Staff Mechanical Systems Engineer

Role Overview

The Staff Mechanical Systems Engineer is responsible for the architecture and delivery of a complete fluid/structural system on the company’s first product. This role owns the subsystem from initial concept through integration, combining structural, mechanical, and fluid considerations into a coherent design that meets program intent under aggressive development timelines. The engineer will assemble systems rapidly using a combination of commercial off-the-shelf components and targeted development, while maintaining sound engineering judgment, safety, and quality.

The role requires a systems-minded engineer capable of moving from first principles through analysis to implementation, making pragmatic decisions about sourcing, integration, and manufacturability. The timeline for development is a central constraint; scope and implementation must be shaped through disciplined engineering analysis and iteration to deliver functional capability quickly without compromising system integrity.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience rapidly developing and integrating systems involving structural, fluid, and mechanical elements, supported by appropriate engineering analysis.
• Comfort working across both COTS sourcing and new component development, including the analytical evaluation of component performance, limitations, and integration tradeoffs.
• Experience evaluating make-versus-buy decisions through technical and programmatic analysis, including vendor selection, supplier capability assessment, and onboarding of vendors or subcontractors.
• Experience contributing to or leading clean-sheet system development, including early-stage architectural analysis and definition.
• Ability to integrate subsystem design into a larger vehicle or platform architecture while maintaining clear ownership of safety, functional performance, and the supporting analytical basis for design decisions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Multiple zero-to-one programs in which the candidate helped develop systems that ultimately flew or were deployed operationally.

Reporting Structure and Scope

This role reports to the Founder and CEO and is based onsite in San Diego.

The engineer serves as the responsible engineer for a major mechanical subsystem on the first product. Responsibilities include defining the initial architecture, performing and guiding key analyses, selecting and integrating components, managing subsystem budget and schedule, and ensuring the system performs as intended. The role does not initially include direct reports but requires coordination with other engineers across the vehicle as well as management of vendors and subcontractors.

The position combines subsystem technical ownership with programmatic responsibility. The engineer is expected to develop the subsystem in a scrappy and iterative manner while maintaining the level of technical clarity, analytical rigor, and professionalism required to support internal decision-making and external customer confidence.