Founding Mechanical Engineer - Space Robotics Hardware

Generalastro; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

General Astronautics seeks a Founding Mechanical Engineer to own the mechanical hardware design from concept to flight-ready systems. You will architect, analyze, prototype, test, and qualify precision mechanisms and electromechanical assemblies for autonomous space operations.

You will drive hand calculations, FEA, GD&T, and tolerances, working across CAD, fabrication, and testing as a core early engineer. This role is high-ownership and pivotal to our flight hardware success.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or related discipline.
• 2+ years of experience designing, building, analyzing, and testing complex mechanical or electromechanical hardware.
• Proficiency in CAD software such as NX, CATIA, Creo, SolidWorks, or equivalent.
• Strong fundamentals in machine design, structural sizing, mechanism design, and electromechanical integration.
• Experience with hand calculations, tolerance analysis, and FEA.
• Proficiency with GD&T and ASME Y14.5 standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture, design, development, and testing of robotic hardware for autonomous microgravity operations.
• Own hardware from concept through detailed design, prototyping, qualification, integration, and deployment.
• Design precision mechanisms, joints, end effectors, actuator interfaces, and electromechanical assemblies for vacuum, vibration, and microgravity.
• Perform hand calculations, tolerance analyses, and FEA to validate designs.
• Define requirements, loads, interfaces, error budgets, and verification plans at multiple levels.
• Collaborate with vendors and manufacturing partners to source components and assemble flight hardware.

Skills

Machine design fundamentals

Structural sizing

Mechanism design

Electromechanical integration

Hand calculations

Tolerance analysis

FEA

GD&T

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

NX

CATIA

Creo

SolidWorks

FEA software

Job description

General Astronautics seeks a Founding Mechanical Engineer to own the mechanical hardware design from concept to flight-ready systems. You will architect, analyze, prototype, test, and qualify precision mechanisms and electromechanical assemblies for autonomous space operations.

You will drive hand calculations, FEA, GD&T, and tolerances, working across CAD, fabrication, and testing as a core early engineer. This role is high-ownership and pivotal to our flight hardware success.