About the job
Mach Industries, founded in 2022 and based in Huntington Beach, builds autonomous defense platforms with a focus on scalable, decentralized systems. The team of around 220 people combines startup agility with a commitment to rapid innovation and advanced manufacturing. Their mission is to strengthen the strategic capabilities of the United States and its allies by developing solutions that address the demands of modern warfare and support global security.
Role overview
The Composites Design Engineer will design, analyze, and test composite structures for autonomous vehicles. This role centers on developing lightweight, high-performance composite airframes for defense applications. Responsibilities include designing composite components, performing structural analyses, supporting fabrication and testing, and ensuring solutions are suitable for scalable, high-volume production.
What you will do
- Design and develop composite structures for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), taking concepts from initial design through flight testing with a focus on lightweight, high-performance airframes.
- Oversee composite components throughout the development cycle, including laminate design, structural analysis, fabrication support, and validation testing.
- Perform structural analyses using hand calculations and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to assess stiffness, strength, stability, and failure modes.
- Collaborate with manufacturing and testing teams to translate designs into practical hardware, validating performance through testing.
- Participate in hands-on fabrication and integration of prototype composite hardware.
- Support the planning and execution of structural tests, comparing analytical predictions with physical test results.
- Develop laminate architectures, joints, and structural concepts that balance high performance with repeatability and scalability for large-scale production.

