Manufacturing Engineer, Additive

Astranis Space Technologies Corp.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Astranis Space Technologies Corp. in San Francisco is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer focused on additive manufacturing to build our capability from the ground up.

You will own the entire lifecycle of additive components, from design-for-manufacturability to production processes, tooling, and inspection on the factory floor. The role requires hands-on skills, GD&T expertise, 5-axis machining, and experience with additive qualification, CMM/optical inspection, and tolerance analysis to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical or manufacturing engineering or equivalent.
• 2+ years in additive manufacturing, metal (Laser Bed Powder Fusion).
• Experience with GD&T and drawing reviews. Knowledge of quality processes.
• Onsite 5 days a week; strong hands-on and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Own additive metal process development from ground up.
• Drive DFAM and tolerance analysis with design engineers.
• Develop SOPs for printer calibration and maintenance.
• Create process monitoring and quality criteria for prints.
• Write build documents and troubleshoot floor non-conformances.

Skills

GD&T

5-axis CNC machining

CMM/optical inspection

Tolerance stack-up analysis

SolidWorks / CAD

Drawing reviews

DFAM

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, physics, or equivalent technical degree

Tools

nTop

3DXpert

Materialise Magics

Netfabb

Ansys Additive

Altair Inspire

Job description

Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity's reach into the solar system. Today, Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly‑sophisticated customers across the globe – large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the U.S. military. With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts.

Manufacturing Engineer, Additive

This role is our first Manufacturing Engineer focused on additive manufacturing and will be responsible for building Astranis's additive manufacturing capability from the ground up. The Manufacturing Engineer owns the entire lifecycle of our additive components – from working closely with the mechanical engineering team to ensure parts are designed for manufacturability to developing production processes, tooling, and inspection procedures on the factory floor. The role requires both technical and hands‑on skills to bridge the gap between design and production. A successful candidate will apply knowledge of GD&T, 5‑axis CNC machining, additive qualification processes, and CMM/optical inspection to solve difficult problems in real time and drive improvements that directly impact our ability to get to space faster.

Role

• Own additive metal by developing Astranis's Laser Bed Powder Fusion process from the ground up.
• Own PEEK, ULTEM, and other engineered thermoplastic 3D printing processes.
• Work with design engineering to drive Design for Additive Manufacturing (DFAM), including participating in design reviews and assisting in tolerance stack‑up analysis.
• Develop standard operating procedures for printer calibration and maintenance.
• Develop process monitoring capability and print quality inspection criteria to ensure high print quality with minimal yield loss.
• Develop qualification tests and standard coupons for printed part quality and as‑printed material properties.
• Write work instructions, work order templates, process specifications, and other build documents.
• Troubleshoot non‑conformances on the floor to determine a disposition, root cause, and drive corrective actions.
• Assist in machining and programming operations as required for R&D and production.
• Assist in designing and creating fixturing for production.
• Work with supplier quality and contract manufacturers to develop their manufacturing and quality processes and respond to questions and issues.
• Design and implement lean systems for continuous improvement.
• Own 5S activities throughout the additive manufacturing area.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, physics, or equivalent technical degree.
• 2+ years of direct professional experience in additive manufacturing, more specifically metal (Laser Bed Powder Fusion).
• Experience with explosive/combustible powder storage and handling best practices.
• Familiarity with additive software (nTop, 3DXpert, Materialise Magics, Netfabbm, Ansys Additive, Altair Inspire Print 3D, or equivalents).
• 1+ years of experience in CNC machining, with exposure to complex machining centers (5‑axis mills).
• Experience with 3D CAD software (Solidworks, Siemens NX, or similar).
• Highly competent in GD&T and drawing reviews.
• Experience in writing technical documents.
• Knowledge of different manufacturing processes and their general quality capability.
• Mechanical design experience including creating solid models and prints.
• Must be onsite 5 days a week.

Bonus

• Masters degree in relevant STEM field, especially with applications in Additive Manufacturing.
• Experience with advanced post‑processing techniques such as annealing and Hot Isostatic Pressing.
• Experience with CAM software (Fusion 360, Mastercam, Siemens NX, or similar).
• Hands‑on experience working as a Machinist programming and running 5‑axis parts.
• Experience working with complex machining centers (mill/turns, horizontals, multi‑channel machines, and automated systems).
• Has worked with contract manufacturers to set up and qualify manufacturing processes.
• Hands‑on experience reading and interpreting first‑article inspection reports, using precision hand tools, and implementing tolerance stack‑up analysis on parts.
• Experience with MES/ MRP systems in a production environment.

What we offer

All our positions offer a compensation package that includes equity and robust benefits. Base pay is just one component of Astranis's total rewards package. Your compensation also includes a significant equity package via incentive stock options, high‑quality company‑subsidized healthcare, disability and life insurance, 401(k) retirement planning, flexible PTO, and free on‑site catered meals.

Base Salary

$95,000 – $165,000 USD

U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required

(To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3))

Our mission and our products are meant to connect the world and everyone in it, regardless of gender, race, creed, or any other distinction. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we encourage all people to join our team and bring their unique perspective to help make us stronger.