Principal Engineer, Mechanical Design

Beehive Industries is dedicated to Powering American Defense by revolutionizing the design, development, and delivery of jet propulsion systems to support the warfighter. Through the integration of additive manufacturing, the company aims to meet the growing and urgent needs for unmanned aerial defense by dramatically improving a jet engine’s speed to market, fuel efficiency, and cost.  

Founded in 2020, the company is headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, with additional facilities in Knoxville, Tennessee, Loveland Ohio, and Mount Vernon, Ohio. Beehive is committed to grow and advance the defense industrial base while manufacturing exclusively in the USA. This role will be located at our Loveland, Ohio or Centennial, Colorado facility. This position can also be remote with travel.

Role Overview

The Principal Engineer, Mechanical Design will sit within our Advanced Technical Programs (ATP) organization, where teams work at the leading edge of technology development to solve complex problems and rapidly move from concept to hardware. This role will support early-stage technology development across conceptual design, trade studies, hardware design, build, test, and technical maturation, with a focus on advanced propulsion and turbomachinery-related efforts.

The ideal candidate is highly competent in mechanical design, confident building and assembling hardware, and comfortable working in fast-paced, loosely defined environments. They should be able to create robust CAD designs, support rapid development and test activities, and move work forward with strong judgment and minimal oversight. This role is best suited for someone who is hands-on, execution-oriented, and able to balance technical rigor with speed.

What You'll Do...

• Develop hardware concepts, component designs, and assembly-level solutions for advanced propulsion programs and related technology efforts
• Explore conceptual design space for engines, subsystems, and technical maturation strategies, balancing performance, feasibility, manufacturability, and test objectives
• Create and refine 3D models, 2D definitions, cross sections, and related engineering documentation to support design, analysis, manufacturing, assembly, and test activities
• Support rapid development cycles by moving designs from concept into hardware for prototype, component, and full-assembly evaluation
• Build, evaluate, and test hardware to assess design performance, technical risk, and next-step development opportunities
• Partner across engineering disciplines including design, analysis, performance, manufacturing, controls, systems, and test to solve complex technical problems
• Apply sound engineering fundamentals to turbomachinery and propulsion development, including thermodynamics-based reasoning and first-principles problem solving
• Identify root issues, not just surface-level symptoms, and propose practical, technically grounded solutions
• Contribute to the evaluation and development of novel propulsion technologies and related innovation efforts that expand Beehive’s technical capabilities
• Ensure technical data, models, drawings, and related outputs are documented clearly and managed in accordance with engineering best practices and configuration management expectations
• Capture and communicate lessons learned, best practices, and technical guidance in a way that is accessible and useful to broader engineering and business teams
• Provide clear, timely communication on technical progress, key risks, issues, and recommendations.

You have...

• 12+ years of experience contributing in conceptual design environments where requirements may evolve and rapid iteration is expected
• Experience designing, building, and testing hardware in a development setting
• Experience in propulsion systems, turbomachinery, or closely related aerospace hardware development
• Strong understanding of thermodynamics and engineering fundamentals
• Proficiency in CAD, especially NX
• Ability to work effectively in loosely defined environments and make progress without excessive structure or direction
• Strong problem-solving capability, including the ability to distinguish the real problem from the initially stated problem
• Willingness to speak up with ideas, technical perspectives, and objections when needed to improve the work
• Ability to work across a broad range of problems rather than remaining narrowly focused on a single task area
• Strong communication skills and the ability to document technical work clearly and effectively
• Demonstrated ownership, initiative, and follow-through in fast-paced, cross-functional engineering environments
• The ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government issues security clearance is required. U.S. Citizenship is required, as only U.S. Citizens are eligible for a security clearance

Nice to have...

• Experience with additive manufacturing and design for additive manufacturing principles
• Experience with turbomachinery components and assemblies
• Experience with component or system-level test activities
• Experience with PLM/PDM tools and configuration-controlled engineering environments
• Familiarity with GD&T and engineering documentation best practices
• Experience developing or using physics-based models, including AI-enabled or data-informed engineering approaches
• Experience with power electronics
• Experience with brushless DC motors

Working Style and Mindset

This role is well suited for someone who:

• Is first and foremost a doer
• Thrives in ambiguous, fast-moving technical environments
• Enjoys working on a wide range of hard problems
• Takes initiative without waiting for perfect structure
• Can quickly assess problems and identify a path forward
• Challenges assumptions constructively
• Balances technical rigor with speed and practicality

Beehive Industries offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes group Medical, Dental, Life, and Short and Long-Term disability coverage from day one. We also offer a generous 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with a Company match. Every role at Beehive Industries is bonus eligible and will also receive equity in the company.

In compliance with Colorado’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, the salary range for this position is $170,000-$210,000 base salary.  Please note that wage information is a general guideline only, and we will consider factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, and market conditions when extending an offer.  

Beehive Industries is committed to full compliance with applicable anti-discrimination laws. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We strive to create an inclusive work environment and will not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.