Mechanical Engineer

Aventra Defense Systems is a defense technology company developing and delivering autonomous aerial systems for the U.S. government and allied partners. We operate at the intersection of advanced hardware, software, and national security — designing, building, and fielding systems that perform in the world’s most demanding environments.

We are a mission-driven team moving at startup speed with defense-grade accountability. Our programs span contracted deliveries, government demonstrations, and ongoing system development — and our pace reflects the urgency of the problems we’re solving.

Aventra Defense Systems is seeking a mid-level Mechanical Engineer to own the design and productization of subsystems within our Piranha high-altitude platform — from early prototype through a field-ready, producible design. This is a hands‑on, individual-contributor role with clear subsystem ownership: you’ll take a specific piece of the system and drive it from where it stands today toward a production‑ready product.

Just imagine seeing the hardware you designed flying in the stratosphere.

• - Turn product requirements documents into reality! Own the mechanical design of an assigned high‑altitude subsystem, building on and leveling up existing prototypes.
• - Conduct rigorous FEA (structural, thermal, and vibration) to ensure your designs survive the extreme temperatures and dynamic loads of high‑altitude flight.
• - Design for reliability, manufacturability (DFM), and cost at the subsystem level.
• - Experience the joy of rapid iteration—design a part in CAD, 3D print it in our shop, and have a finished prototype in your hands days later to test.
• - Run bench‑level and field testing to validate performance across extreme environmental and altitude conditions utilizing thermal/vacuum chambers and strain gauges to make sure your design works.
• - Design and implement tests across a variety of systems and environments.
• - Peer review other engineers' work.
• - Conduct trade studies to understand the state of the art and industry best practices.

• - Integrate your subsystems with electrical, aero, and software teams.
• - Assist with flight test instrumentation setup and post‑test data collection.
• - Help maintain test equipment, fixtures, and lab organization.
• - Test your design in the field and watch it fly!

• - Drive the transition from a working prototype to a rugged, field‑ready, producible design.
• - Perform detailed tolerance stack‑up analysis and apply GD&T to ensure complex assemblies fit flawlessly every time they come off the line.
• - Identify and resolve manufacturing, sourcing, and reliability bottlenecks before they reach production.
• - Support production handoff and work closely with machinists and external vendors to get your hardware built.

• - Coordinate seamlessly with electrical, software, and aero teams, packaging complex avionics and integrating actuation, control, and sensor feedback interfaces.
• - Assist with flight test instrumentation setup, post‑test data collection, and lab organization.
• - Test your design in the field and watch it fly!
• - Dive into post‑flight test data to root‑cause anomalies, then rapidly incorporate field feedback into iterative design improvements.

• - Maintain accurate models, drawings, BOMs, and design documentation
• - Support design review processes and component sourcing research
• - Analyze and learn from failures and document so the organization doesn't have to learn the same lesson twice.

• - Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or…