Clera

Principal Mechanical Engineer

San Francisco

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hirly's read of this role

Seniority: Lead / management
Stated salary: $235,000 – $305,000 per year
Country: US
Work mode: On-site / unstated
First seen by hirly: 6 Nov 2026

Derived automatically from the posting. Upload your resume above to see how the role scores against it.

the posting

About the Role

Join a small defense technology team developing autonomous directed-energy systems for counter-drone applications. As Principal Mechanical Engineer, you will own system-wide mechanical architecture and help take complex hardware from prototype through production and field deployment.

What You'll Do

Lead mechanical architecture and integration across electrical, power, embedded, and optics subsystems.

Make technical decisions on challenging hardware problems from concept through production readiness.

Guide hardware release and production processes in partnership with manufacturing teams.

Review designs, calculations, and test results to identify risks early and maintain high engineering standards.

Personally execute mechanical design work when your experience can resolve a problem quickly.

Balance cost, mass, reliability, schedule, and field performance in design and manufacturing decisions.

Mentor engineers through hands-on technical leadership and design reviews.

What We're Looking For

10 or more years designing and shipping complex hardware systems, including multiple transitions from prototype through manufacturing and deployment.

Mechanical engineering is your primary discipline, with recent hands-on experience in CAD, structures, mechanisms, and packaging.

Deep mechanical expertise and sound judgment in at least one additional area, such as electrical engineering, power electronics, or embedded systems.

Experience leading full-system hardware integration and designing equipment for demanding real-world environments.

Ability to correlate FEA or hand calculations with bench or field test data.

Background as a senior individual contributor or technical lead at a hardware organization that shipped products.

Experience in defense hardware, aerospace, robotics, high-performance automotive, maritime, or a related field is valuable. Directed energy, laser or high-power systems, thermal management, ruggedized equipment, and manufacturing scale-up experience are also relevant.

Compensation & Benefits

Base salary: $235,000 to $305,000 annually. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Location

On-site in San Francisco, California, United States.

Original posting on Clera's site ↗

Listed on hirly, a job board. hirly is not the employer: Clera is hiring for this role.

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