Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, Valves and Fluid Systems
Alameda, CA | Full-Time Onsite
Industry: Aerospace, Mechanical Design, Fluid Systems

A fast-moving launch company in the Bay Area is looking for a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to take the lead on critical flight hardware. This role sits within the team responsible for the valves, actuators, and fluid components that handle cryogenic propellants and high-pressure gases across the rocket.

You’ll take systems from a blank page to the test stand and all the way to the pad. If you enjoy owning real hardware from concept through to flight and want to work on launch-critical systems, this is a great fit.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Design and develop valves, actuators, and other fluid components from scratch

• Own everything from CAD to detailed manufacturing drawings and GD&T

• Perform mechanical and thermal analyses to validate your designs

• Work closely with propulsion, test, and structural teams to integrate your parts into the vehicle

• Lead the test and qualification of components, including hot-fire and vibration tests

• Debug and improve systems through hands-on testing and failure investigations

• Write up your results, improve documentation, and help set design standards

✅ What You’ll Need

• 4 or more years of experience designing flight or test hardware

• Solid understanding of fluid mechanics, structures, and thermal design

• Strong CAD skills (NX, SolidWorks, or similar) and experience creating manufacturing-ready drawings

• Familiarity with machining, welding, and high-pressure or cryogenic systems

• Hands-on mindset with a comfort level around tools, test stands, and pressure systems

• Degree in mechanical, aerospace, or a related field

⭐ Bonus Points For

• Experience designing valves or actuators that operate in high-pressure, high-reliability environments

• Familiarity with aerospace design standards like ASME, NASA, or MIL-SPEC

• A track record of delivering full technical data packages and managing design reviews

• Past experience in a startup or lean engineering team

• Ability to mentor others and collaborate across disciplines

If you want to design parts that actually fly and see them tested at full scale, this is the kind of role where you can do just that. You’ll work closely with the team building and firing engines, and your work will directly impact flight performance and vehicle safety.

If that sounds like the right kind of challenge, reach out to learn more.

Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

Adam Slade