ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Defense Contractor Mechanical Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Chariot Defense

Mechanical Engineer

San Bruno, CA · On-site

About Us Chariot Defense is a defense technology company that designs and manufactures a family of ... About the Role Chariot Defense is seeking a highly motivated and skilled Mechanical Engineer to ...

Chariot Defense

Mechanical Engineer

San Bruno, CA · On-site

About Us Chariot Defense is a defense technology company that designs and manufactures a family of ... About the Role Chariot Defense is seeking a highly motivated and skilled Mechanical Engineer to ...

Vulcan Elements

Mechanical Engineer

Benson, NC

... as defense, aerospace, and automotive powering a high-technology future. Vulcan Elements is ... Work with EPC contractors developing mechanical system layouts, P&IDs, equipment specifications ...

Vulcan Elements

Mechanical Engineer

Durham, NC

... as defense, aerospace, and automotive powering a high-technology future. Vulcan Elements is ... Work with EPC contractors developing mechanical system layouts, P&IDs, equipment specifications ...

Managed Staffing

Mechanical Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$50 - $56/hr

Mechanical Engineer Location: Onsite - Irvine, CA Shift: 1st Shift US Citizenship Required About ... and defense applications. This role involves hands-on engineering work, design reviews ...

Precise Systems

Mechanical Engineer

Key West, FL

... critical defense programs. Through the power of our combined capabilities, we provide deep ... Work closely with Government, military, contractor, and academic partners to support research and ...

Precise Systems

Mechanical Engineer

Key West, FL · On-site

... critical defense programs. Through the power of our combined capabilities, we provide deep ... Work closely with Government, military, contractor, and academic partners to support research and ...

Precise Systems

Mechanical Engineer

Key West, FL · On-site

... critical defense programs. Through the power of our combined capabilities, we provide deep ... Work closely with Government, military, contractor, and academic partners to support research and ...

LLNL

Mechanical Engineer

Livermore, CA · Hybrid

... defense empowering teams to take on the toughest challenges of today and tomorrow. With a culture ... contractor questions, evaluating change-order requests, resolving field issues, observing ...

LLNL

Mechanical Engineer

Livermore, CA · On-site

$9.6K/wk

... defense empowering teams to take on the toughest challenges of today and tomorrow. With a culture ... contractor questions, evaluating change-order requests, resolving field issues, observing ...

NDI Engineering

Mechanical Engineer

Philadelphia, PA · On-site

$60K - $80K/yr

... defense of our country. NDI offerings include naval architecture, marine, civil, structural ... S. Small Business Administration Region II Prime Contractor of the Year Award. NDI's corporate ...

Combined Systems Inc

$70K - $85K/yr

Global defense and U.S. Military supplier operating proudly since 1981. What You Will Do & Who We Are Looking For The Mechanical Engineer supports the design, development, testing, and production of ...

Combined Systems Inc

$70K - $85K/yr

Global defense and U.S. Military supplier operating proudly since 1981. What You Will Do & Who We Are Looking For The Mechanical Engineer supports the design, development, testing, and production of ...

Leidos

Mechanical Engineer

Reston, VA · On-site

... defense initiatives. This position requires a creative and analytical engineer who can develop ... You will work alongside an interdisciplinary team of government and contractor professionals in a ...

LLNL

Mechanical Engineer

Livermore, CA · On-site

... defense empowering teams to take on the toughest challenges of today and tomorrow. With a culture ... contractor questions, evaluating change-order requests, resolving field issues, observing ...

previous page

Showing results 41-60

All JobsDefense Contractor Mechanical Engineer Jobs

Defense Contractor Mechanical Engineer information

See salary details

$45.5K

$102.9K

$166.5K

How much do defense contractor mechanical engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for defense contractor mechanical engineer in the United States is $102,878.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $81,500.00 and $126,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a defense contractor mechanical engineer do?

A Defense Contractor Mechanical Engineer designs, develops, and tests mechanical systems for military and defense applications. Their work may involve creating components for vehicles, weapons, or support equipment used by armed forces. They collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure these systems meet strict safety, reliability, and performance standards. Additionally, they must adhere to government regulations and security protocols while handling sensitive information. Their role is critical in advancing defense technologies and maintaining national security.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a defense contractor mechanical engineer?

