Materials & Process (M&P) Engineer

Socket.dev; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Base Salary + Equity‑Based

Highly Competitive PTO

Comprehensive Medical, Dental, Vision

Performance‑Based Bonus Structure

Job summary

Space Kinetic seeks a Materials and Processes Engineer to act as a core technical authority for spacecraft mechanisms and flight hardware, collaborating with design, manufacturing, quality, and test teams to ensure materials and processes meet launch and space environment requirements.

You will support design reviews and qualification programs, guiding material selection and process standards across metallics, composites, and coatings, while leading investigations into anomalies to drive

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related technical discipline.
• 3–7 years of materials and processes experience in spaceflight or high‑reliability hardware.
• Experience with aerospace metallics (Al, Ti, SS, high-strength alloys).
• Experience with structural composites and carbon-fiber layups.
• Experience with thermal‑control hardware and materials.
• Hands‑on experience investigating manufacturing anomalies and non‑conformances.

Responsibilities

• Guide designers on material selection and space-environment risks.
• Author and approve drawings, specifications, and procedures for aerospace standards.
• Plan and execute qualification programs for materials and processes.
• Coordinate with internal laboratories and external vendors to characterize materials.
• Support PDR, CDR, MRR with M&P risk assessments and actionable recommendations.
• Manage M&P verification activities and ensure materials are approved before flight assembly.
• Support Material Review Board with technical dispositions for non-conformances.
• Lead destructive and non-destructive failure investigations and identify root causes.

Skills

Bachelors in Materials Sci

3–7 years experience

Aerospace metallics

Composites and carbon fiber

Thermal-control hardware

Root-cause investigations

Education

Bachelors in Materials Science and Engineering

Job description

A New Paradigm For Space Operations.

Who We Are:

Space Kinetic is a dual use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations – one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible, attainable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo, we are focused on creating something entirely different – an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head‑on. Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures – where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small # of) primary payloads attached to the bus -- and unlock a ‘one-to-many’ system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster.

This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40‑hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first‑of‑its‑kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space.

What You’ll Do:

The Materials and Processes (M&P) Engineer will serve as a core technical authority supporting the development, fabrication, integration, and testing of Space Kinetic’s spacecraft mechanisms and flight hardware.

You will work closely with design, manufacturing, quality, and test teams to ensure materials, treatments, and manufacturing processes meet the demands of launch and space environments. The ideal candidate has broad aerospace materials experience and is comfortable supporting hardware from design and qualification through production and failure investigation.

Job Responsibilities:

• Guide mechanical designers on material selection, surface treatments, joint design, and space-environment risks, including atomic oxygen, vacuum outgassing, galvanic corrosion, and thermal cycling.
• Author, review, and approve engineering drawings, material specifications, and process procedures for compliance with aerospace standards.
• Plan and execute qualification programs for metallics, composites, coatings, paints, adhesives, lubricants, and other critical materials and processes.
• Coordinate with internal laboratories and external vendors to characterize materials, analyze test data, and document qualification results.
• Support PDR, CDR, MRR, and other technical reviews by providing M&P risk assessments and actionable recommendations.
• Manage M&P verification activities and ensure materials and processes are approved before flight‑hardware assembly.
• Support the Material Review Board by developing technical dispositions for non‑conformances identified during manufacturing, assembly, and testing.
• Lead destructive and non‑destructive failure investigations, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions.

What It Takes:

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 3 to 7 years of materials and processes engineering experience supporting spaceflight or similarly high‑reliability aerospace hardware.
• Experience with aerospace metallics, including aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, and high‑strength alloys.
• Experience with structural composites, carbon‑fiber layups, core materials, and associated manufacturing processes.
• Experience with thermal‑control hardware and materials, including heat pipes, heaters, thermal‑interface materials, coatings, primers, adhesives, potting compounds, sealants, and space‑qualified lubricants.
• Hands‑on experience investigating manufacturing anomalies, resolving non‑conformances, and supporting hardware through qualification or production.

What We’d Love:

• Experience applying NASA materials and processes standards, including NASA-STD-6016.
• Familiarity with cleanroom operations, contamination control, or planetary protection requirements.
• Experience supporting spacecraft mechanisms or other spaceflight hardware.
• Experience supporting government, national security, NASA, or commercial spaceflight programs.
• Ability to operate with urgency, ownership, and autonomy in a demanding startup environment.
• Passion for advancing the commercial and National Security space industry.

Where You’ll Be:

The position is onsite at our headquarters in El Segundo CA . Domestic travel may be required (up to ~20% of the year).

What We Offer:

• Competitive Base Salary + Equity‑Based Compensation
• Highly Competitive PTO and Holiday Calendar
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
• Unique Performance‑Based Bonus Structure

ITAR Requirements:

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here

Equal Employment Opportunity:

Space Kinetic provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.

The annual base salary for this role is below. Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual pay will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job‑related skills, relevant education/experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity.

Pay Range

$130,000 — $165,000 USD