Flight Hardware Design Engineer - Spacecraft Mechanisms

Flight Hardware Design Engineer - Design the Mechanisms That Carry Our Spacecraft Through Launch

El Segundo, CA | On-site

Opportunity Summary

We are hiring a Flight Hardware Design Engineer to design, analyze, and build the mechanical systems on our first spacecraft. You will own components such as deployment mechanisms, launch restraints, and structural interfaces from concept and CAD through analysis, build, and qualification testing. You will also design the fixtures and ground hardware that support our test campaigns.

This role suits a hands-on mechanical engineer who wants broad ownership and wants to see their designs fly.

About Us

We are a seed-stage, venture-backed aerospace company in the Los Angeles area developing plasma propulsion that lets satellites stay in lower orbits for longer and maneuver far more freely than they can today. Our work is funded by venture investors and multiple Department of Defense and federal research contracts, and we are moving from lab prototypes toward our first flight hardware for national security and commercial customers.

Job Duties

• Design and model spaceflight mechanisms and structures, including deployables, latches, and hold-down systems
• Run structural, modal, and random vibration analysis to confirm designs survive launch loads
• Produce fully toleranced drawings using GD&T for machining and assembly
• Build, assemble, and test components, including environmental and qualification campaigns
• Perform fatigue and lifetime analysis on critical parts
• Design jigs, fixtures, and ground support equipment for propulsion and component testing
• Work with propulsion and electrical engineers on packaging, harnessing, and integration
• Manage machine shops and suppliers from quote through inspection

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering
• 3+ years of experience designing hardware for spaceflight, launch vehicles, or aerospace systems
• Strong proficiency in SolidWorks
• Working knowledge of GD&T
• Experience designing for flight environments and launch loads
• Experience with FEA tools such as ANSYS, Abaqus, or SolidWorks Simulation
• Ability to take a concept to finished hardware with limited oversight
• U.S. citizen with the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret clearance

Preferred Experience

• Hands-on build and test experience with flight hardware
• Strain-life fatigue and random vibration analysis
• Environmental testing experience such as vibration, shock, and thermal vacuum
• Some electrical or harness design experience
• Python or another programming language
• Strong communication and presentation skills

Why Join Us

• Own the mechanical design of a first-generation spacecraft
• Short cycles from CAD to built and tested hardware
• Work alongside propulsion and electrical engineers on a small, collaborative team
• Meaningful early-stage equity
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k), and unlimited paid time off

Compensation Details

$110,000 - $160,000 + equity