Mechanical Engineer, Missile Defense III

Location

Long Beach, CA

Wage

$110,000 – $165,000/yr

Employment Type

Full-time

Apply for This Position

Posted on October 30, 2026

Job Description

Overview

True Anomaly is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to design and develop flight hardware for missile defense systems, contributing to the advancement of technology for space superiority.

Responsibilities

  • Support the design, analysis, and optimization of mechanical structures and assemblies for defense aerospace systems.
  • Assist in the development of flight vehicle structural systems from concept through hardware delivery.
  • Support the design of airframe structures for hypersonic flight environments.
  • Contribute to the integration of guidance, navigation, and control hardware within flight vehicle structures.
  • Assist in the design of thermal protection system components for hypersonic environments.
  • Support propulsion system mechanical integration efforts.
  • Develop and maintain detailed 3D CAD models and drawings using NX and/or SolidWorks.
  • Create accurate piece part and assembly drawings with proper application of GD&T standards.
  • Support design reviews by preparing technical documentation and design rationales.
  • Assist in the development and execution of structural and environmental test plans.
  • Work within configuration management systems and PLM/MES tools.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
  • 4-8 years of professional experience in mechanical design, preferably in missile defense or defense aerospace.
  • Exposure to missile systems, hypersonic vehicle design, or high-performance flight vehicle structures.
  • Hands-on experience with 3D CAD modeling and drawing creation in NX and/or SolidWorks.
  • Working knowledge of GD&T principles.
  • Familiarity with structural and mechanical design principles relevant to high-dynamic-pressure environments.
  • Exposure to guidance or seeker packaging concepts.
  • Familiarity with high-temperature materials or TPS concepts.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • PTO
  • 401k

Additional Information

  • This is a fully onsite role. Candidates must be based in or able to commute to the Denver or Long Beach office daily.

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
401k

How this job compares in Long Beach, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $66/hr, this posting sits about 38% above the $48/hr median for welding jobs in Long Beach, CA — toward the top of a $34–$54/hr middle band drawn from 37 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 84% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. Pay that far above local median usually comes attached to something: a harder cert requirement, travel, night shift, or overtime that isn't really optional. Worth establishing which before you accept.

The local market in Long Beach, CA

We're tracking 42 other active welding openings in Long Beach, CA right now, from 17 different employers. 11 of them were added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 486 other active welding openings from 233 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Long Beach, or widen the search to California.

The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (35), Welding Shop in Los Angeles, CA (17), and Relativity Space (14). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within California, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Long Beach at $48/hr, El Segundo at $48/hr, and Los Angeles at $44/hr. Long Beach is among them.

Similar openings near Long Beach, CA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Mechanical Engineer, Missile Defense III figures were last recalculated when this page was built.