Destinus

European defense firm manufacturing missiles

Mechanical Engineer - Automation Projects

Design EngineeringConfirmed live in the last 24 hours

Full-timeZürich, SwitzerlandNo salary listed

About the Job

Requirements

A BSc in Mechanical Engineering, Design Engineering, or a related field is required.
At least 3 years of mechanical engineering experience with close ties to automation is required.
Strong communication skills, a proactive attitude, and a problem-solving mindset are required.
Ability to meet tight deadlines independently and within a multidisciplinary team is required.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, fast-changing environment is required.
Willingness to travel to Destinus sites in Switzerland up to 20% is required.
Fluency in English and German is required.

Responsibilities

Take the technical lead for automation and special-machines development.
Review product designs from a production point of view.
Understand and evaluate production steps and automation possibilities.
Research existing off-the-shelf components and combine them into an automation solution.
Design and prototype special machines and automation solutions that replace manual production processes, and plan their manufacturing.
Create 3D CAD models, drawings, bills of materials, and documentation needed for manufacturing, integration, and testing.
Document design decisions with clear calculations, analyses, and assumptions.
Work with suppliers and manufacturers to answer technical questions and resolve production issues.
Select standard parts, fasteners, equipment, and consumables according to best practices and industry standards.
Commission finished machines and hand them over to the production team.
Coach junior engineers and interns in mechanical design, manufacturing, and computer-aided design.
Take part in design reviews and technical discussions throughout development.
Work closely with mechanical, automation, and testing engineers to ensure machines integrate and function reliably.

Desired Qualifications

Technical training as a mechanical designer or drafter is preferred.
Experience designing automated solutions, special machines, or test benches is an advantage.
Experience across several project phases—design, build, integration, test, and operation—is preferred.

Mechanical Engineer, Automation Projects

Destinus · Zürich, Switzerland (Hybrid) · — · Posted 2026-11-06

Workplace: hybrid

Department: R&D & Engineering

Description

About the Role

The Destinus engineering team is looking for a highly motivated and hands-on mechanical engineer capable of delivering engineering solutions as part of the research and development in the rocket motor department. In this role you will design and develop automated solutions for production. The ideal candidate will have at least 3 years of experience as a mechanical engineer with experience in automation projects, mechanical design and DFM with a demonstrated ability to take ownership during development and drive technical solutions.

Responsibilities

Take the technical lead for the automation and special machines development
Review product designs from a production point of view
Understand and evaluate the production steps and automation possibilities
Research existing off-the-shelf components and combine them to an automation solution
Design and prototype special machines and automation solutions that replace manual production processes and plan their manufacturing.
Create 3D CAD models, drawings, BOMs, and the documentation needed for manufacturing, integration, and testing.
Document your design decisions with clear calculations, analyses, and assumptions.
Work with suppliers and manufacturers to answer technical questions and resolve issues during production.
Select standard parts, fasteners, equipment, and consumables according to best practices and industry standards.
Commission finished machines and hand them over to our production team.
Coach junior engineers and interns in mechanical design, manufacturing, and CAD.
Take part in design reviews and technical discussions throughout development.
Work closely with mechanical, automation and testing engineers to ensure the machines integrate and function reliably.

Requirements

Qualifications and Experience

BSc in Mechanical Engineering, Design Engineering, or a related field.
Technical training as a mechanical designer or drafter (preferred).
At least 3 years of mechanical engineering experience with close ties to automation.
Experience designing automated solutions, special machines, or test benches (an advantage).
Experience across several project phases: design, build, integration, test, and operation (preferred).
Strong communication skills, a proactive attitude, and a problem-solving mindset.
Ability to meet tight deadlines, both independently and within a multidisciplinary team.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, fast-changing environment.
Willingness to travel to Destinus sites in Switzerland (up to 20%).
Fluent English and German.

Apply

Apply at Destinus

About the Company

Destinus

European defense firm manufacturing missiles

Destinus designs and manufactures defense systems for European and allied armed forces, focusing on scalable missiles, air defense, and interception. Key products include the Ruta cruise missile and the HORNET interceptor, which can perform precision strikes and operate in GPS-denied environments with AI-assisted guidance. It serves as a prime contractor under fixed-price contracts, and collaborates on naval applications (containerized HORNET) with Rheinmetall while leading the Bliksem EXO program for Europe’s sovereign exo-atmospheric missile defense. The company aims to scale production to deliver near-term military capability for European governments and to build sovereign defense capabilities through integrated, multi-domain, cost-effective technologies.

Company size: 501-1,000
Company stage: N/A
Total funding: $267.4M
Headquarters: Valkenburg, Netherlands
Founded: 2021

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