# Principal Mechanical Engineer at Salient Motion

- Company: Salient Motion
- What the company does: We design, manufacturer and support actuation systems for commercial and military systems. Backed by a16z.
- Company website: https://salientmotion.com
- Type: Startups
- Level: Principal and up
- Location: Torrance, CA
- Work setup: On-site
- Pay: $200K to $230K base salary per year (USD)
- Posted: 2026-06-22
- Apply by: 2026-10-08
- Apply: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/salientmotion/jobs/5276035008
- Page: https://www.1752.vc/careers/jobs/salient-motion-principal-mechanical-engineer/

## About the role

We are seeking a versatile, high-impact Principal Engineer to lead the development of mission-critical hardware. This is a "full-lifecycle" role where you will own everything from the initial conversion of ambiguous concepts into rigorous requirements to the hands-on assembly and environmental qualification of flight hardware. You will also review and advise across mechanical programs, contribute to proposals, and serve as a senior technical resource for our growing team.

## What they're looking for

- Environmental Qualification: Architect the test equipment and methodologies required for formal hardware qualification, ensuring total compliance with DO-160 and MIL-STD-810 standards
- Supply Chain & Quality Advocacy: Partner closely with external suppliers to ensure the delivery of conforming hardware, proactively manage manufacturing deviations to maintain rigorous quality and schedule standards
- Hands-on Execution: Maintain a "design-build-test" mindset, taking personal responsibility for the assembly, bring-up, and debugging of your own hardware prototypes

Tags: Mechanical Engineering