Director of Mechanical Engineering

The posting, as Neon Aerospace wrote it

Aerospace is at a turning point — costs are rising, supply chains are strained, and old ways of building can’t keep up. At Neon Aero, we’re breaking that mold. We move fast, think big, and combine start-up agility with aerospace expertise to design, build, and scale aircraft in ways the industry has never seen. Our team leverages automation, AI-driven tools, and a fully connected digital backbone to accelerate innovation and reduce barriers to production.

Here, you won’t just take a job — you’ll help reinvent how the world flies. If you’re ready to solve complex problems, push technology further, and work alongside some of the brightest minds in aerospace, this is your chance to make a real impact.

Neon is seeking a Director of Mechanical Engineering to lead the organization responsible for developing and delivering our next generation of complex hardware products. This role combines organizational leadership with hands-on product development expertise, owning mechanical engineering capability, technical quality, and execution across multiple programs. The ideal candidate has built strong engineering teams and repeatedly taken complex mechanical or electromechanical hardware from an ambiguous starting point through architecture, design, prototype, validation, industrialization, production, and shipment. Relevant experience may come from aerospace, consumer electronics, medical devices, robotics, automotive, industrial systems, or other demanding hardware environments.

Why This Role Matters

• Lead and develop Neon’s Mechanical Engineering organization, including its people, technical capabilities, engineering standards, and organizational structure.
• Own mechanical engineering execution across multiple products and development programs from concept through production.
• Set the technical bar for mechanical architecture, design quality, analysis, GD&T, tolerancing, materials, mechanisms, and design documentation.
• Build fast, disciplined design-build-test cycles that help teams identify risks, learn from hardware, and converge on effective solutions.
• Ensure manufacturability, assembly, reliability, serviceability, cost, and production scalability are incorporated into product decisions from the beginning.
• Partner closely with electrical, embedded software, systems, test, manufacturing, industrial design, and supply chain teams to develop complex electromechanical products.
• Remain directly involved in critical architecture decisions, design reviews, prototype builds, failure investigations, and difficult technical problems.
• Own mechanical readiness for prototype and production builds, including supplier engagement, tooling, manufacturing process selection, tolerance management, inspection strategy, yield, and root-cause resolution.
• Work full-time in-office at Neon’s Irvine location. Specific workload expectations and any extended-hours requirements associated with builds, testing, or production milestones.

What You’ll B
[…]
s, automotive, industrial systems, advanced mobility, or aerospace.

• Experience scaling engineering teams or establishing mechanical engineering capability within a growing organization.
• Experience developing high-volume or cost-sensitive products in addition to low-volume, high-performance hardware.
• Experience with complex electromechanical systems involving motors, actuators, sensors, power electronics, thermal systems, precision mechanisms, or similar technologies.
• Experience across both early-stage technology development and production product development.

Why Join Us

• Work alongside elite engineering talent and innovators from across aerospace and tech.
• Be part of a team moving faster than the industry standard.
• Shape solutions that are lower-cost, autonomous, and scalable, the future of aviation.
• Competitive compensation, including equity participation, growth opportunities, and full health benefits (health, vision, dental, 401(k)) designed to support you in and out of work.

This is the expected compensation range for this role. Final compensation will be based on role scope, experience, skills, internal equity and location. This role may also be eligible for bonus/equity/benefits, if applicable.
$210,000 — $325,000 USD

Neon Aero, Inc is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.

We believe that diverse perspectives drive innovation, and we welcome candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

All final candidates must successfully complete a background check and drug screening as a condition of employment.

At this time, Neon Aero and its divisions are not accepting unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters or staffing agencies.