Senior Mechanical Engineer

About Us

Cenith Innovations is a mission-driven defense technology company specializing in the development and employment of agentic AI solutions to solve niche DoW warfighting problems. We bring the expertise, technology, and business-speed model of cutting-edge commercial innovation to the military domain. From autonomous drone swarms and intelligent sensor networks to embedded hardware platforms that execute deep learning inference at the edge, we are shaping how systems are designed, built, and fielded—often in months, not years.

At Cenith Innovations, you will work at the intersection of autonomy, AI, hardware, and mission-relevant systems. We value engineers who lead, product managers who drive clarity across disciplines, and teams that turn novel ideas into deployed capability.

The Autonomous Systems Division

The Autonomous Systems Division exists to put reliable autonomy into the hands of operators for last-mile missions that solve real warfighter problems. We build and evolve the hardware platforms that make agentic AI usable outside the lab—on drones, robots, and uncrewed systems operating in complex, real-world environments.

Our mission is to deliver field-ready, mission-adaptable systems that carry the right compute, sensors, and communications for the job. We continually improve those systems through rapid learning cycles driven by testing, operator feedback, and changing mission needs.

About the Role

We are seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead the design, development, and testing of mechanical systems for unmanned aircraft, ground vehicles, and electromechanical equipment.

This is a hands-on role with ownership from initial concept through detailed design, rapid prototyping, testing, and production release. You will work across aircraft structures, mechanisms and actuators, vehicle integration, and production hardware, turning challenging requirements into reliable, manufacturable systems.

The ideal candidate combines strong engineering fundamentals with practical fabrication and assembly experience. You should be equally comfortable developing a CAD assembly, checking a structural calculation, troubleshooting a prototype, and supporting testing in the field.

Key Responsibilities

• Own mechanical designs from requirements definition and concept development through fabrication, assembly, verification, and production release.
• Design structures, mounting systems, enclosures, mechanisms, and electromechanical assemblies for aircraft and ground vehicle applications.
• Create and maintain detailed 3D CAD models, assemblies, engineering drawings, and bills of materials.
• Apply geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) and tolerance analysis to ensure parts fit, function, and can be inspected.
• Perform structural calculations and finite element analysis (FEA) to evaluate strength, stiffness, deflection, and appropriate factors of safety.
• Establish realistic load cases and boundary conditions; validate analytical results through hand calculations and physical testing.
• Select materials, fasteners, bearings, actuators, and other components based on performance, weight, durability, cost, and availability.
• Build and assemble rapid prototypes, troubleshoot fit and function, and incorporate test results into design improvements.
• Collaborate with electrical, software, manufacturing, and operations teams to integrate mechanical hardware into complete systems.
• Work directly with suppliers and fabrication partners to resolve technical questions and improve manufacturability.
• Develop and execute mechanical test plans, investigate failures, and implement corrective actions.
• Lead design reviews, mentor other engineers, and maintain clear documentation and revision control.
• Support occasional field testing, demonstrations, and other mission-related events.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Demonstrated senior-level mechanical engineering experience, including independent ownership of complex hardware development.
• Strong proficiency in parametric 3D CAD, including part modeling, assembly design, and production drawing creation.
• Strong working knowledge of engineering drawings, GD&T, fits, and tolerance stack-ups.
• Proficiency in structural calculations and FEA, with the ability to explain assumptions, interpret results, and recognize model limitations.
• Hands-on experience assembling, modifying, and troubleshooting rapid prototypes and mechanical systems.
• Strong understanding of load paths, mechanical joints, material selection, and common failure modes.
• Experience designing for manufacturability, assembly, inspection, and serviceability.
• Ability to translate incomplete or evolving requirements into practical engineering decisions and clearly communicate tradeoffs.
• Strong technical communication, organization, and problem-solving skills, with accountability for carrying work through to completion.
• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent demonstrated engineering experience.
• Ability to work on-site at our Bend, Oregon facility and travel occasionally as needed.

Preferred Experience

• Unmanned aircraft, robotics, autonomous vehicles, or other mobile equipment.
• Lightweight structures, aluminum components, and composite materials.
• Mechanisms, linkages, latches, actuators, and payload mounting or retention systems.
• CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, additive manufacturing, and composite fabrication.
• Integration of onboard computers, sensors, communications equipment, and associated thermal management.
• Hardware exposed to vibration, shock, dust, moisture, and temperature extremes.
• Fatigue analysis, vibration analysis, and correlation of analytical models with test results.
• Transitioning prototypes into repeatable production and managing engineering changes.
• Field testing and incorporating operator feedback into hardware improvements.

What Success Looks Like

You deliver hardware that meets performance requirements and is practical to manufacture, assemble, and maintain. Your designs are supported by sound calculations, appropriate analysis, and deliberate testing. You move quickly through prototype iterations while maintaining clear documentation, communicate technical risks early, and take ownership of resolving problems through successful verification.

How We Work

• Small team, high trust, high autonomy.
• Fast iteration cycles with real field testing of drones, robots, and un-crewed platforms.
• You will have meaningful ownership and direct impact on what gets built and delivered.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary: $110,000–$140,000 DOE

Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Retirement: 401(k) plan

Relocation: Relocation assistance available for qualified candidates

Equal Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate candidates based on merit, skill, and ability to deliver results.