Lead Mechanical Engineer - Design For Manufacturing, Fort Worth

Job Description Job Description Lead Mechanical Engineer - Aerospace Structures and Manufacturing Systems
Fort Worth, Texas | On-site
Opportunity Summary
A fast-growing aerospace and defense company developing advanced unmanned aircraft systems is seeking a Lead Mechanical Engineer to support the design, development, and manufacturing transition of next-generation aerospace hardware.
This role will focus heavily on mechanical design execution, design for manufacturing, assembly optimization, and manufacturable aerospace structures across both prototype and production environments.
The engineer will work across product development and manufacturing teams to ensure hardware is designed with scalability, repeatability, and efficient fabrication in mind from the beginning.
While production support remains an important part of the role, the primary focus is driving strong engineering ownership around manufacturable mechanical systems, tooling integration, assembly methodologies, and practical hardware execution.
This is a highly hands-on role suited for someone comfortable owning hardware from early concept development through release into manufacturing and long-term production scale-up.
About Us
We are an early-stage aerospace and defense company building advanced aircraft systems designed for rapid deployment and scalable manufacturing.
Our engineering team works closely across design, manufacturing, quality, and operations to develop flight-ready hardware capable of transitioning efficiently from prototype builds into repeatable production environments.
Job Duties
Lead mechanical design efforts across aircraft structures, assemblies, integrated subsystems, and production-support hardware
Drive design for manufacturing initiatives focused on simplifying fabrication, improving assembly efficiency, and reducing production complexity
Develop mechanical components, tooling concepts, fixtures, and manufacturing-support designs for aerospace hardware programs
Collaborate closely with manufacturing, quality, and supply chain teams to ensure designs translate efficiently into production environments
Support prototype development, first article builds, and manufacturing release activities
Create and maintain engineering documentation including drawings, tolerances, BOMs, assembly procedures, and manufacturing instructions
Evaluate and improve manufacturability of machined, composite, sheet metal, and precision aerospace components
Resolve tolerance stack-up, fitment, assembly, and integration issues throughout development and build activities
Support production readiness efforts, process validation, and manufacturing transition planning
Contribute to continuous improvement efforts related to assembly flow, tooling effectiveness, cost reduction, and production efficiency
Partner with cross-functional engineering teams to balance design intent, performance, manufacturability, and long-term scalability
Provide hands-on engineering support directly on the manufacturing floor during build, integration, and troubleshooting activities
Qualifications
7+ years of experience in mechanical engineering, aerospace structures, manufacturing engineering, or related hardware-focused environments
Strong background designing aerospace structures, integrated mechanical systems, or complex electromechanical hardware
Demonstrated experience applying design for manufacturing principles within aerospace or advanced hardware programs
Hands-on experience supporting machining, tooling, composites, precision assemblies, or manufacturing process development
Experience transitioning hardware from prototype development into scalable manufacturing environments
Strong understanding of GD&T, tolerance analysis, assembly methods, and mechanical integration practices
Proficiency with 3D CAD design and engineering release workflows
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical discipline
Comfortable working directly with hardware, technicians, suppliers, and manufacturing teams in fast-paced development environments
Strong communication, technical leadership, and cross-functional collaboration skills
Preferred Experience
Experience supporting unmanned aircraft systems, aerospace vehicles, or defense hardware programs
Background working within prototype-heavy or rapid iteration engineering environments
Familiarity with aerospace configuration management and controlled engineering documentation
Experience supporting composite structures, aerospace tooling, or integrated assembly systems
Exposure to low-rate production, manufacturing scale-up, or production system development
Experience balancing engineering performance requirements with practical manufacturing constraints
Why Join Us
Opportunity to lead mechanical design efforts on advanced aerospace platforms entering scaled manufacturing
High ownership role with direct involvement across engineering, manufacturing, and hardware execution
Exposure to rapid aerospace development cycles and next-generation aircraft systems
Collaborative, highly technical environment focused on practical hardware development and iteration
Early-stage opportunity with strong long-term growth potential and technical influence
Compensation Details
$150,000 - $190,000
#LI-AV