Senior Mechanical Engineer – Valves

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, Valves and Fluid Systems

Alameda, CA | Full-Time Onsite

Industry : Aerospace, Mechanical Design, Fluid Systems

A fast-moving launch company in the Bay Area is looking for a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to take the lead on critical flight hardware. This role sits within the team responsible for the valves, actuators, and fluid components that handle cryogenic propellants and high-pressure gases across the rocket.

You’ll take systems from a blank page to the test stand and all the way to the pad. If you enjoy owning real hardware from concept through to flight and want to work on launch‑critical systems, this is a great fit.

What You’ll Be Doing

Design and develop valves, actuators, and other fluid components from scratch

Own everything from CAD to detailed manufacturing drawings and GD&T

Perform mechanical and thermal analyses to validate your designs

Work closely with propulsion, test, and structural teams to integrate your parts into the vehicle

Lead the test and qualification of components, including hot‑fire and vibration tests

Debug and improve systems through hands‑on testing and failure investigations

Write up your results, improve documentation, and help set design standards

✅ What You’ll Need

4 or more years of experience designing flight or test hardware

Solid understanding of fluid mechanics, structures, and thermal design

Strong CAD skills (NX, SolidWorks, or similar) and experience creating manufacturing‑ready drawings

Familiarity with machining, welding, and high‑pressure or cryogenic systems

Hands‑on mindset with a comfort level around tools, test stands, and pressure systems

Degree in mechanical, aerospace, or a related field

⭐ Bonus Points For

Experience designing valves or actuators that operate in high‑pressure, high‑reliability environments

Familiarity with aerospace design standards like ASME, NASA, or MIL‑SPEC

A track record of delivering full technical data packages and managing design reviews

Past experience in a startup or lean engineering team

Ability to mentor others and collaborate across disciplines

If you want to design parts that actually fly and see them tested at full scale, this is the kind of role where you can do just that. You’ll work closely with the team building and firing engines, and your work will directly impact flight performance and vehicle safety.

If that sounds like the right kind of challenge, reach out to learn more.

Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

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