To excel as a Defense Contractor Mechanical Engineer, you need a solid background in mechanical engineering principles, a relevant engineering degree, and often a security clearance. Familiarity with CAD software, simulation tools, and knowledge of defense-specific standards and certifications like ITAR compliance are typically required. Strong problem-solving, teamwork, and effective communication skills are critical for collaborating on complex defense projects. These competencies ensure the engineer can design reliable, compliant systems that meet stringent defense requirements and function under high-stakes conditions.

What are some common challenges faced by mechanical engineers working as defense contractors?

Mechanical engineers in defense contracting often face the challenge of adhering to strict regulatory standards and security protocols, which can add complexity to the design and manufacturing process. Additionally, projects typically require close collaboration with multidisciplinary teams and may involve rapidly adapting to evolving project requirements driven by client needs or new technological developments. Managing tight deadlines while ensuring compliance with military specifications is also a frequent aspect of the role. These challenges are balanced by the opportunity to work on innovative, mission-critical systems and to gain experience with cutting-edge technologies.

What is the difference between Defense Contractor Mechanical Engineer vs Defense Industry Mechanical Engineer?

AspectDefense Contractor Mechanical EngineerDefense Industry Mechanical Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's in Mechanical Engineering, possibly security clearanceBachelor's in Mechanical Engineering, possibly security clearance
Work EnvironmentContractor offices, military facilities, project sitesDefense manufacturing plants, military facilities
Employer & Industry UsagePrimarily employed by defense contractors serving military clientsEmployed directly by defense agencies or manufacturers
Common Search & ComparisonYesYes

Both roles require similar credentials and often involve working in secure environments. The main difference is that Defense Contractor Mechanical Engineers are employed by private firms providing services to defense clients, while Defense Industry Mechanical Engineers work directly within defense agencies or manufacturing companies. The roles overlap in skills and work settings, but their employment context distinguishes them.

More about Defense Contractor Mechanical Engineer jobs

What cities are hiring for Defense Contractor Mechanical Engineer jobs?

Cities with the most Defense Contractor Mechanical Engineer job openings:

What states have the most Defense Contractor Mechanical Engineer jobs?

States with the most job openings for Defense Contractor Mechanical Engineer jobs include:

What job categories do people searching Defense Contractor Mechanical Engineer jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for Defense Contractor Mechanical Engineer jobs are:

Defense Contractor Mechanical Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Defense Contractor Mechanical Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $102,878 per year, or $49.5 per hour.

