AI use among architectural and engineering managers is little observed so far. Measured exposure for architectural and engineering managers: 3% (little observed).

Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.

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About the job

There was a time when all of America believed that the future of the physical world could be radically different. The engineers of the mid-1900s put a man on the moon in eight years, designed and built planes and submarines from scratch in under three, and conceived of building things we wouldn’t even be able to dream up today.

Today, the last of the engineers who imagined and built these systems are retiring. As they go, we lose not only the engineering knowledge gained from their decades of imagination and trial-and-error, but also the spirit that made that imagination possible.

Amca is working day-in and day-out to restore America’s ability to engineer anything that our critical systems depend on, and reinvigorate the cycle of creation that allows imagination to shape physical reality. We rapidly develop and manufacture new critical components and subsystems required to build and sustain the planes, military vehicles, and core infrastructure America needs. By restoring the capability of our antiquated supply chains, we increase the country’s capacity to imagine and realize new systems, and make a physical world that looks very different from today.

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 the California Family Rights Act), domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by state or federal law.