Mechanical Design Engineer

<h2><strong>Mechanical Design Engineer</strong></h2> <p><strong>Leander, TX | Onsite | Full-Time</strong></p> <h2><strong>About Wild West Systems</strong></h2> <p><strong>Born in America. Built for the Future Warfighter.</strong></p> <p>Robotics are reshaping the battlefield, and yesterday’s weapon systems are outdated, expensive, and built for the past.</p> <p>Wild West Systems is building the universal weapons layer for robotics: precision weapon systems designed to make autonomous platforms more capable, more lethal, and fully reusable. We’ve built a team of leading engineers from companies including Tesla, Apple (Special Projects Group), SpaceX, and more to rethink what these platforms are capable of.</p> <p>This is the Wild West.</p> <p><strong>Want to keep building yesterday’s systems? Don’t join.</strong></p> <h2><strong>General Qualifications (All Roles)</strong></h2> <ul> <li>America matters. The mission matters. You must believe deeply in both.</li> <li>High-agency self-starter who moves fast and delivers without waiting for instructions.</li> <li>Extreme ownership. No excuses. No “that’s not my job.”</li> <li>Strong judgment and a relentless bias for action.</li> <li>Comfortable operating without a playbook, solving hard problems, and adapting as priorities change.</li> <li>Low ego, high standards, and committed to winning as a team.</li> <li><strong>ITAR Requirement:</strong> To conform with U.S. Government export regulations, applicants must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), refugee, asylee, or otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorization from the U.S. Department of State.</li> </ul> <h2><strong>The Role</strong></h2> <p>As a Mechanical Design Engineer, your job is to design, build, test, and ship mechanical systems that survive real-world use. From early prototypes to scaled production, you own your parts end-to-end. If it breaks, you fix it. If it doesn’t exist yet, you design it. If it works on paper but fails in the field, it’s not done.</p> <p>Extreme ownership is the baseline. Your work directly arms the warfighter, and that responsibility matters.</p> <h3><strong>What You Own</strong></h3> <ul> <li>The mechanical integrity, performance, and manufacturability of your designs.</li> <li>Components, mechanisms, and structures from concept to production.</li> <li>Iteration speed without sacrificing reliability or safety.</li> <li>Getting parts built, assembled, tested, and validated, with no handoffs.</li> <li>If it touches metal, motion, load paths, or force, you’re accountable.</li> </ul> <h3><strong>Component & System Design</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Design components with full lifecycle responsibility: calculations, tolerances, GD&T, drawings, and validation.</li> <li>Design in context: your parts must work with everyone else’s under real loads.</li> </ul> <h3><strong>Mechanisms</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Design and integrate linkages, gears, motors, actuators, and assemblies that work under stress.</li> </ul> <h3><strong>Prototyping & Fabrication</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Build fast using in-house tools or external vendors.</li> <li>Own the loop from CAD to part to install to revision.</li> </ul> <h3><strong>Testing & Validation</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Test like it’s going to the field, because it is.</li> <li>Measure performance, identify failure modes, and fix them.</li> <li>Paper success doesn’t count. Field performance does.</li> </ul> <h3><strong>DFM & Scale</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Design for manufacturability from day one.</li> <li>Work directly with manufacturing and machinists to ensure precision, repeatability, and scale.</li> </ul> <h3><strong>Procurement & Build Support</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Source materials, components, and vendors to keep builds moving.</li> <li>Solve supply problems without waiting for permission.</li> </ul> <h3><strong>Ownership & Adaptability</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Priorities shift. Problems emerge. You step in.</li> <li>No “that’s not my job.” Only “what needs to be done.”</li> </ul> <h3><strong>Documentation & Improvement</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Document designs, tests, processes, and lessons learned so hardware can be built again.</li> <li>Raise the bar on safety, reliability, and speed every cycle.</li> </ul> <h2><strong>Requirements</strong></h2> <h3><strong>Required Skills and Experience</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Proven, hands-on mechanical design experience.</li> <li>Strong CAD and GD&T capability.</li> <li>Ability to work independently in high-stakes, fast-moving environments.</li> <li>Bias for action, high accountability, and resilience under pressure.</li> </ul> <h3><strong>Preferred Skills and Experience</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Weapons systems, UAVs, aerospace, or high-performance mechanisms.</li> <li>Designing hardware that survives testing, not just reviews.</li> <li>Additive manufacturing and 3D printer operation/maintenance.</li> <li>Designing for production, not just prototypes.</li> <li>Startup or small-team environments where impact is immediate.</li> <li>Onshape experience a plus; willingness to transition required.</li> </ul> <h2><strong>Why Wild West</strong></h2> <ul> <li><strong>Build the whole thing.</strong> Own your work from first principles through design, prototype, test, iteration, and production. What you build will leave the screen and enter the real world.</li> <li><strong>Build where the hardware gets built.</strong> Engineering, fabrication, manufacturing, and testing happen under one roof, so ideas move fast.</li> <li><strong>Make an impact from day one.</strong> Your decisions will shape the product, the roadmap, and the company itself.</li> <li><strong>Move at mission speed.</strong> Work with urgency, solve hard problems, and turn ambitious ideas into field-ready systems.</li> <li><strong>Share in what you build.</strong> Every employee has the opportunity to own stock options and participate in the company’s success.</li> <li><strong>Work with exceptional people.</strong> Join a team defined by high standards, low ego, direct communication, and relentless execution.</li> </ul> <h2><strong>What We Offer</strong></h2> <ul> <li><strong>Competitive compensation</strong></li> <li><strong>Equity:</strong> Stock options included with every offer</li> <li><strong>Medical:</strong> 100% of employee premiums covered, 90% for spouse/family</li> <li><strong>Dental & vision:</strong> 100% of premiums covered</li> <li><strong>401(k):</strong> Company plan with match</li> <li><strong>Unlimited PTO</strong></li> <li><strong>Relocation support:</strong> Available for candidates relocating to the Austin area</li> </ul> <h2><strong>Location and Eligibility</strong></h2> <p>This is a full-time, onsite role at our facility in <strong>Leander, Texas</strong>, approximately 30 minutes from downtown Austin.</p> <p><strong>ITAR Eligibility:</strong> To conform with U.S. Government export regulations, applicants must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), refugee, asylee, or otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorization from the U.S. Department of State.</p> <p>Wild West Systems uses E-Verify to confirm employment authorization.</p> <p><strong>Direct applicants only. We do not work with staffing companies for this role.</strong></p>