Mechanical Engineer - Design and Build the Equipment Behind a Next-Generation Metal Casting Foundry
Billerica, MA | On-site
Opportunity Summary
Join a venture-backed manufacturing company that is rebuilding domestic metal casting for aerospace, defense, and energy programs. Complex castings now take two to three years to source domestically. By combining 3D-printed tooling with in-house software, process development, and automation, this team delivers them in weeks, and it is already shipping parts to major defense primes.
As a Mechanical Engineer, you will design, build, and commission the custom equipment used at each step of that process. This is large, high-temperature capital equipment spread across roughly two dozen interconnected process steps, so the role calls for strong first-principles physics and a systems mindset as much as CAD skill. You will take machines from requirements to working hardware on the production floor, partnering closely with process engineers and senior engineering leads, and the equipment you deliver will directly determine how quickly the factory can scale output.
About Us
We are an early-stage, well-capitalized advanced manufacturing startup rebuilding domestic metal casting capacity for aerospace, defense, and energy customers. The U.S. has lost most of its foundry capacity over the past few decades, largely because the work is so labor-intensive and rework-heavy. Our approach removes as much manual labor and rework as possible through software, process control, and custom equipment, then automates the rest. We have a production foundry running, are shipping parts to customers that include major defense primes, and are working toward AS9100 certification and first customer qualification articles ahead of low-rate production in 2027. The founding team comes from top commercial space, metal additive manufacturing, and automated machining companies, the team is set to grow significantly over the next year, and every employee works on-site, close to the physical process.
Job Duties
- Design custom manufacturing equipment and subsystems, from requirements definition through detailed design
- Turn process requirements into mechanical designs, and use new equipment capability to open up better process options
- Machine, fabricate, and assemble hardware yourself, from individual components to fully integrated systems
- Commission new equipment on the shop floor and transition it into production use
- Write test plans and lead acceptance testing before equipment is released to production
- Troubleshoot equipment failures to root cause and put lasting fixes in place
- Build guarding and interlocks into designs based on hazard analysis, with safety designed in from the start on high-energy, high-temperature systems
- Develop fixturing and part-handling systems that carry work between process stages
- Create detailed drawings with GD&T and tolerance stack-ups for machined and fabricated components
- Incorporate sensing and actuation into designs so equipment is ready for automation
- Own your projects end to end, iterating quickly while keeping requirements and interfaces in sync across tightly coupled process steps
- Support build vs. buy decisions with performance analysis and cost estimates
- Present work at formal design reviews and document the reasoning behind design choices
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related field
- 2+ years of experience designing and building equipment, vehicle systems, or other large hardware
- Strong command of first-principles physics and engineering fundamentals, with the ability to explain why a design works, not just that it does
- Systems engineering mindset: comfortable managing requirements and interfaces across a complex, multi-step system
- Proficiency in Inventor, SolidWorks, or a comparable CAD platform, with strong GD&T and DFM skills
- Track record of taking equipment from CAD model to functioning hardware
- Hands-on machining, fabrication, and shop-floor assembly experience
- Experience sourcing components and working with machine shops and fabrication vendors
- Strong grounding in machine design and heat transfer
- Willingness to question requirements and clearly explain technical decisions in writing and in person
- U.S. person status (U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident) required under ITAR
Preferred Experience
- Aerospace hardware experience such as propulsion, turbopumps, or turbomachinery, especially moving hot fluids or operating in vacuum
- Designing equipment for high temperature, high pressure, or vacuum environments, or for molten and corrosive materials
- Large capital equipment, large structures, or production equipment and factory automation
- Scaling hardware systems for higher throughput and reliability
- Pneumatic and hydraulic system design
- Familiarity with control systems and basic programming
- Working knowledge of machine safety standards and risk assessment
Why Join Us
- Design first-of-its-kind equipment for a new manufacturing process
- See your hardware running in production, not sitting in a lab
- Work side by side with process engineers and operators every day
- Own high-impact mechanical systems at an early-stage company
- Work on production programs with major defense primes as the company moves toward low-rate production in 2027
- Join ahead of a period of rapid growth, with the team expected to roughly triple
- Early-employee equity with real upside as the company expands from one foundry to many
- Fast career growth: early hires are expected to step into technical leadership as the team scales
- Small, hands-on team with no bureaucracy, where decisions happen in days rather than quarters
- A mission that matters: rebuilding domestic production of castings used in aircraft engines, defense systems, and energy infrastructure
- Competitive base salary
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- 401(k) plan
- Unlimited PTO
Compensation Details
$115,000 - $145,000 + equity
ITAR Requirement
This position requires access to technical data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Applicants must be U.S. persons (U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents). Visa sponsorship is not available.
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