Job Description

About Wild West Systems

Wild West Systems is a defense technology startup redefining autonomous edge defense through modular, AI-powered weapon systems-designed, built, and launched in the USA. We're arming the future warfighter with precision, affordability, and swagger. If you're ready to embrace the grit and chaos of cutting-edge defense innovation, welcome to the frontier.

Why This Role Matters

As a Mechanical Design Engineer, you'll be designing, prototyping, testing, and coordinating with manufacturing various components, mechanisms and structures, from early stage development to mass production. Extreme Ownership isn't a special feat here. It's the basic expectation. There's no "that's not my job" here-only "let's get it done." Your work directly arms the warfighter, and that's a responsibility we don't take lightly.

Responsibilities

• Components design: Design is more than just nice shapes in CAD. It's end to end responsibility that includes engineering calculations, collaboratively design in the context that works with your peers' parts, producing drawings, proper GD&T, and iterating until parts are made, installed, validated and documented.
• Mechanisms design: Linkages, gears, motors selection and integration.
• Prototyping: Work with in-house manufacturing or outsourcing suppliers to get your stuff done.
• Testing: Measure twice, cut once. Test like you fly, fly like you test. All good on paper. What maters is how it works on the field in the real world.
• DFM & Engineering Collaboration: Collaborate with manufacturing staff and peers to make sure everything is designed for precisions and scale.
• Procurement: help identify, source, and purchase materials to keep the production engine running.
• Ownership & Rapid Adaptation: Jump into whatever needs doing-day-to-day can look different by hour.
• Documentation & Continuous Improvement: Catalog key processes, promote safety, and drive improvements.

Required Qualifications

• Solid hands-on experience with mechanical design .
• Proficiency in CAD, GD&T . Willing to transition to OnShape if you haven't used it before.
• Problem-solving mindset; comfort working independently in high-stakes environments.
• U.S. citizenship or ITAR-compliant status (green card, refugee/asylee, or eligible for required export authorization).
• Thirst for ownership, bias for action, and ability to roll with fast-moving priorities.
• Fierce American pride and dedication to the mission.

Preferred Experience

• Background with aerial weapon systems, mechanisms, UAV integration .
• Hands-on with additive manufacturing and 3D printer maintenance .
• Experience applying Design for Manufacturability (DFM) principles.
• Track record in startup environments or small-team, high-impact roles .

What You'll Find at Wild West Systems

• A high-velocity, mission-driven culture that thrives on grit, ingenuity, and disruption.
• The chance to architect-literally build-the future of autonomous drone defense.
• Clear impact: your work goes from bench to battlefield, quickly.
• A tight-knit team that's rewriting the rules of engagement for a new era in warfare.

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