Mechanical Design Engineer

Mechanical Design Engineer

Santa Ana,CA, US

6930419

18 hours ago

Experience: Mid Level

Salary: $120,000 - $160,000 per year

• You'll design the production tooling, fixtures, and processing aids that support aerospace manufacturing across multiple product families — machining, assembly, test, and inspection — working from concepts, sketches, models, or verbal input from engineering, manufacturing, quality, and production.
• Create detailed tooling, fixture, and processing aid designs using 3D CAD, GD&T, and tolerance analysis.
• Generate derivative and secondary models, reference geometry, and tooling datasets for NC programming, inspection, assembly, and test.
• Validate tooling and design intent through engineering analysis, producibility reviews, and shop floor application.
• Support design and modification of test equipment, including hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
• Lead root cause investigations and corrective actions using structured methods (8D, RCCA, DMAIC), and own configuration management, revision control, and technical accuracy of models and drawings.

• Strong 3D CAD skills — Solid Works, CATIA, or NX; multi-body design, surfacing, large assemblies, and detailed drawings
• Working knowledge of GD&T per ASME Y14.5; familiarity with model-based definition (MBD) workflows
• Strong communicator who works well cross-functionally with manufacturing, quality, and production

• Machine shop / CNC manufacturing environments
• Composites manufacturing
• Hydraulic and pneumatic test equipment
• Assembly, test, machining, and inspection tooling
• Lean design, ergonomics, and cost-out / cycle-time reduction projects
• NPI and new product development support

Our client is a vertically integrated design, engineering, and manufacturing partner to leading and next-generation space and defense technology companies. Our work spans three core markets — space and launch systems, defense aviation and airborne systems, and C5

ISR and precision strike — and we build hardware that has to survive extreme operating environments. Across a nationwide footprint of advanced manufacturing facilities, we support rapid prototyping, new product development, large-scale production, and aftermarket sustainment for enduring platforms.

• Base salary $125k–$160k+
• Medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k)
• Generous PTO, sick leave, and paid holidays
• Full-lifecycle ownership: you define the tooling, validate it, and fix it when production finds the edge cases
• Decades of manufacturing heritage with a balanced mix of next-gen development programs and long-running production work
• Clear technical growth path — mechanical design into broader manufacturing engineering leadership

#manufacturing #manufacturing #aerospace #manufacturing #tier4