Senior Mechanical Engineer

Los Angeles, CA Area – Relocation Assistance Provided

The Company

Our client is a rapidly growing startup that is on a mission to change the world by solving global water scarcity. They bring together an impressive background in engineering of space systems to develop innovative, desalination systems to tackle one of the world’s most critical challenges.

The Job

Our client is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to own critical mechanical subsystems from concept through production ramp and product launch. This role is highly hands-on, focused on designing, prototyping, and validating core components such as pumps, valves, pressure vessels, and related systems, while driving system-level tradeoffs across performance, reliability, manufacturability, and cost. The engineer will lead rigorous testing in real-world conditions, work closely with cross-functional partners across design, supply chain, and manufacturing, and play a key role in supporting production ramp-up and continuous process improvements.

Functions

• Own major mechanical subsystems from concept through production ramp and launch.
• Design, prototype, and validate pumps, valves, pressure vessels, and related mechanical components.
• Drive system-level tradeoffs across performance, reliability, manufacturability, and cost.
• Build and run test plans to validate performance across real-world environments and edge cases.
• Work closely with electrical, firmware, industrial design, and manufacturing to turn ideas into shipped product.
• Help design and improve manufacturing processes and production equipment, including fixtures, tooling, and automation concepts.
• Iterate fast—identify problems, propose solutions, and implement changes without heavy process overhead.
• Support supplier selection, part qualification, and production ramp.
• Mentor junior engineers as the team grows (without becoming detached from hands-on work).
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience designing and shipping mechanical or electromechanical hardware.
• Strong CAD and FEA skills applied to real, production-intent designs.
• Experience taking products from prototype to manufacturing.
• Comfort working in ambiguity and making tradeoffs with incomplete information.
• Bias toward action, ownership, and practical engineering solutions.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with consumer hardware or high-volume manufacturing.
• Background in pumps, valves, pressure systems, or fluid mechanics.
• Exposure to automation, manufacturing process development, or production equipment.
• Startup or early-stage company experience.
  

Additional Requirements

• Hands on work on development hardware.
• Long periods of standing, crouching, walking.
• Lifting up to 50 lbs.