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Senior Mechanical Engineer - Advanced Development
Location: On-site | Westlake Village, CA
Salary Range: $125,000 - $155,000

A rapidly growing technology company is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer focused on advanced development and early-stage product exploration. This role works upstream of formal product development and focuses on evaluating emerging technologies, building prototypes, and reducing technical risk before products move into full-scale engineering programs.

This position translates high-level product concepts into functional mechanical systems and experimental prototypes. The role combines hands-on design, modeling, and testing to understand system behavior and inform engineering decisions.

You will collaborate closely with electrical engineering, firmware, product management, and industrial design teams to integrate mechanical solutions with emerging technologies and system architectures.

Responsibilities

* Lead mechanical design and development of early-stage concepts, prototypes, and experimental systems for next-generation products
* Translate high-level product ideas and technology opportunities into practical mechanical architectures and proof-of-concept designs
* Design, prototype, and test mechanical components and assemblies to evaluate feasibility and performance
* Conduct engineering analysis including thermal performance, structural behavior, tolerance stack-ups, and material evaluation
* Create and maintain 3D CAD models and prototype documentation to support experimentation and concept evaluation
* Design and build prototype hardware using rapid fabrication methods such as additive manufacturing, quick-turn machining, and soft tooling
* Plan and execute engineering experiments to validate design assumptions and characterize system performance
* Identify technical risks early in the development process and develop strategies to mitigate those risks
* Collaborate with electrical engineering, firmware, industrial design, and product teams to integrate mechanical systems with electronics and sensing technologies
* Evaluate new materials, mechanisms, and manufacturing approaches to support innovative product development
* Document prototype results, engineering insights, and design learnings for knowledge sharing and future development programs
* Support the transition of validated concepts into full product development when technologies mature
* Contribute to internal engineering standards, design practices, and technical knowledge within the organization

Requirements

* 6-10 years of experience in mechanical engineering within product development, R&D, or advanced concept development environments
* Strong experience designing mechanical components using injection molded plastics, machined components, and sheet metal
* Demonstrated experience with rapid prototyping and iterative engineering design
* Proficiency with CAD tools, preferably SolidWorks
* Strong understanding of mechanical fundamentals including materials, mechanisms, thermal management, and structural behavior
* Experience designing mechanical systems that integrate with electronics or embedded systems is strongly preferred
* Ability to move quickly from concept to prototype and iterate based on experimental results
* Strong collaboration and communication skills working across multidisciplinary engineering teams
* Experience using Microsoft tools such as Teams, Excel, Visio, Project, and Word
* Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field