Mechanical Design Engineer, Leander

Pinnacle Government Solutions is a minority-owned small business that provides Software, AI/ML, and Cloud Engineering Solutions for our Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and Federal Civilian agencies.
We bring SME-level expertise and over five decades of combined industry knowledge and Talent Acquisition experience.
We believe in getting it right for our customers and our country.
We are looking for a Mechanical Design Engineer to design, build, test, and ship mechanical systems that survive real-world use.
From early prototypes to scaled production, you own your parts end-to-end.
If it breaks, you fix it.
If it doesn't exist yet, you design it.
If it works on paper but fails in the field, it's not done.
Extreme ownership is the baseline.
You may be asked to work late hours and weekends if needed to accomplish the mission.
What You Own
The mechanical integrity, performance, and manufacturability of your designs
Components, mechanisms, and structures from concept ? production
Iteration speed without sacrificing reliability or safety
Getting parts built, assembled, tested, and validated-no handoffs
If it touches metal, motion, load paths or force, you're accountable
What You Actually Do
Component & System Design
Design components with full lifecycle responsibility: calculations, tolerances, GD&T, drawings, and validation
Design
in context
-your parts must work with everyone else's, under real loads
Mechanisms
Design and integrate linkages, gears, motors, actuators, and assemblies that work under stress
Prototyping & Fabrication
Build fast using in-house tools or external vendors
Own the loop from CAD ? part ? install ? revision
Testing & Validation
Test like it's going to the field-because it is
Measure performance, identify failure modes, and fix them
Paper success doesn't count, field performance does
DFM & Scale
Design for manufacturability from day one
Work directly with manufacturing and machinists to ensure precision, repeatability, and scale
Procurement & Build Support
Source materials, components, and vendors to keep builds moving
Solve supply problems without waiting for permission
Ownership & Adaptability
Priorities shift.
Problems emerge.
You step in.
No "that's not my job."
Only "what needs to be done."
Documentation & Improvement
Document designs, tests, processes, and lessons learned so hardware can be built again
Raise the bar on safety, reliability, and speed every cycle
Required Skills and Experience
Proven, hands-on mechanical design experience
Strong CAD and GD&T capability
Ability to work independently in high-stakes, fast-moving environments
Bias for action, high accountability, and resilience under pressure
Preferred Skills and Experience
UAVs, aerospace, or high-performance mechanisms
Designing hardware that survives testing not just reviews it
Additive manufacturing and 3D printer operation/maintenance
Designing for production-not just prototypes
Startup or small-team environments where impact is immediate
Onshape experience a plus; willingness to transition required
ITAR REQUIREMENT:
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a
(i) U.S. citizen or national,
(ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder),
(iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § ****, or
(iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § ****, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.