Senior Mechanical Engineer

Senior Mechanical EngineerLos Angeles, CA | $140k-$220k + equity | On-siteYou’re probably not looking for another job where you spend six months designing one part of someone else’s system.So this is different.I’m recruiting for an early-stage defence technology company in Los Angeles building complex autonomous hardware from the ground up.They’re looking for Mechanical Engineers who want considerably more ownership than they’re likely to get in a large engineering organisation.You’ll take responsibility for a major mechanical subsystem and own it from the initial problem through design, analysis, prototyping, testing and production.No throwing your CAD over the wall.You’ll make the engineering decisions, run your own analysis, work directly with suppliers and machine shops, get involved in the build and find out whether your design actually works during real-world testing.The opportunities span:Structures & integrationMechanisms & actuationBattery & energy storagePropulsionHydrodynamics and fluid-facing structuresThey’re deliberately building a small engineering team, so the remit is broad.If something needs solving, the expectation isn't that you wait for another department. You work through the physics, make sensible trade-offs, build it, test it and iterate.What they're looking for:You’ll probably have 5+ years of mechanical engineering experience building complex physical products in aerospace, automotive/EV, robotics, UAVs, marine or another demanding hardware environment.You should be able to point to a substantial mechanical subsystem and say:“I took that from a blank sheet to working hardware.”Strong CAD capability is important. NX would be useful, but isn't essential.You’ll also need experience doing your own engineering analysis, whether that's FEA, CFD or first-principles/hand calculations, alongside practical DFM experience and direct interaction with manufacturing partners.This won't suit someone who wants a narrowly defined design role or a heavily structured engineering environment.It could suit someone frustrated by how slowly good hardware gets built in a large company.$140k-$220k base + meaningful early-stage equity.The role is five days on-site in the Los Angeles area, with relocation support available.U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is required due to export-control restrictions.If you've already proved you can build serious hardware but want to own more of the engineering decisions, I'd like to hear from you.