hardware, including mechanisms and packaging/integration.
• Experience with manufacturing processes, design-for-manufacturability, build planning, and production readiness.
• Ability to work independently with significant technical ownership across the full development lifecycle.
• Must be a U.S. Person under ITAR/EAR and able to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with launch, release, or handling mechanism design.
• Experience with deployment and fielding logistics.
• Advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Culture & Benefits

• Work in a small, empowered Special Programs team focused on rapid movement across engineering disciplines.
• Significant technical ownership and autonomy without a direct-report support structure.
• Exposure to advanced and defense-focused development efforts.
• Pay-for-performance compensation culture.
• Reasonable accommodations are available throughout the application and hiring process.