Senior Mechanical Design Engineer [Propulsion]

About Odys

Our mission at Odys is simple - we build safe, sustainable aircraft to cut travel time in half on the world's busiest corridors. Our flagship aircraft Alta enables travelers to skip the big-airport hassle by using city helipads and local airports to connect cities less than 1,000 miles apart (approx 40% of flights). And on average cut CO2 by 76% on tens of billions of flight miles globally.

To get there, we start with our UAV called Laila for commercial logistics, medical transport, humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and defense missions. We’re deploying aircraft with launch partners (Fiji Airways, Honeywell, Aramex, US Navy) beginning in 2026 and already have firm orders for aircraft under contract.

We’re a team of expert engineers from deep tech and aerospace that focus on fast iterations loops (completed transition flight faster than our peers) combined with mastery of the aircraft certification process. Previously, our team developed custom drones, brought multiple automotive platforms into production, and electrified transportation vehicles that magnetically levitate, that roll, that fly. Together, we’ve been learning, developing, building, testing, and preparing for this challenge our entire lives.

About The Role

Odys Aviation is seeking a senior level Mechanical Design Engineer to join our Propulsion Team. In this role, you will design, analyze, and integrate mechanical and thermal systems that support high-power hybrid-electric propulsion, including motors, generators, inverters, turbines and their supporting structures and cooling systems.

You’ll work closely with electrical, manufacturing, test, and flight teams. This is a hands-on role with ownership of critical hardware, where you will play a key role as we mature our propulsion systems.

Don't meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Odys, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway.

What You’ll Do

1. Lead design and analysis of rotating machinery subsystems (turbines, motors, generators), addressing vibration, dynamic balancing, and bearing/seal challenges

2. Drive resolution of real hardware issues discovered during prototype and early production builds

3. Mentor and provide technical guidance to mid-level and junior engineers

4. Contribute to planning and technical strategy for the propulsion team, including design reviews and technical standards

5. Create and maintain 3D CAD models and 2D drawings, including GD&T and tolerance stackups

6. Perform DFM/DFA trade studies, balancing weight, cost, thermal performance, reliability, and manufacturability

7. Work with suppliers and internal teams to assess manufacturing feasibility, refine designs, and rapidly resolve build issues

8. Support hands-on prototype assembly, integration, and test, including debugging and root cause analysis

9. Conduct engineering analysis using a mix of hand calculations and FEA to inform design decisions

10. Implement and refine thermal management strategies (air and/or liquid cooling, heat sinks, TIMs, enclosures, insulation)

11. Translate test data and build feedback into actionable design improvements

12. Document designs, analyses, and design changes clearly to support team alignment and future production

What We’re Looking For

1. B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field

2. Experience with high speed rotating machinery and associated challenges (ex. vibration, critical speed, dynamic balancing, bearings/seals)

3. 5+ min years of experience in mechanical design of complex systems

4. Demonstrated experience owning and delivering on a critical assembly or subsystem with ownership from concept through build, test through production

5. Proficiency in 3D CAD (NX preferred) and creating production-quality drawings with GD&T

6. Strong understanding of tolerance stack-ups and real-world fit/integration challenges

7. Experience designing for a range of manufacturing processes (machining, sheet metal, additive, etc.)

8. Hands-on experience building, testing, and troubleshooting hardware

9. Comfortable working on electromechanical systems (motors, power electronics, rotating machinery, batteries, cooling systems, etc.)

10. Demonstrated ability to debug issues, perform root cause analysis, and drive corrective actions

11. Experience working in fast-paced, iterative hardware development environments

12. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and bias toward action

13. Clear communicator who collaborates effectively across multidisciplinary teams

14. Technical leadership experience (ex. leading design reviews, mentoring engineers, or setting technical standards for the team)

Nice to Have

1. Experience with propulsion systems or electromechanical systems

2. Background in thermal management of high-power systems (liquid cooling, forced air, heat exchangers)

3. Experience with rotor dynamics or vibration analysis tools (e.g., modal analysis, critical-speed analysis)

4. Experience performing thermal and/or structural analysis (FEA, analytical modeling, or CFD)

5. Experience supporting prototype builds and early production environments

6. Familiarity with PLM systems (Teamcenter preferred)

7. Background in aerospace, automotive (EV/powertrain), robotics, or similar high-performance hardware industries