Dynamics Engineer

About the role

You will own the dynamics, loads, and vibration analysis of General Matter hardware. You will define design requirements for vibe and shock design while applying first-principles thinking to solve complex problems. You will work hand-in-hand with cross-functional teams including mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, software engineers, chemical engineers, manufacturing engineers, nuclear engineers, materials scientists and physicists. Your analysis will directly inform critical design decisions and performance validation throughout the hardware lifecycle. You will execute end-to-end dynamics testing and correlate results to ensure robust performance in demanding environments. You will drive root-cause analysis on test failures and develop practical hardware mitigations quickly. You will participate in design reviews and provide actionable feedback to ensure all design objectives are met.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Define requirements and own analysis and testing of dynamics through hand calcs and data analysis.
• Use data to inform design and performance decisions for nuclear fuel production hardware.
• Support optimization of designs for cost, performance, and manufacturability.
• Execute dynamics testing from start to finish, including pre-test planning, sensor selection & installation, testing, data and signal processing, and model correlation.
• Perform root-cause analysis on test failures and develop hardware mitigations.
• Participate in design review and provide feedback to ensure design objectives are met.
• Work closely with electrical, software, manufacturing, and nuclear engineers to ensure designs are effectively integrated with overall system requirements.
• Analyze vibration and shock data to validate compliance with stringent nuclear safety and performance standards.
• Develop test procedures and instrumentation strategies to capture high-dynamic events in prototype systems.
• Collaborate with manufacturing teams to ensure dynamics requirements are practical to implement at scale.
• Translate complex system interactions into clear requirements and test methods for component and subsystem validation.
• Partner with software engineers to ensure sensor data pipelines and telemetry systems support accurate dynamics measurement.
• Lead trade studies evaluating structural dynamics responses across multiple design alternatives.
• Document all analysis methods, test results, and design decisions for audit and knowledge transfer purposes.

Requirements

• Evidence of exceptional ability (prior projects, portfolio of work, completed products, etc).
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• 3+ years of mechanical engineering experience via project team, research, internship, and/or professional experience.
• 1+ year of experience in structural dynamic analysis or modeling using FEA tools such as Ansys, Femap, Nastran, Abaqus, LS-Dyna, or similar.
• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills for cross-functional collaboration.
• Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to interface with multidisciplinary stakeholders.
• Capacity to interpret test data and translate findings into actionable design changes.
• Commitment to following rigorous documentation and change control procedures.
• Willingness to adhere to strict safety protocols in a nuclear materials environment.
• Proven ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, mission-driven technical environment.

Nice to have

• Strong understanding of engineering fundamentals.
• Hands-on experience analyzing data or building hardware.
• Experience with vibration and shock testing.
• Proficiency with FEA and simulation software (e.g., Ansys, Femap, Nastran, Abaqus, LS-Dyna, or similar) and CAD tools such as SolidWorks.
• Ability to perform trade studies and make clear recommendations using first principles and engineering fundamentals even with partial information.
• Experience in a fast-paced engineering environment or a highly technical role requiring a resourceful, entrepreneurial approach to complete tasks within tight timeframes or budget constraints.

Practical notes

• Location is Los Angeles, California.
• Engagement is full-time.
• Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary.
• Compensation band is $125,000-$200,000 annually, with potential for long-term incentives such as stock options.
• Eligible candidates may receive medical, vision, and dental coverage, plus access to a 401(k) retirement plan.