Lead Mechanical Engineer

Amca is building America’s new industrial base. Since the 1990s, our ability to build new aviation and military systems and maintain the ones we already have has eroded. Today, the gap between what the nation needs to produce and what it is capable of producing is the largest it has been in generations.To help close that gap, Amca rapidly develops and manufactures new critical components and subsystems required to build and sustain the planes, military vehicles, and core infrastructure America needs. Today, we operate seven factories nationwide, including our advanced prototyping and testing headquarters in El Segundo, and deliver avionics, hydraulic, and electrical components for platforms such as the F-35, F-16, F/A-18, 737MAX, 787, A320neo, A321, Mk-48, and M1 Abrams.OverviewYou will be a senior technical contributor on Amca's mechanical engineering team, owning the design, build, or test of flight hardware within a defined mechanical discipline — such as fluid systems, mechanisms, structural assemblies, cockpit avionics hardware, or power electronics packaging. You will work closely with the Mechanical Engineering Manager and cross-functional teams to take hardware from concept through qualification and into production. This is a deeply hands-on role for an engineer who thrives on hard technical problems, takes full ownership of their work, and is ready to grow into broader leadership over time.ResponsibilitiesServe as the technical lead for a defined mechanical discipline, owning design decisions and outcomes end-to-endBuilding out your own team of mechanical engineers, having extreme ownership over team progression Execute and oversee detailed design work including drawings, GD&T, FEA, component specifications, and risk assessmentsDrive hardware from bench prototype through qualification and production handoff, leveraging Amca's in-house R&D lab and protoshopLead or support qualification campaigns including functional, environmental, pneumatic, hydraulic, and structural testing per MIL-STD and applicable aerospace standardsSpearhead root cause investigations in development, production, and test; own corrective actions through resolutionEnsure designs are optimized from day one for reliability, manufacturability, and costProvide technical mentorship and informal guidance to less experienced engineers on the teamCollaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, software, and build engineering to deliver integrated hardware systemsParticipate in design reviews and contribute to raising the technical bar across the mechanical engineering functionSupport customer-facing engagements and program reviews as a subject matter expert in your disciplineQualificationsSubstantial experience in mechanical engineering for aerospace or defense hardware, with a strong track record taking products from concept through flight qualification and into productionDeep technical expertise in at least one mechanical discipline — such as fluid systems (pneumatic or hydraulic), mechanisms, structural design, cockpit avionics packaging, or power electronics enclosures — with working fluency across adjacent areasHands-on and lab-comfortable; expected to be in the protoshop and on the bench, not just at a CAD stationStrong command of engineering first principles across thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and solid mechanics; proven ability to simplify requirements and cut complexityExperience with Siemens NX or equivalent CAD package; familiarity with FEA tools and test instrumentationFamiliarity with MIL-STD-810, DO-160, and other aerospace qualification frameworksIndependent, direct, and action-oriented; takes full ownership and thrives with minimal oversightNascent leadership instincts — comfortable informally guiding peers and ready to grow into broader responsibility over timeAnnual Salary Range$150,000 - $200,000 USDThis position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). All applicants must be U.S. persons within the meaning of ITAR. ITAR defines a US person as: any individual who is granted U.S. citizenship; or. any individual who is granted U.S. permanent residence ("Green Card" holder); or. any individual who is granted status as a "protected person" under 8 U.S.C 1324b(a)(3).The Advanced Manufacturing Company of America prohibits discrimination or harassment based on the following categories: race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, protected medical leaves (requesting or approved for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act or the California Family Rights Act), domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by state or federal law.