Mechanical Engineer — Space Hardware (Hands‑On, High Ownership)

Location: Hawthorne, CA

Type: Full‑Time, On‑Site

Department: Engineering

Compensation

This team hires across multiple levels. Final title and compensation depend on demonstrated capability and ownership history. All levels include equity.

• Level 1: $90K – $110K
• Level 2: $100K – $125K
• Level 3: $130K – $160K
• Level 4: $150K – $180K

About the Role

We are building spacecraft hardware at startup velocity. This role is for an engineer who wants to design, build, break, fix, and iterate—not just model. You will own hardware from the first sketch to flight, working directly with founders and technical leads to deliver mechanisms and assemblies that survive launch, vacuum, thermal extremes, and real‑world mission constraints.

If you want to see your work in orbit and thrive in an environment where speed, simplicity, and technical rigor matter, this is the place to do it.

What You’ll Do

• Own spacecraft hardware end‑to‑end — concept, design, analysis, prototyping, testing, and flight validation
• Design mechanisms and precision assemblies that operate reliably in launch and space environments
• Prototype rapidly using in‑house tools, test rigs, and hands‑on build cycles
• Perform structural, thermal, and bolted‑joint analysis and correlate results with test data
• Integrate mechanical, electrical, and software subsystems into cohesive flight‑ready hardware
• Work directly with machinists, technicians, and test engineers to turn designs into real hardware
• Drive design reviews, test plans, and qualification campaigns with a high degree of ownership

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for builders, not coordinators.

Required

• Demonstrated ownership of spacecraft or space‑relevant hardware
• Strong proficiency in CAD (NX, SolidWorks, or similar)
• Expertise in bolted joints, fasteners, tolerances, and precision mechanical design
• Experience designing for vibration, shock, thermal, and vacuum environments
• Ability to work hands‑on with hardware, test setups, and rapid prototypes
• Comfort working in fast‑paced, high‑ambiguity environments

Strong Pluses

• Mechanisms experience (actuators, linkages, deployables, robotics)
• MGSE or test rig design
• FEA (structural, thermal, nonlinear, bolted joints)
• Experience with flight hardware reviews, qualification, or acceptance testing

Not a Fit

To help candidates self‑select, this role is not aligned with:

• manufacturing engineers
• process engineers
• tooling‑only backgrounds
• aircraft‑only design experience
• documentation‑heavy or standards‑focused roles

Who Thrives Here

• Engineers who want to touch hardware every day
• People who move fast, iterate aggressively, and own outcomes
• Builders who enjoy solving hard problems with simple, elegant solutions
• Individuals who want to see their work in orbit, not in a binder

Benefits

• 100% coverage of base medical, dental, and vision
• HSA, FSA, 401K, commuter benefits
• Unlimited PTO with a two‑week minimum
• Daily catered lunches
• High‑impact work with hardware that flies