Principal Mechanical Engineer

Clera

  • San Francisco, California
  • 4 days ago

    Highlights

    Deep mechanical expertise and sound judgment in at least one additional area, such as electrical engineering, power electronics, or embedded systems. Directed energy, laser or high-power systems, thermal management, ruggedized equipment, and manufacturing scale-up experience are also relevant.

    Numbers & Facts

    LocationSan Francisco, California
    Websitehttps://www.getclera.com/

    Description

    About the Role

    Join a small defense technology team developing autonomous directed-energy systems for counter-drone applications. As Principal Mechanical Engineer, you will own system-wide mechanical architecture and help take complex hardware from prototype through production and field deployment.

    What You'll Do

    • Lead mechanical architecture and integration across electrical, power, embedded, and optics subsystems.

    • Make technical decisions on challenging hardware problems from concept through production readiness.

    • Guide hardware release and production processes in partnership with manufacturing teams.

    • Review designs, calculations, and test results to identify risks early and maintain high engineering standards.

    • Personally execute mechanical design work when your experience can resolve a problem quickly.

    • Balance cost, mass, reliability, schedule, and field performance in design and manufacturing decisions.

    • Mentor engineers through hands-on technical leadership and design reviews.

    What We're Looking For

    • 10 or more years designing and shipping complex hardware systems, including multiple transitions from prototype through manufacturing and deployment.

    • Mechanical engineering is your primary discipline, with recent hands-on experience in CAD, structures, mechanisms, and packaging.

    • Deep mechanical expertise and sound judgment in at least one additional area, such as electrical engineering, power electronics, or embedded systems.

    • Experience leading full-system hardware integration and designing equipment for demanding real-world environments.

    • Ability to correlate FEA or hand calculations with bench or field test data.

    • Background as a senior individual contributor or technical lead at a hardware organization that shipped products.

    • Experience in defense hardware, aerospace, robotics, high-performance automotive, maritime, or a related field is valuable. Directed energy, laser or high-power systems, thermal management, ruggedized equipment, and manufacturing scale-up experience are also relevant.

    Compensation & Benefits

    Base salary: $235,000 to $305,000 annually. Visa sponsorship is not available.

    Location

    On-site in San Francisco, California, United States.

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