Freeform
Design Engineer (Aerospace and Defense Hardware)
Los Angeles, CA (On-site) · Full-time
Sponsorship not specified$120k-$150kDetected 12 days ago
Thermal AnalysisAerospace EngineeringCollaborationAdaptability
About the role
- The core draw of this role is the engineering itself - though this person will also engage directly with some of the most sophisticated frontier companies in the aerospace and defense industries.
Responsibilities
- Develop a deep understanding of component-level requirements, performance drivers, and system constraints within aerospace and defense programs
- Rethink part design from first principles - identifying where additive manufacturing enables new geometries, consolidated assemblies, improved performance, or reduced cost and lead time
- Develop and evaluate design concepts with a strong command of materials, tolerances, thermal and structural behavior, and production considerations
- Independently answer advanced technical questions related to design tradeoffs, process capabilities, qualification pathways, and production scalability
- Work closely with internal engineering and operations teams to drive feasibility, refine concepts, and align on execution
- Engage directly with customer engineering teams to understand application requirements, present design solutions, and build technical credibility
- Identify and pursue new application spaces where Freeform's technology can deliver step-change improvements over conventional manufacturing
- Freeform builds AI-native manufacturing systems that unify software, hardware, and physics to produce industrial-scale parts at the speed of human ideation.
- By treating manufacturing as a single integrated system, we unlock a new era of innovation where complex hardware is designed, built, and scaled without limits.
- Freeform is hiring a Design Engineer focused on aerospace & defense hardware to sit at the intersection of advanced part design and additive manufacturing.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering
- 3+ years of experience in a hands-on engineering role within aerospace, defense, or a closely related high-performance industry
- Experience designing or analyzing propulsion systems, thermal systems, fluid systems, turbomachinery, or high-performance structural components
Nice to have
- Experience carrying hardware through development, qualification, and production ramp
- Ability to clearly communicate complex technical concepts to both engineering and non-engineering stakeholders
- Strong first-principles reasoning and comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-moving problem spaces
- Strategic thinker with an instinct for where technology can unlock the most value
- Team player, positive attitude, growth mindset, integrity, accountability, adaptability, entrepreneurial, driven, results-oriented and ethical
- Based in Hawthorne, our vertically integrated facility brings technology development, R&D, and production together under one roof.
- We operate at the center of LA's deep tech ecosystem, surrounded by some of the most ambitious hardware innovation happening anywhere in the country.
- Traditional and Roth 401(k)
Compensation
- Compensation <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118
Benefits
- We have an inclusive and diverse culture that values collaboration, learning, and making deliberate data-driven decisions.
- Significant stock option packages
- 100% employer-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance (premium PPO and HMO options)
- Life insurance
- Paid vacation, sick leave, and company holidays
- Generous Paid Parental Leave and extended transition back to work for the birthing parent
- Casual dress, flexible work hours, and regular catered team building events
Company info
- We offer a unique opportunity to be an early and integral member of a rapidly growing company that is scaling a world-changing technology.
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