Mechanical Design Engineer

Join to apply for the Mechanical Design Engineer role at Wild West Systems, Inc.

Wild West Systems is a defense technology startup redefining autonomous edge defense through modular, AI-powered weapon systems-designed, built, and launched in the USA. We're arming the future warfighter with precision, affordability, and swagger. If you're ready to embrace the grit and chaos of cutting-edge defense innovation, welcome to the frontier.

As a Mechanical Design Engineer, your job is to design, build, test, and ship mechanical systems that survive real-world use
.

From early prototypes to scaled production, you own your parts end-to-end. If it breaks, you fix it. If it doesn't exist yet, you design it. If it works on paper but fails in the field, it's not done.

Extreme ownership is the baseline. You will be expected to work late hours and weekends if needed to accomplish the mission.

Your work directly arms the warfighter. That responsibility is non-negotiable.

• The mechanical integrity, performance, and manufacturability of your designs
• Components, mechanisms, and structures from concept → production
• Iteration speed without sacrificing reliability
• Getting parts built, assembled, tested, and validated-no handoffs

If it touches metal, motion, or force, you're accountable.

• Design components with full lifecycle responsibility: calculations, tolerances, GD&T, drawings, validation.
• Design in context
  -your parts must work with everyone else's.

• Design and integrate linkages, gears, motors, actuators, and assemblies that work under stress.

• Build fast using in-house tools or external vendors.
• Own the loop from CAD → part → install → revision.

• Test like it's going to the field-because it is.
• Measure performance, identify failure modes, and fix them.
• Paper success doesn't count. Field performance does.

• Design for manufacturability from day one.
• Work directly with manufacturing to ensure precision, repeatability, and scale.

• Source materials, components, and vendors to keep builds moving.
• Solve supply problems without waiting for permission.
• No "that's not my job." Only "what needs to be done."

• Document designs, processes, and lessons learned.
• Raise the bar on safety, reliability, and speed every cycle.

• Strong CAD and GD&T capability (Onshape experience a plus; willingness to transition required)
• Ability to work independently in high-stakes, fast-moving environments
• U.S. citizenship or ITAR-compliant status
• Bias for action, high accountability, and resilience under pressure
• Strong alignment with the mission and pride in building American defense systems

• Weapons systems, UAVs, aerospace, or high-performance mechanisms
• Additive manufacturing and 3D printer operation/maintenance
• Designing for production-not just prototypes
• Startup or small-team environments where impact is immediate

• Real ownership, not task lists
• Hardware that goes from bench to field fast
• A team that values execution over ego
• A mission that actually matters

Entry level

Full-time

Engineering and Design, Defense and Space Manufacturing