Senior Mechanical Engineer

We have an outstanding Contract to Hire position for a Senior Mechanical Engineerto join a leading Company located in theLong Beach, CA or Centennial, COsurrounding area.

Pay Rate: $65.00 - $85.00

US Citizenship is required.

Candidate must have the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret Security Clearance.

As a Mechanical Engineer, you will play a critical role in designing and developing flight hardware for some of the most technically demanding programs in the defense aerospace industry. From interceptor systems and kill vehicles to hypersonic flight vehicles, you will engineer mechanical systems that must perform flawlessly in extreme thermal, aerodynamic, and high-g environments - building the hardware that matters most when it counts.

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead the design, analysis, and optimization of mechanical structures and assemblies for interceptor systems, kill vehicles, and hypersonic flight vehicles, ensuring designs meet performance, mass, survivability, and reliability requirements across the full hardware lifecycle.

• Own end-to-end development of flight vehicle mechanical systems - from concept and trade studies through prototyping, qualification, and flight hardware delivery - under aggressive schedule and performance constraints.

• Design and develop airframe and structural assemblies sized for high-dynamic-pressure flight environments, including aerodynamic loading, thermal-structural coupling, and high-g maneuver loads across ascent and hypersonic flight phases.

• Lead the packaging and integration of guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) hardware, seeker assemblies, and sensor systems within highly constrained vehicle envelopes, accounting for optical alignment, vibration isolation, EMI shielding, and thermal management.

• Design and qualify thermal protection system (TPS) components and high-temperature structural assemblies for hypersonic and re-entry flight environments, including selection and application of ablative, ceramic, and composite materials.

• Support propulsion system mechanical integration, including solid rocket motor interfaces, divert and attitude control system (DACS) packaging, and nozzle and thrust vector control structural interfaces.

• Develop and manage detailed 3D CAD models and drawings for flight vehicle components, subsystems, and assemblies using NX (Siemens) and/or SolidWorks, maintaining configuration integrity throughout the program.

• Define and enforce GD&T standards on piece part and assembly drawings, and review supplier and team deliverables for compliance.

• Lead and present at vehicle design reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR) and drive resolution of technical risks, open actions, and subsystem interface trades.

• Serve as a key technical interface with aerodynamics, structures, thermal, GN&C, and propulsion teams to validate designs and ensure compliance with mission and environmental requirements.

• Apply crossover knowledge from spacecraft systems - including electronics packaging, precision mechanisms, and space environment design - to inform and enhance flight vehicle design solutions.

• Develop and execute structural and environmental test plans to support hardware qualification, acceptance testing, and flight certification.

• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement across the mechanical engineering team.

Basic Hiring Criteria:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.

• 3-10 years of professional experience in mechanical design, with direct experience in missile defense, hypersonic vehicle, or related high-performance flight vehicle programs.

• Demonstrated experience designing structures for high-dynamic-pressure and thermally demanding flight environments, including interceptor, kill vehicle, or hypersonic flight vehicle hardware.

• Hands-on experience with guidance and seeker packaging, including precision optical or RF sensor integration within tight volume and mass constraints.

• Experience with thermal protection system design or high-temperature materials selection for hypersonic or re-entry applications, including ablatives, ceramics, or composite TPS materials.

• Familiarity with propulsion system mechanical integration, including solid rocket motor structural interfaces, DACS packaging, or nozzle and TVC hardware.

• Strong proficiency in 3D CAD modeling and drawing creation in NX (Siemens) and/or SolidWorks, including complex assemblies and configuration management.

• Deep knowledge of GD&T principles and ability to define, review, and enforce standards across a program.

• Experience leading or significantly contributing to flight hardware development from concept through delivery in a fast-paced environment.

• Experience with configuration management, MES, and PLM tools (e.g., Teamcenter, Windchill).

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present technical content clearly to both engineering and leadership audiences.

Desired Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.

• 5+ years of experience specifically in interceptor systems, kill vehicles, or hypersonic flight vehicle mechanical design, with hardware delivered to test or flight.

• Experience with kill vehicle or hit-to-kill interceptor hardware, including highly mass-constrained structures, precision seeker alignment, and flight-critical mechanism design.

• Familiarity with hypersonic flight vehicle aeroshell design, including TPS panel integration, structural joints, and aeroheating-driven material selection.

• Background in spacecraft or satellite mechanical design, with ability to apply space environment design principles - launch loads, thermal cycling, vacuum compatibility - to missile defense and hypersonic applications.

• Familiarity with structural analysis methods and FEA tools (e.g., NASTRAN, Ansys, or similar) and ability to interpret and apply results to drive design decisions.

• Experience leading vehicle-level design reviews and managing technical risk across a subsystem or full vehicle.

• Familiarity with relevant defense and aerospace standards (e.g., MIL-SPEC, MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-1540, AIAA S-110) and their application to design and test.

• Experience interfacing directly with machine shops, fabrication vendors, and manufacturing teams to support DFM and flight hardware producibility.

• Experience working in a startup or fast-paced defense/aerospace environment with compressed development timelines.

• Active U.S. security clearance (Secret or above), or ability and willingness to obtain one.

This position requires access to technologies and hardware subject to US national security-based export control requirements. All applicants must be US Persons (8 USC 1324b(a)(3) ), or otherwise authorized by the U.S. Government. No company sponsorship will be offered.

Benefits offered vary by contract. Depending on your temporary assignment, benefits may include direct deposit, free career counseling services, 401(k), select paid holidays, short-term disability insurance, skills training, employee referral bonus, and affordable medical coverage plan, and DailyPay (in some locations). For a full description of benefits available to you, be sure to talk with your recruiter.

Military connected talent encouraged to apply.

VEVRAA Federal Contractor / Request Priority Protected Veteran Referrals / Equal Opportunity Employer / Veterans / Disabled

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The Company will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with federal, state, and local laws and/or security clearance requirements, including, as applicable:

• The California Fair Chance Act

• Los Angeles City Fair Chance Ordinance

• Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers

• San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance