Senior Mechanical Engineer

Company Overview:

Second Order Effects (SOE) is an engineering consulting firm that transforms uncertainty into fully functional hardware and software. We work on projects at all stages of development, performing evaluations, building prototypes, and bringing products to market. Our team solves high-impact problems across various industries, including automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics, industrial automation, biomedical, and green energy. Our designs control rocket engines, manage satellite communications, instrument fusion reactors, and are enjoyed by consumers around the world. The only thing we won’t build is weapons.

Founded in 2016, Second Order Effects has 50 employees (and counting!) in offices in El Segundo, California, and Redmond, Washington. We've worked with over 130 clients on more than 300 projects as a partner, on retainer, or on demand.

How do we do this? We prioritize collaboration, aim to create meaningful solutions, embrace complex tasks, and maintain a long-term perspective. Learn more at soeffects.com!

Role Overview:

As a Senior Mechanical Engineer, you will be part of a core SOE team and support all of the projects by designing enclosures, mechanisms, and custom parts for customers. Ideally, you are forward thinking and have solid experience carrying projects from whiteboard design through fabrication and test. Additionally, you must effectively communicate technical concepts to all audiences and balance creativity and technical foundations, as innovation requires both.

Mechanical engineering at SOE is a growth discipline but still rooted in the pioneering spirit that has driven us from the start. From our early innovations like RF combiners featuring custom copper-tungsten elements and phased-array speakers in acoustically-optimized enclosures, the close coupling between electrical and mechanical design persists as a cornerstone of our company. As our projects become more ambitious and complex, our mechanical engineering team continues to rise to the challenge.

Being part of the mechanical engineering team is an opportunity to contribute to a dynamic, growth focused environment, where we thrive on collaboration, interdisciplinary learning, continuous personal and professional development. We take ownership of our work and support one another through that growth. We look forward to welcoming you to the team!

Responsibilities:

• Oversee mechanical projects, collaborating with other engineering disciplines and customers to plan, coordinate, and deliver results.
• Guide the design and development of mechanical systems and components, ensuring they meet all performance, quality, and safety standards.
• Perform complex mechanical assessments (Structural, Thermal, and Fluid Dynamics) to optimize designs.
• Provide hands-on guidance to the engineering team, offering technical support, mentorship, strategic planning, resource management, and business support.
• Design and model complex integrated 3D assemblies and produce robust engineering drawings
• Develop prototypes and oversee testing to validate design integrity, compare simulation models, identify issues, and implement solutions.
• Communicate designs, analyses, solutions, ideas, challenges, and progress effectively and accurately to the team and customers

We aim to provide a profile of someone who would thrive in this role. Even if this doesn’t perfectly match your background, we encourage you to apply! SOE values diverse experiences and non-traditional career paths.

What You Will Need:

• Bachelor's Degree (Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Math, related field)
• 7 years of experience in mechanical engineering, with a focus on design, analysis, and project management
• Strong design and spatial reasoning skills to break down complex systems into workable elements for layout, mechanisms, and components that align with design for manufacturability and assembly standards.
• Proficiency in CAD software (e.g., SolidWorks, AutoCAD, CATIA) and GD&T frameworks/standards
• Experience with a wide range of manufacturing processes, including machining, injection molding, water jetting, electro-discharge machining, and 3D printing
• Proven ability to manage projects and teams, prioritize effectively, and deliver results in a dynamic environment

What Would Be Useful:

• Experience in supporting team-based design and project management
• Experience with steady-state and transient thermal assessments of electronic devices using CFD modeling software
• Proficiency in mathematical back of the envelope hand calculation analysis, finite element analyses (FEA), and computer-aided designs (CAD)
• Ability to assess and estimate structural loading from environmental factors
• Experience with fatigue and thermal testing of electro-mechanical assemblies
• Understanding of Electrical Engineering fundamentals and design experience with simple circuits using op amps, ICs, and discrete components

Benefits:

• Compensation range of $135,000-$175,000 equity incentive plan
• Flexible work hours and work from home policy 
• 100% employer-paid health insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision) for employees 50% dependent coverage
• Unlimited paid time off policy, 11x paid company holidays, 12x paid sick days
• 401(k) retirement account and employer matching (Safe Harbor 4%)
• Generous paid parental leave
• Relocation assistance available if 50 miles away from the office
• Electric Vehicle (EV) charging ports
• Daily catered lunches, snacks, and accessible kitchen

Additional Requirements:

• Applicant must be willing to work 40 hours a week on-site in El Segundo, California, USA
• Applicant must be eligible to work on ITAR projects
• Job Type: Full-time (Salary)

ITAR Requirements:

• To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide sponsorship at this time.

If you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply!

Second Order Effects is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SOE is governed on the basis of excellence and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.