Mechanical Engineer

Chariot Defense

San Bruno, CA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 9 days ago

Job description

About Us
Chariot Defense is a defense technology company that designs and manufactures a family of power products for the U.S. military and its allies. We believe that credible deterrence of armed conflict and winning if deterrence fails, requires more than just the best drones, sensors, weapons, electronic warfare systems, and command & control capabilities. Those critical components will require sustained electric power in austere and resource-constrained environments. Moreover, military units must be able to turn off the trucks and generators that generate this power to hide and survive. In other words, power generation must be decoupled from power consumption. Chariot Defense's products enable exactly this capability, allowing U.S. and allied militaries to be more lethal and survivable. We hope you will join us on this mission.
About the Role
Chariot Defense is seeking a highly motivated and skilled Mechanical Engineer to join our engineering team, reporting to the Powertrain Lead Engineer. In this role, you will conceptualize, design, develop, and test advanced mechanical and power electronic systems, including fully integrated vehicle platforms. You will work across multidisciplinary engineering and design teams to ensure our systems meet stringent MIL-STD performance, endurance and reliability, and security requirements for deployment in demanding environments, performing critical missions.
Key Responsibilities
  • Design Ownership: Own hardware design from initial requirements to concept and prototyping to series production, and beyond, in service and field deployment, as an end-to-end owner of subsystems.
  • Integrated Systems: Develop mechanical designs that involve the complex and multivariable mechanical integration of next-gen energy storage, advanced material types, complex thermal solutions, power electronic hardware, dense PCBAs, and efficient harnessing for the tightest packaged, most efficient, and highest performing end-product.
  • Rapid Iteration: Prototype rapidly to find issues fast, debug, iterate, and develop a final, field-deployable product on compressed timelines, closely managing risk vs. reward, effort vs. return, and balancing schedules and budget with capability and performance.
  • Design for Mass Manufacturing: Design mechanical, thermal, electro-mechanical components and assemblies, and integrated power systems, for volume manufacturing from the get-go.
  • Direct Customer Engagement: Support critical customer-facing hardware demonstrations, from time to time, and use these interactions to better understand the customers' requirements and application needs.
What We're Looking For
  • Top-notch engineering intuition and first principles thinking toward designing complex products that function seamlessly for your customer, taking both an engineering/ technical, and product/ customer approach, to strike the optimal balance.
  • Able to independently identify critical information or priority gaps and apply effort toward closing those gaps.
  • Undaunted by imperfect, incomplete or absent datasets or information, and capable of making sound, comprehensive, and swift first-principled decisions to achieve a product end-state that meets and/or exceeds the need of the hour.
  • Not satisfied by superficial explanations of a problem or "band-aid engineering"; seeks persistently to find the specific root cause through data-driven methods, and resolve failures or recurring issues, so they can be mitigated to prevent future such instances.
  • Gratified by helping your peers succeed, building a robust team culture, and propagation deep camaraderie amongst your peers; seeks to break down information silos by collaborating rigorously with others to solve problems, share knowledge, and provide input.
Qualifications
Required:
  • BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent work experience.
  • Experience in an immersive system design project or research study/ thesis, in collegiate project teams (e.g.: SAE, FSAE, BAJA, others), other extracurricular participation, or professional settings.
  • A minimum of 2+ years of experience in a technical engineering, design, or product role in a professional setting.
  • Proven 3D CAD skills (any platform, but SOLIDWORKS preferred), as well as CAE/ FEA experience, and the ability to produce high-quality engineering 2D drawings that comply with common industry standards (e.g.: GD&T, ASME standards etc.)
  • Strong understanding of engineering fundamentals in structures, materials, fluids and aero, thermal, controls, mechanics/ dynamics, system modeling, and fundamentals of physics.
  • Manufacturing knowledge & experience with machine shops (sheet metal, CNC, lathe, sand casting, forging, die-casting etc.).
  • Rapid prototyping background (structures/electronics/software) & 3D printing knowledge.
  • Proficient in hands-on prototyping (machining, shop tools, welding, soldering), and demonstrated hands-on fabrication skills.
  • Familiarity with MIL-STD, DO-160, or other automotive, defense, and aerospace standards.
Preferred:
  • Experience designing and working directly with low and high voltage systems, high current/ high voltage power distribution, high voltage safety, and thermal management of lithium-ion batteries (or other energy storage) and voltage regulating power electronics.
  • Experience in industries/ applications requiring high-reliability embedded power electronics operated in austere environments, and testing exposure for lifecycle, abuse, and endurance tests.
  • MATLAB/ SIMULINK/ SIMSCAPE experience, as well as experience with any or several CAE/ FEA tools such as ANSYS, Fluent, Star CCM+, Abaqus, Comsol Multiphysics, Hyperworks etc.
  • Experience with any or several instrumentation, scripting, communication and measurement tools such as LabVIEW, DIAdem, DAQs, PEAK (PCAN), Vector (CANape, CANoe etc.), Python.
  • Experience with any or several data, content, and product lifecycle management systems like Confluence, JIRA, Polarion, Tableau, Teamcenter etc.
  • Experience with any or several common sensors and sensing methods (such as thermocouples, force/ load sensors, flow sensors, voltage probes, current clamps etc.), sensor integration, and sensor data post processing/ filtering.
  • Advanced designing skills for CNC machining, composites/ CFRPs, sheet metal, injection molding, PCBA integration.
Role Requirements
  • This position is an onsite role based in Chariot Defense's San Bruno, CA, office.
  • Willingness to support 10% travel, domestically and internationally, as well as work extended and weekend hours, when necessary
  • Able to work on your feet for extended periods in a shop setting.
  • Able to lift and carry 50lbs.

A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is $130,000-$180,000 annually. Compensation packages also include early-stage equity and access to company-sponsored benefit plans.
Individual compensation packages are based on geographic location, scope of the role, relevant experience, and the ability to deal with complexity and problem solve within our organization, among other factors.
All employees are required to provide proof of authorization to work in the U.S. within their first 3 days of work. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
Any unsolicited resumes/candidate profiles submitted through our website or to personal email accounts of employees of Chariot Defense are considered property of Chariot Defense and are not subject to payment of agency fees.

Apply