Mechanical Engineer

Role: Mechanical Engineer


Location: Irvine, CA


FTE Only

Job Description


Must Have Technical/Functional Skills

Hardware & System Design Skills
• Environmental Control Systems (ECS): Designing aircraft air cycle, vapor cycle, bleed air, or cabin pressure architectures.
• Component Sizing & Selection: Calculating specifications for valves, regulators, heat exchangers, actuators, compressors, and fans.
• Fluid & Gas Dynamics: Modeling pneumatic flow rates, routing ducting networks, and analyzing system pressure drops.
• Electro-Mechanical Integration: Interfacing mechanical hardware with basic electrical circuits, wiring harnesses, and feedback sensors.

Analysis & Simulation Skills
• Thermodynamics & Heat Transfer: Performing manual thermal math or complex 3D heat-load calculations.
• Control Theory & Logic: Developing feedback control loops to actively regulate temperature, pressure, or airflow.
• Thermal Analysis Software: Utilizing specialized simulation tools like Thermal Desktop, Ansys Fluent, Flowmaster, or Simscape.
• CAD Modeling & Drafting: Generating production-ready 3D models and technical drawings using NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks.

Testing & Compliance Skills
• Hardware Troubleshooting: Resolving mechanical failures during the physical assembly, functional testing, or component repair phases.
• Aerospace & Defense Standards: Aligning qualification test procedures with rigorous compliance benchmarks like MIL-STD-810 and DO-160.
• Test Plan Execution: Drafting test documentation, building test setups, and analyzing environmental test data.

Core Skill Set to Look For
• ECS Subsystem Integration: Hands-on experience with aircraft or spacecraft bleed air, cabin pressurization, oxygen generation, or severe-environment ducting and layout.
• Thermal System Design & Analysis: Experience sizing heat exchangers, vapor cycle systems, cooling loops, or air cycle machines using software like Thermal Desktop, ANSYS Fluent, Flow master, or MATLAB/Simulink.
• Component Selection & Validation: Proven track record calculating fluid flow, pressure drop, and thermal loads to select or design valves, regulators, fans, or compressors.
• Industry Standards & Testing: Direct familiarity with aerospace/defense testing compliance, specifically DO-160, MIL-STD-810, or ARP862 for environmental control equipment.
• Cross-Functional & Control Logic: A strong understanding of structural interfaces, sensor integration, and basic control theory (e.g., feedback loops) to regulate temperatures and pressures.
• Technical Presentation & Leadership: Experience acting as a secondary project owner, leading small groups of drafters/designers, and presenting design reviews (PDR/CDR) to internal teams or customers.
• Able to handle ITAR data.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
• Bachelor's degree (B.S.M.E) from four-year College or University.
• Two to five years of experience with design, analysis and development of industrial equipment.
• Aerospace domain experience is a must.
• Knowledge of applied thermodynamics and mechanical design.
• Knowledge of drawing and drafting standards a plus.
• Capable of carrying out assignments concerned with mechanical equipment.
• Understanding of military specifications, environmental specifications, and test specifications desired.
• Hands-on test and hardware experience is required.
• Requires strong oral/written communication skills and must be capable of conducting effective oral presentations to customers.

Roles & Responsibilities
• Organizational skills with the capability of working towards tight deadlines
• Able to work with demanding customer