Mechanical Engineer

If you’ve built race cars, hydraulic systems, industrial machinery, or complex mechanical systems and enjoy hands‑on engineering, we’d like to hear from you. We are looking for a practical, driven mechanical engineer to help develop and test high‑performance propulsion hardware, especially our critical fluid components. In this role, you and the team are responsible for the entire lifecycle of new products. This role is ideal for someone from an automotive, motorsport, hydraulics, refrigerants, pneumatics, heavy equipment, or advanced manufacturing background who enjoys solving real engineering problems and getting hands‑on with hardware. If you want to take your experience to the next level, it doesn’t get much harder than space. You do not need prior aerospace experience. We care more about engineering fundamentals, attitude of extreme ownership, mechanical intuition, and the ability to get things done in a fast‑moving environment. What You’ll Be Doing Design and develop mechanical components and assemblies for high‑pressure thermo‑fluid systems Work on valves, regulators, tanks, tubing systems, structural components, and test equipment Build, assemble, troubleshoot, and improve prototype hardware Develop and perform mechanical and fluid system tests Analyse failures, identify root causes, and implement practical solutions Support manufacturing and supplier engagement to ensure parts are robust and producible at scale Collaborate closely with design, test, manufacturing, and systems engineers as well as customers located around the world Contribute to rapid iteration and continuous product improvement We’re Interested In People With Experience In Any Of Automotive engineering Motorsport or racing systems Hydraulics or pneumatics Industrial fluid systems Aerospace Advanced manufacturing Test and development engineering Heavy machinery or performance equipment What We’re Looking For Mechanical engineering degree or equivalent practical industry experience Strong problem‑solving ability Hands‑on engineering mindset CAD experience (SolidWorks or similar) Understanding of pressure systems, valves, fittings, tubing, pumps, regulators, or fluid control systems Ability to work independently and move quickly Comfortable working in workshop and test environments Strong attitude, initiative, and willingness to learn Bonus Experience High‑pressure systems Refrigerants Vacuum systems Test or reliability engineering Data acquisition and instrumentation FEA, CFD or other simulation tools Coding Precision machining or manufacturing processes Experience working in fast‑paced R&D environments and across full product lifecycles Why Join Dawn Aerospace? Work on real hardware that operates in space Small team with high ownership and fast decision‑making Combination of design, testing, manufacturing, and development work Opportunity to work on cutting‑edge satellite technology without needing prior aerospace experience Work in one of New Zealand’s fastest growing high‑tech companies Diversity & Inclusion At Dawn Aerospace, we believe that diverse teams build better solutions. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences are valued and supported to do their best work. #J-18808-Ljbffr