Senior Mechanical Engineer - Aerospace & Defense

Senior Mechanical Engineer - Aerospace & Defense

Chatsworth, CA

Engineering /

Full-time /

On-site

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About Machina Labs:

Engineering moves at software speed. Manufacturing doesn't. Yet.

Machina Labs is changing that. We build intelligent, software-defined factories that produce complex metal structures directly from digital design. By integrating advanced metal forming, robotics, and automated production inside a flexible factory architecture, we enable customers to move from prototype to production in weeks, not years.

Backed by Lockheed Martin, Toyota, and NVIDIA, we're building the manufacturing infrastructure that defense, aerospace, and advanced mobility programs will run on.

If you want to work on hard problems that matter and see them fly, drive, and defend, this is the place.

Job Description:

Machina Labs is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer - Aerospace & Defense to serve as a technical leader within our engineering organization. This is a hands-on role that combines mechanical design, engineering ownership, and technical mentorship. You will be responsible for driving designs from concept through release while establishing the engineering standards, configuration management processes, and design practices that support a rapidly growing manufacturing organization.

As a key member of the engineering team, you will own the release of engineering documentation, oversee our Product Data Management (PDM) system, mentor engineers across manufacturing and process engineering, and ensure that designs are optimized for production, quality, and scalability.

This position is ideal for an experienced engineer who enjoys balancing technical execution with engineering leadership and is passionate about developing robust design processes in a collaborative startup environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the mechanical design process from concept through released production drawings, assemblies, and documentation.
• Create and modify mechanical designs for structural defense products, including missile, hypersonic, UAV, and aerospace metallic structures.
• Identify producibility issues related to forming, welding, machining, trimming, fixturing, assembly, inspection, and integration.
• Serve as the engineering release authority for CAD models, drawings, assemblies, and design data.
• Administer and maintain the Product Data Management (PDM) system, including workflows, revision control, permissions, and configuration management.
• Develop high-quality CAD models, detailed drawings, assemblies, and bills of materials.
• Establish and maintain engineering drawing standards, GD&T practices, Design for Manufacturability (DFM) guidelines, and engineering best practices.
• Review and approve engineering work produced by other team members to ensure quality, consistency, and compliance with established standards.
• Mentor manufacturing, process, and applications engineers on mechanical design principles, engineering documentation, and product development best practices.
• Collaborate closely with manufacturing teams to improve producibility, reduce cost, shorten lead times, and increase manufacturing efficiency.
• Identify manufacturing risks early and drive design improvements that enhance quality and scalability.
• Participate in customer technical discussions, design reviews, manufacturability reviews, and cross-functional engineering meetings.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives across engineering documentation, configuration management, and product development workflows.
• This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required for this role. Duties and responsibilities may change based on business needs.

Required Background & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• 5+ years of mechanical design or product development experience with demonstrated ownership of engineering designs through production release.
• Advanced proficiency with parametric CAD software (SolidWorks preferred; Siemens NX, CATIA, Creo, or Autodesk Inventor also considered).
• Experience administering or configuring a Product Data Management (PDM) system, preferably SolidWorks PDM.
• Strong understanding of GD&T and ASME Y14.5 drawing standards.
• Proven experience creating and reviewing production-quality mechanical drawings, assemblies, bills of materials, and technical documentation.
• Solid understanding of Design for Manufacturability (DFM) for fabricated metal components and assemblies.
• Understanding of common manufacturing processes: sheet metal forming, machining, welding, trimming, drilling, fastening, fixturing, and assembly.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to mentor engineers and establish engineering standards across a multidisciplinary team.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience implementing or managing PDM workflows, revision control, and engineering configuration management.
• Experience developing engineering standards, drawing standards, or DFM guidelines for an organization.
• Background supporting aerospace, defense, robotics, or other high-performance mechanical systems.
• Experience with Model-Based Definition (MBD), 3D annotations, or digital manufacturing workflows.
• Familiarity with aerospace materials including aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, nickel alloys, and high-temperature materials.
• Working knowledge of AS9100 quality systems, First Article Inspection (FAI), and production documentation.
• Experience working in startup, prototype, or fast-paced product development environments.

Physical/Work Environment:

• Ability to work onsite in both engineering office and manufacturing environments.
• Ability to use standard inspection equipment including calipers, micrometers, and height gauges.
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, reach, and lift up to 40 pounds as needed.

$95,000 - $130,000 a year

The base salary range for this role is dependent on experience, qualifications, and overall alignment with the scope of the position.

In addition to base compensation, Machina Labs offers a competitive benefits package and stock option participation.

Machina Labs is an Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity employer and considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or status as a protected veteran in accordance with state and federal law.

We endeavor to make the job application process accessible to any and all users. If you have a disability that impacts your ability to complete the job application process and would like to request assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please contact us at (888)444-9777. This contact information is for accommodation requests only, not to inquire about the status of applications.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

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