Pinnacle Government Solutions is a minority-owned small business that provides Software, AI/ML, and Cloud Engineering Solutions for our Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and Federal Civilian agencies. We bring SME-level expertise and over five decades of combined industry knowledge and Talent Acquisition experience. We believe in getting it right for our customers and our country.
We are looking for a Mechanical Design Engineer 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. Extreme ownership is the baseline. You may be asked to work late hours and weekends if needed to accomplish the mission.
What You Own
- The mechanical integrity, performance, and manufacturability of your designs
- Components, mechanisms, and structures from concept → production
- Iteration speed without sacrificing reliability or safety
- Getting parts built, assembled, tested, and validated-no handoffs
- If it touches metal, motion, load paths or force, you're accountable
What You Actually Do
Component & System Design
- Design components with full lifecycle responsibility: calculations, tolerances, GD&T, drawings, and validation
- Design in context-your parts must work with everyone else's, under real loads
Mechanisms
- Design and integrate linkages, gears, motors, actuators, and assemblies that work under stress
Prototyping & Fabrication
- Build fast using in-house tools or external vendors
- Own the loop from CAD → part → install → revision
Testing & Validation
- Test like it's going to the field-because it is
- Measure performance, identify failure modes, and fix them
- Paper success doesn't count, field performance does
DFM & Scale
- Design for manufacturability from day one
- Work directly with manufacturing and machinists to ensure precision, repeatability, and scale
Procurement & Build Support
- Source materials, components, and vendors to keep builds moving
- Solve supply problems without waiting for permission
Ownership & Adaptability
- Priorities shift. Problems emerge. You step in.
- No "that's not my job." Only "what needs to be done."
Documentation & Improvement
- Document designs, tests, processes, and lessons learned so hardware can be built again
- Raise the bar on safety, reliability, and speed every cycle
Required Skills and Experience
- Proven, hands-on mechanical design experience
- Strong CAD and GD&T capability
- Ability to work independently in high-stakes, fast-moving environments
- Bias for action, high accountability, and resilience under pressure
Preferred Skills and Experience
- UAVs, aerospace, or high-performance mechanisms
- Designing hardware that survives testing not just reviews it
- Additive manufacturing and 3D printer operation/maintenance
- Designing for production-not just prototypes
- Startup or small-team environments where impact is immediate
- Onshape experience a plus; willingness to transition required
ITAR REQUIREMENT: To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.