Mechanical Engineering Manager

Amca is building America’s new industrial base. Since the 1990s, our ability to build new aviation and military systems and maintain the ones we already have has eroded. Today, the gap between what the nation needs to produce and what it is capable of producing is the largest it has been in generations. To help close that gap, Amca rapidly develops and manufactures new critical components and subsystems required to build and sustain the planes, military vehicles, and core infrastructure America needs. Today, we operate seven factories nationwide, including our advanced prototyping and testing headquarters in El Segundo, and deliver avionics, hydraulic, and electrical components for platforms such as the F-35, F-16, F/A-18, 737MAX, 787, A320neo, A321, Mk-48, and M1 Abrams. Overview: You will lead Amca's mechanical engineering function across design, build, and test. Your team takes flight hardware from concept through qualification and into production — spanning flow control devices, mechanisms, pneumatic and hydraulic assemblies, structural systems, cockpit avionics, and power electronics enclosures and mechanical subsystems. You will set the technical standard for how Amca designs, builds, and proves its mechanical products, while growing and developing the engineers responsible for executing that work day to day. This is a player-coach role: you will be in the details of hard problems while building the team and processes to scale. Responsibilities: Manage the mechanical engineering team across design, build, and test Hire, develop, and retain mechanical design, build, and test engineers Set the technical bar for design reviews, qualification testing, build methodology, and DFM standards across the discipline Mentor engineers at all levels; instill a culture of extreme ownership and first-principles problem solving Define and evolve mechanical engineering design, build, and testing standards as Amca scales Contribute to the mechanical product roadmap in partnership with program management and senior leadership Work closely with customers and program management to understand end-use applications and challenge requirements wherever possible Support expansion of Amca's catalog across valves, regulators, solenoids, actuators, pistons, switches, cockpit avionics hardware, power electronics mechanical packaging, and adjacent mechanical categories Ensure every new design is optimized from day one for reliability, manufacturability, and cost — not retrofitted later Maintain hands-on technical leadership Oversee detailed design work including drawings, GD&T, FEA, component specifications, and risk assessments Lead or support qualification campaigns including functional, environmental, pneumatic, hydraulic, and structural testing per MIL-STD and applicable aerospace standards Drive hardware iteration from bench prototype through production handoff, leveraging Amca's in-house R&D lab and protoshop Lead root cause investigations in development, production, and test; own corrective actions through resolution Ensure DFM feedback flows efficiently between build engineering and design, and that manufacturing best practices are codified into specifications and drawings Partner closely with electrical engineering on the mechanical design of cockpit avionics and power electronics components, including thermal management, packaging, connectorization, and environmental sealing Support company growth initiatives Represent mechanical engineering in customer-facing engagements and program reviews Qualifications: Substantial experience in mechanical engineering for aerospace or defense hardware, with a strong track record taking products from concept through flight qualification and into production Demonstrated success leading engineering teams; able to develop and retain strong technical talent Deep fluency across fluid systems (pneumatic, hydraulic), structural design, mechanisms, GD&T, and manufacturing processes Experience with the mechanical design of avionics or power electronics hardware, including thermal management, EMI/EMC packaging considerations, and ruggedized enclosure design Hands-on and lab-comfortable; expected to be in the protoshop and on the bench, not just in design reviews Strong command of engineering first principles across thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and solid mechanics; proven ability to simplify requirements and cut complexity Experience with Siemens NX or equivalent CAD package; familiarity with FEA tools and test instrumentation (pressure transducers, thermocouples, RTDs, solenoid valves, etc.) Familiarity with MIL-STD-810, DO-160, and other aerospace qualification frameworks Independent, direct, and action-oriented; thrives with ownership and minimal oversight Annual Salary Range $160,000 — $220,000 USD This position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). All applicants must be U.S. persons within the meaning of ITAR. ITAR defines a US person as: any individual who is granted U.S. citizenship; or. any individual who is granted U.S. permanent residence ("Green Card" holder); or. any individual who is granted status as a "protected person" under 8 U.S.C 1324b(a)(3). The Advanced Manufacturing Company of America prohibits discrimination or harassment based on the following categories: race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, protected medical leaves (requesting or approved for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act or t