Senior Composites Mechanical Engineer

Joby Aviation Joby Aviation · Robotics · Santa Cruz, CA · Powertrain & Electronics

Mechanical Engineer to support the development of cryogenic liquid hydrogen storage systems, focusing on the vacuum shell design, structural and thermal considerations, sealing strategy, and test planning. Requires strong mechanical generalist skills with experience in aerospace or high-performance hardware environments.

What you'd actually do

  1. Own the design and development of the cryogenic tank vacuum shell, including structural layout, interfaces, sealing features, and manufacturability considerations.
  2. Develop and execute test plans to validate vacuum shell performance, including structural, thermal, and leak-tightness verification.
  3. Take responsibility for engineering decisions, trade studies, and documentation associated with the vacuum shell and related hardware.
  4. Generate and release detailed CAD models, drawings, and configuration-controlled documentation.
  5. Translate system-level performance, mass, thermal, and safety requirements into robust mechanical designs.

Skills

Required

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
  • 3 to 7 years of mechanical engineering experience in aerospace, energy, cryogenics, or other high-performance hardware environments.
  • Strong fundamentals in solid mechanics, heat transfer, and materials behavior.
  • Demonstrated ability to perform first-principles hand calculations and use basic FEA or thermal analysis tools.
  • Experience with 3D CAD and engineering drawing creation and release.
  • Familiarity with precision machining, fabrication processes, and tolerance stack-ups.
  • Working knowledge of composite structures and materials, with willingness to learn composite layup definition and drawing practices as applied to 3DX environments.
  • Excellent problem-solving skills and comfort working in an iterative hardware development environment.
  • Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across disciplines.

Nice to have

  • Experience with cryogenic systems or liquid hydrogen applications.
  • Exposure to vacuum systems or vacuum-insulated structures.
  • Experience with high-performance seals and leak-tight assemblies.
  • Familiarity with cryogenic-compatible materials and thermal contraction considerations.
  • Experience supporting hardware testing and development builds in a fast-paced, hands-on environment.

What the JD emphasized

  • core individual contributor position
  • primary ownership
  • critical hardware
  • strong mechanical generalist
  • demonstrated ability to optimize solutions at the system level through thoughtful, detail-level engineering execution
  • moving between first-principles thinking, hand calculations, CAD design, supplier interaction, and hands-on hardware development
  • highly collaborative, design-build-test team
  • rolling up sleeves to help get hardware designed, built, and tested