Mechanical Engineer

Hermeus is a venture-backed defense aviation company reclaiming the lost art of rapid iterative prototyping to build the fastest aircraft in the world today. By prioritizing relentless hardware iteration, we deliver high-speed systems at the pace of the modern battlefield. We work with the Department of War to provide the high-speed capabilities our nation and its allies need to maintain a durable, asymmetric advantage. Hermeus is a venture-backed defense aviation company reclaiming the lost art of rapid iterative prototyping to build the fastest aircraft in the world today. By prioritizing relentless hardware iteration, we deliver high-speed systems at the pace of the modern battlefield. We work with the Department of War to provide the high-speed capabilities our nation and its allies need to maintain a durable, asymmetric advantage.
We are seeking a Mid-Career Mechanical Engineer to support the design, build, and test of next-generation aircraft aerostructures, including fuselage, empennage, control surfaces, and landing gear systems. This role is hands-on and execution-oriented, with responsibility for taking hardware from concept through detailed design, fabrication support, and test validation. We are seeking a Mid-Career Mechanical Engineer to support the design, build, and test of next-generation aircraft aerostructures, including fuselage, empennage, control surfaces, and landing gear systems. This role is hands-on and execution-oriented, with responsibility for taking hardware from concept through detailed design, fabrication support, and test validation.

Responsibilities

• Own R&D-focused structural design and development supporting vehicle subsystems such as hydraulics, fuel systems, propulsion, and avionics, with an emphasis on rapid prototyping and iteration 
• Perform first-principles structural and thermal analyses using hand calculations and FEA to inform early design decisions and experimental validation 
• Execute trade studies across mechanical, fluid, and avionics subsystems focused on performance, mass efficiency, and technical risk reduction 
• Design, build, and test prototype hardware, owning development from concept through fabrication, integration, and experimental validation 
• Collaborate closely with manufacturing and test teams to transition prototype concepts toward scalable, production-aware designs 
• Support hands-on integration, troubleshooting, and test campaigns to quickly iterate and mature hardware 
• Present technical findings in internal design reviews and contribute to cross-functional and supplier/customer technical discussions 

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or physics 
• 2+ years of experience in mechanical design, analysis, and experimental testing (internships and significant student project experience qualify), preferably in an R&D or prototype environment 

Preferred Skills

• Strong hands-on experience with rapid prototyping, hardware build, and mechanical assembly of complex systems 
• Solid foundation in engineering fundamentals including statics, dynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and vibration 
• Proficiency in CAD (NX preferred), FEA (Ansys preferred), and PLM tools (Teamcenter preferred) 
• Experience designing and testing hardware in early development environments, with awareness of design-for-manufacturing and production considerations 
• Familiarity with mechanical testing under vibration, fatigue, shock, vacuum, and thermal loads 
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across disciplines (fluids, avionics, manufacturing) to deliver integrated experimental systems 
• Proven ownership of technically complex projects from concept through test and iteration 

Additional Requirements

• Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed to support critical development milestones 
• Willingness to travel up to 25% of the time 

U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS  The person hired will have access to information and items subject to U.S. export controls, and therefore, must either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.62 or otherwise eligible for deemed export licensing. US persons include U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and asylees and refugees with such status granted, not pending.    EQUAL OPPORTUNITY Hermeus is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions at Hermeus are based solely on merit, competence, and qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.