Systems Engineer, Mechanical Design

Department: Engineering, Product, Design

Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA

Compensation: $165K – $220K

Employment Type: FullTime

Hadrian - Manufacturing the Future

Hadrian is building autonomous factories to reindustrialize America. By combining AI, advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we help aerospace and defense companies build rockets, satellites, aircraft, ships, and other mission-critical systems up to 10x faster and at significantly lower cost.

Following our $1.37B Series D at a $7.87B valuation, Hadrian is rapidly expanding our manufacturing footprint, launching new capabilities across welding, casting, forging, electronics, additive manufacturing, and more, while scaling our Factory-as-a-Service platform to transform how critical products are built.

Backed by leading investors including JPMorgan Chase, Valor Equity Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, 137 Ventures, Lux Capital, T. Rowe Price, and Morgan Stanley, we’re building the future of American manufacturing—and looking for exceptional people to help make it happen.

If you’re ready to take on the most challenging and rewarding work of your career while helping create American manufacturing jobs for generations to come, you’re exactly who we’re looking for.

The Role

Factory automation is key to Hadrian’s operations. Our team owns the responsibility of designing and delivering elegant equipment solutions that bridge the gap between our core manufacturing processes and the rest of factory operations. We're looking for someone who thrives at the intersection of mechanical systems, real-time control, and software architecture. You'll own the design and the outcome of equipment that powers our factory automation platform—working alongside mechanical engineers, software architects, and manufacturing teams to ship robust, scalable solutions.

This is an ownership role. You won't just define the system, you'll be responsible for delivering it on timeline, on cost, and accountable for system performance. You'll guide the team through technical decisions, partner with stakeholders to ensure we're building the right equipment, and carry each project from concept through performance verification. You'll make the hard tradeoffs, performance vs. reliability, simplicity vs. capability, speed vs. cost, in a fast-paced environment where requirements evolve as quickly as we do.

What You’ll Do

• Define equipment and area design requirements, working through both the knowns and the unknowns present at conception.

• Lead a cross-functional team (mechanical, controls, software, build) through the full design process — owning requirements, chairing design reviews, and driving phase gates from concept to production acceptance.

• Help build the framework for how Hadrian defines, designs, builds, and deploys internally developed equipment.

• Partner closely with the Factory Development and Production teams to ensure that equipment can be deployed and operated as turn key systems.

• Own the outcome. This role is accountable not just for identifying problems, but for working across teams to solve them.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in a STEM field (electro-mechanical preferred) or equivalent experience.

• 8+ years designing and deploying automated industrial equipment.

• Proficiency designing mechanical systems in CAD (SolidWorks, NX, or a comparable environment).

• Experience working within an equipment development lifecycle or similar design lifecycle.

• A track record spanning risk assessments, specification creation, design reviews, and build cycles.

• Strong collaboration skills, with a history of working effectively across mechanical, software, and manufacturing engineers as well as build technicians.

What Will Set You Apart

• You gravitate toward problems, not away from them.

• Experience in a commissioning and/or manufacturing environment.

• Hands-on experience with robotics, PLC, and motion control systems.

• Solid understanding of core manufacturing technologies, pneumatics, hydraulics, welding, machining, assembly, and more.

• A taste for fast-paced environments, aggressive goals, and bringing fresh ideas to attack unique manufacturing challenges.

Benefits for Full-time Employees

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees

• 401k

• Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need.

• Flexible vacation policy

• Equity

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. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Use of AI in hiring

Hadrian uses AI-assisted tools in our recruiting and hiring processes to help our team work more efficiently. This may include tools that help organize and analyze recruiting data, as well as an AI-powered notetaker that can record and transcribe interviews and help coordinate feedback. These tools support our team and are not used to make hiring decisions. All candidate evaluations and hiring decisions are performed by humans. If an interview will be recorded, you will be notified in advance and may opt out at any time with no impact on your candidacy. Candidate data processed through these tools is subject to the same protections described in our Privacy Policy.

Hadrian Is An Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the Company’s policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. The Company does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race inclusive of traits historically associated with race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists), color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, national origin (including, in California, possession of a drivers license), ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, height or weight, medical condition, family care status, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, exercise of reproductive rights, any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws, or any combination of the above characteristics. When necessary, the Company also makes reasonable accommodations for disabled candidates and employees, including for candidates or employees who are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.