Mechanical engineer jobs in California

About the role

Odin Dynamics is hiring multiple Senior Mechanical Engineers to serve as Responsible Engineers for critical mechanical subsystems across our platform. Each engineer will take primary technical ownership of one of five areas: Candidates will apply to a common requisition, and Odin Dynamics will determine the best area of focus through the interview process. We are looking for engineers with deep expertise in at least one area who are also comfortable working across structures, hydrodynamics, mechanisms, thermal, materials, manufacturing, and test. As the Responsible Engineer for your subsystem, you will own it throughout its lifecycle: requirements, architecture, detailed design, analysis, prototyping, integration, verification, field testing, production support, failure analysis, and continued improvement after deployment. This is a hands-on individual-contributor position. You will be expected to produce substantial design and analysis work, make technical decisions, mentor other engineers, and remain accountable for the performance and reliability of your subsystem. There are no organizational handoffs when a difficult problem crosses the boundary between mechanical, electrical, and software domains.

What you'll bring

• Deep practical expertise in at least one of: hull and hydrodynamics, structures and integration, mechanisms and actuation, battery mechanical design, or propulsion.
• Sufficient familiarity with adjacent mechanical domains to collaborate across subsystem boundaries.
• Strong CAD proficiency and experience managing complex assemblies across multi-disciplinary teams.
• Strong analytical skills across FEA and hand calculations, with sound engineering judgment about when to use each.
• Demonstrated ability to design for manufacturing—you know how parts get made and you design accordingly.
• Hands-on experience with prototyping, assembly, and test—you are comfortable in a shop and on a dock.
• Experience reading and producing engineering drawings, defining tolerances, and managing interfaces.
• Experience designing for demanding physical environments, accounting for factors such as pressure, thermal, vibration, corrosion, or long-duration reliability as relevant to your specialization.
• Demonstrated ability to work from first principles, make progress with incomplete information, and rapidly iterate between design, analysis, fabrication, and test.
• Ability to work independently with minimal oversight while collaborating closely across engineering disciplines.
• Willingness to support field testing and sea trials when required.
• U.S. citizenship and eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.