Mechanical Design Engineer (Atmospheric)

Mechanical Design Engineer

Location: Los Angeles, CA — On-site, 5 days/week

Salary: $95,000 – $180,000 equity annual performance bonus

Type: Full-time

A well-funded, mission-driven space technology company is moving fast and building real flight hardware. They’re hiring a Mechanical Design Engineer to own the design, analysis, and development of hardware. This is a true hands-on role at the intersection of structures, thermals, mechanisms, and aero, working shoulder-to-shoulder with GNC, TPS, test, avionics, manufacturing, and integration teams.

What you’ll do:

• Design mechanical systems for atmospheric recovery: deployables, aerodynamic decelerators, recovery mechanisms, interfaces, and precision landing hardware
• Own hardware end-to-end: concept → requirements → CAD → FEA → prototype → assemble → qualify → flight
• Perform structural/thermal/mechanism analysis for extreme loads, temperatures, and dynamics
• Lead integration across rigid structures soft goods (e.g., paraglider/parachute-style systems) and flight hardware
• Support and drive test campaigns (ground, wind-tunnel, and flight) and iterate quickly
• Run design reviews (PDR/CDR) and produce clear drawings, BOMs, documentation, and work instructions

What they’re looking for:

• 3–5 years of industry experience designing aerospace mechanical hardware
• Strong CAD skills (SolidWorks, NX, or similar) and analysis ability (structural/thermal in ANSYS preferred; SolidWorks acceptable)
• Experience with structures, mechanisms, deployables, and aero-structures (e.g., flaps, hinges, linkages, and ideally parachute/paraglider-adjacent components)
• Strong understanding of load paths, interfaces, and environmental requirements for high-energy flight environments
• Proven ability to take hardware from concept to production and/or flight
• Comfortable with ambiguity, rapid iteration, and fast design–build–test cycles
• Excellent documentation and communication skills

Nice to have:

• Reentry systems, atmospheric flight vehicles, TPS interfaces
• Soft goods integration with rigid structures
• Hypersonic/supersonic/high aero-load environments
• Field test experience (drop tests, flight tests, deployment tests)
• Precision actuation / DOF-limited mechanisms in harsh environments

Benefits snapshot:

• Equity bonus
• Medical, dental, vision
• Short/long-term disability life insurance
• PTO 401(k) with company match
• Subsidized catered lunch/snacks/coffee

Work authorization requirement:

Due to export control regulations, candidates must be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, protected individuals, or otherwise eligible to obtain required U.S. authorizations.