---
title: 'Staff/Principal Mechanical Design Engineer, Flight Mechanisms at Heart Aerospace'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/staff-principal-mechanical-design-engineer-flight-mechanisms-heart-aerospace-20znawbeh3d1'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-11'
---

# Staff/Principal Mechanical Design Engineer, Flight Mechanisms at Heart Aerospace

- **Company:** Heart Aerospace
- **Location:** Los Angeles, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-07-16
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-11
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/heartaerospace/jobs/4321592009

## Job description

At Heart Aerospace we develop the ES-30, a regional hybrid-electric airplane with a capacity of 30 passengers, an electric zero-emission range of 200 km and an extended hybrid range of 400 km. Heart is targeting type certification of the ES-30 by the end of the decade.

## Your mission

As part of the Flight Mechanisms team, you will be responsible for design, development, validation, and eventually certification of components including primary and secondary flight control actuators, propulsion and landing gear components, and environmental control (ECS) components. You will work with electrical, software, and mechanical engineers across teams to build and fly complex systems.

## Key responsibilities include but are not limited

- The opportunity to exercise full ownership over the design, fabrication and test of novel flight components.
- You will lead the design of crucial subcomponents including gears, bearings, seals.
- Design, build and test components to environmental qualification standards such as DO-160G, MIL-STD-810, or similar.
- Work will a cross-functional team developing electronic and software control systems.

(This position can be hired as a Staff Mechanical Design Engineer or Principal Mechanical Design Engineer )

Skills & Requirements: You'll Bring These Qualifications for Staff Mechanical Design Engineer, Mechanisms

- 8+ years experience using CAD software in a professional environment (e.g., NX, CATIA, SolidWorks or similar).
- Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals, including design (CAD), analysis (FEA/hand calcs), and fabrication (machine shop)
- Experience with pneumatic, hydraulic, and/or electromechanical (motorized) systems.
- Passion for aircraft and electrification of the aviation industry.

You'll Bring These Qualifications for Principal Mechanical Design Engineer, Mechanisms

- 12+ years experience using CAD software in a professional environment (e.g., NX, CATIA, SolidWorks or similar).
- Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals, including design (CAD), analysis (FEA/hand calcs), and fabrication (machine shop)
- Experience with pneumatic, hydraulic, and/or electromechanical (motorized) systems.
- Passion for aircraft and electrification of the aviation industry.

These Qualifications Would Be Nice to Have:

- Thorough familiarity with aerospace design and regulatory standards (e.g., FAA, EASA) such as DO-160G, MIL-STD-810, or similar.
- Demonstrated experience with hand-calculation methods for preliminary and verification analysis of complex mechanical systems.
- Strong understanding of mechanical manufacturing fundamentals, including advanced GD&T concepts and application for mechanisms.
- Proven capability to take designs from concept through to analysis and production, working independently and collaboratively with cross-functional teams.

Education

- Bachelor's in mechanical engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, or similar engineering discipline.

Base Pay Range:

$173,000—$257,000 USD

## About Heart Aerospace

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Heart Aerospace is developing hybrid‑electric regional aircraft to lower the cost of commercial aviation.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series B, $190 M total funding [heartaerospace.com/company](https://www.heartaerospace.com/company))
- **Headquarters**: Torrance, California, USA (with additional offices in Gothenburg, Sweden; Plattsburgh, NY; and Oxnard, CA [heartaerospace.com/company](https://www.heartaerospace.com/company))
- **Founded**: 2019 (Y Combinator W19 batch [heartaerospace.com/about](https://heartaerospace.com/about))
- **Founders**: Anders Forslund (CEO) and Klara Forslund (Chief Business Officer) [heartaerospace.com/company](https://www.heartaerospace.com/company)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Aerospace / Electric Aviation
- **Target customers**: Airlines, regional carriers, and passengers (B2B focus)
- **Mission**: To lower the cost of commercial aviation through electrification, software, and modern manufacturing [heartaerospace.com/our-mission](https://www.heartaerospace.com/our-mission)

## Products & Services
- **[ES‑30](https://www.heartaerospace.com/)**: A 30‑seat hybrid‑electric regional aircraft designed for short‑haul routes with zero CO₂ emissions in electric mode.
- **[Heart X1](https://www.heartaerospace.com/company)**: A full‑scale technology demonstrator (largest electric aircraft ever flown) used to validate propulsion architecture and flight characteristics.
- **Electric propulsion systems**: In‑house development of electric motors, batteries, and power electronics for aviation.
- **Software‑defined aircraft**: Systems that improve reliability, streamline updates, and enable automation for lower lifecycle costs [heartaerospace.com/our-mission](https://www.heartaerospace.com/our-mission).

