Mechanical Engineer at Parallel in Los Angeles, CA

Summary: Parallel Systems is pioneering autonomous battery-electric rail vehicles designed to transform freight transportation. They are seeking a Mechanical Engineer to help design and build the next generation of their vehicles, focusing on practical mechanical problems and real hardware. Responsibilities: - Design mechanical components, assemblies, and mechanisms for vehicle systems with a focus on performance, manufacturability, reliability, and integration - Create and maintain CAD models, engineering drawings, and release packages for fabricated and purchased parts - Own mechanical design problems from concept through build, test, and iteration - Work closely with manufacturing, supply chain, test, and other engineering teams to move designs from CAD into hardware quickly and effectively - Support prototype builds, fit checks, hardware bring-up, root cause investigations, and design revisions - Participate in testing and validation of mechanical systems, review results, identify failure modes, and drive practical design improvements - Perform engineering analysis as needed to support design decisions, including tolerance stack-ups, hand calculations, and other first-principles work - Help troubleshoot mechanical issues on prototypes and vehicles, and contribute to fixes that improve robustness and field performance Required Qualifications: - Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field - 1 to 3 years of mechanical engineering experience through full-time work, internships, co-ops, or highly relevant project experience - Strong CAD skills in SolidWorks, CATIA, Siemens NX, or similar - Experience designing and manufacturing real mechanical hardware through internships, student teams, or personal technical projects - Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals, including statics, dynamics, materials, tolerancing, and machine design - Ability to create clear engineering drawings and communicate design intent effectively with machinists, fabricators, suppliers, and cross-functional teammates - Comfort working in a fast-paced hardware environment where engineering decisions need to become physical hardware quickly - Hands-on mindset with a willingness to spend significant time in the shop, lab, or build environment supporting hardware directly Preferred Qualifications: - Leadership experience with Formula SAE, Baja SAE, Design/Build/Fly, rocket club, solar car, robotics, or similar hands-on engineering programs - Experience designing parts for machining, sheet metal, weldments, composites, castings, or additive manufacturing - Experience building and assembling mechanical systems, not just designing them - Exposure to prototype development, design iteration, and debugging in a real hardware environment - Familiarity with FEA, MATLAB, Python, or similar tools, with the judgment to use them in support of practical engineering decisions - Interest in transportation, automotive, aerospace, robotics, or railway systems Required Skills: Mechanical Engineering Fundamentals, CAD Software - SolidWorks, CAD Software - CATIA, CAD Software - Siemens NX, Mechanical Hardware Design, Engineering Drawings, Manufacturing Processes, Tolerance Analysis, Statics, Dynamics, Materials Science, Machine Design