Staff Equipment Design Engineer (Aerospace)

TL;DR

Staff Equipment Design Engineer (Aerospace): Designing, procuring, and building custom tooling and automation for all-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with an accent on end-to-end lifecycle ownership and mechatronic system integration. Focus on architecting complex mechanisms, executing detailed structural analyses, and commissioning automated machinery on the factory floor.

Location: San Jose, California, United States

Salary: $152,100 - $190,100

Company

Aerospace company building all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to advance sustainable air mobility.

What you will do

• Lead the complete lifecycle of custom manufacturing equipment, tooling, and automation from concept to handoff.
• Architect complex mechanisms, kinematic systems, and fluid power equipment using detailed stress and tolerance analyses (GD&T).
• Select and integrate off-the-shelf actuators and sensors to build high-precision mechatronic systems with closed-loop controls.
• Collaborate with Aircraft Manufacturing and Powertrain teams to provide DFM/DFA feedback and design trade-offs.
• Manage procurement and oversee physical builds, troubleshooting automation on the factory floor.
• Develop internal design tools and standards to scale equipment building capabilities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Mechatronics, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering.
• 5+ years of hands-on equipment design experience.
• Deep proficiency in 2D/3D CAD for manufacturing layouts and fabrication-ready drawings.
• Strong foundation in engineering mechanics, machine design, material selection, and structural analysis.
• Proven track record of commissioning automated machinery on the factory floor.
• Unable to provide work visa sponsorship for this position at the present time.

Nice to have

• Experience designing equipment for High Voltage Power Systems (HVPS) or Electric Propulsion Systems (EPS).
• Proficiency with Siemens NX, PLM, MES, and ERP software.
• Hands-on experience programming PLCs, 6-axis robots, gantries, or vision systems.
• Practical machining, welding, or prototyping experience.
• Experience scaling manufacturing lines from prototype to full-rate production.

Culture & Benefits

• Pay-for-performance culture that rewards contributions to business strategy.
• Inclusive and equitable environment dedicated to diversity.
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge eVTOL technology in a fast-paced aerospace environment.
• Domestic and international travel (up to 10%) for vendor integration and deployments.