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total funding of $190 M (as of early 2025) [heartaerospace.com/company](https://www.heartaerospace.com/company)
- **Notable Investors & Partners**: Breakthrough Energy Ventures (lead, Series A), United Airlines, Mesa Air Group, Y Combinator [heartaerospace.com/company](https://www.heartaerospace.com/company)
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Moved corporate HQ to Torrance, CA in April 2025 to anchor in the LA aerospace ecosystem.
  - Opened an R&D centre and pilot plant in Los Angeles.
  - Established a flight test base in Plattsburgh, NY.
  - Rolled out the Heart X1 demonstrator in September 2024 and completed ground service tests.
  - First flight of the X1 (the largest electric aircraft ever flown) achieved in 2025–2026 [heartaerospace.com/company](https://www.heartaerospace.com/company).
  - Team size of 100+ employees with deep aerospace certification experience.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Hybrid‑electric propulsion**: Reduces operating costs by replacing jet fuel with cheaper electricity and simplifying maintenance.
- **Modern manufacturing approach**: Designed for scale and lower unit cost compared to traditional aerospace production.
- **Software‑defined aircraft**: Enables continuous improvement, better reliability, and lower lifecycle expenses.
- **Deep certification expertise**: Team has hands‑on experience building and certifying aircraft for global markets.
- **Iterative development**: Rapid testing with subscale and full‑scale demonstrators de‑risks the path to commercial service.

## Strategic Focus
- Certify the ES‑30 and enter commercial service by the end of this decade [heartaerospace.com/about](https://heartaerospace.com/about).
- Continue iterative validation using the X1 demonstrator and “iron bird” test facility.
- Build the ecosystem of charging infrastructure, services, and partnerships to unlock the regional aviation market [heartaerospace.com/company](https://www.heartaerospace.com/company).
- Expand engineering and manufacturing capabilities in the US and Sweden.

## Why Work Here
- **Impact**: Work on one of the most promising clean‑tech opportunities in aviation – reducing cost and emissions for short‑haul flights.
- **Engineering culture**: Emphasis on rapid prototyping, real‑world testing, and cross‑disciplinary collaboration (propulsion, flight software, structures, manufacturing).
- **Locations**: Major hubs in Los Angeles (Torrance) and Gothenburg, Sweden, with a growing US presence (Plattsburgh, NY; Oxnard, CA).
- **Hybrid/remote**: Many engineering roles are based on‑site at the LA or Gothenburg facilities, reflecting the hands‑on nature of hardware development.
- **Notable perks**: Opportunity to join a well‑funded YC‑backed hardtech startup with a strong mission; offices located in leading aerospace ecosystems; potential for rapid career growth as the company scales.

## Sources
1. [Heart Aerospace Careers](https://www.heartaerospace.com/careers)
2. [Heart Aerospace Homepage](https://www.heartaerospace.com/)
3. [Heart Aerospace – About](https://heartaerospace.com/about)
4. [Heart Aerospace – Company](https://www.heartaerospace.com/company)
5. [Heart Aerospace – Our Mission](https://www.heartaerospace.com/our-mission)

## Other roles at Heart Aerospace

- [Business Development Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/business-development-lead-heart-aerospace-los-angeles-mpvc8vbh4sps) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Mechanical Design, Structures & Airframe – Engineer II/Senior](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-design-structures-airframe-engineer-ii-senior-heart-aerospace-los-jx7xcbeykmae) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Executive Operations Partner, Office of the CEO (OCEO)](https://feeny.ai/job/executive-operations-partner-office-of-the-ceo-oceo-heart-aerospace-torrance-s3nhhhtaaxcq) — Torrance, CA
- [Buyer II](https://feeny.ai/job/buyer-ii-heart-aerospace-los-angeles-f1ejhed5wjyn) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Senior/Staff Mechanical Design Engineer, Flight Mechanisms](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-staff-mechanical-design-engineer-flight-mechanisms-heart-aerospace-los-n577vxx0kyc5) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Senior/Staff Software Engineer, Flight Software](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-staff-software-engineer-flight-software-heart-aerospace-los-angeles-3j8qasd2ak5j) — Los Angeles, CA
- [CNC Programmer / Machinist](https://feeny.ai/job/cnc-programmer-machinist-heart-aerospace-los-angeles-pk0v37tkpght) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Integration Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/integration-engineer-heart-aerospace-los-angeles-jpckyjysfgz4) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Manufacturing Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-engineer-heart-aerospace-los-angeles-7chqx9qfw6sk) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Battery Mechanical Design Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/battery-mechanical-design-engineer-heart-aerospace-los-angeles-9yfp6z56y8hb) — Los Angeles, CA