Mechanical Engineer

Stanford Climate Ventures; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

PTO

401k

Stock options

Job summary

Stanford Climate Ventures in El Segundo, California, is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to design and analyze critical spacecraft structures for various vehicles. This role involves significant ownership over projects and hands-on engineering.

Ideal candidates will have a BS in mechanical or aerospace engineering and 2+ years of experience with aerospace hardware. You will collaborate closely with a dedicated team in a fast-paced environment, tackling thrilling challenges in aerospace engineering.

The position offers comprehensive benefits, including medical and stock options.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in aerospace hardware.
• Strong fundamentals in robotics and dynamics.
• Comfortable with first-principles analysis.

Responsibilities

• Own mechanical system design for spacecraft vehicles.
• Design and integrate mechatronic systems.
• Plan and execute testing of structural systems.

Skills

Mechanical design

Robotics

Dynamics

Materials science

Hands-on experience

Problem solving

Education

BS in mechanical engineering or aerospace engineering

Tools

CAD

Python

MATLAB

FEA

Job description

About General Galactic

General Galactic designs, builds, and flies advanced spacecraft that redefine what’s possible beyond Earth. Led by former SpaceX, Varda, Impulse, and Relativity engineers, our vision is to dominate cislunar space and build the railway to Mars – expanding access to high‑energy orbits and enabling the next generation of missions along the way. Based in Los Angeles, California, we’re leveraging our paradigm‑shifting water‑based technology to reshape the space domain for good.

Job Description

As a Mechanical Engineer, you will work closely with a focused technical team to design and analyze critical spacecraft structures and systems across our product suite, including Seldon and Dreadnought spacecraft vehicles, Genesis propulsion systems, and more. You will have extreme ownership over your work, move quickly, and operate with high agency. As we grow, there will be opportunities to expand your role with the company.

This is a hands‑on engineering role for someone with experience using fundamentals in mechanical design, mechatronics, robotics, dynamics, materials science, and manufacturing to design and analyze hardware. You will have the opportunity to own major vehicle and ground subsystems. You should be comfortable moving between first‑principles analysis, detailed mechanical design, hardware build, test operations, and post‑test data review.

Responsibilities

• Own mechanical system design, component selection, and integration for spacecraft vehicles, propulsion systems, robotics, ground test hardware, and associated hardware
• Design and integrate mechatronic systems that support key vehicle functions
• Develop and maintain simulations, calculations, and models to guide design decisions
• Create CAD models, drawings, interface definitions, assembly procedures, test procedures, and engineering documentation
• Plan, execute, and troubleshoot testing of structural systems

Requirements

• BS in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related technical field
• 2+ years of experience designing, analyzing, building, or testing aerospace hardware, mechanisms, or related
• Strong fundamentals in robotics, dynamics, materials science, and mechanical design
• First‑principles approach to problem solving even with incomplete or partial information
• Hands‑on experience designing flight or test hardware
• Ability to perform practical engineering analysis spanning hand calculations, spreadsheets, Python, MATLAB, CAD, and FEA
• Strong mechanical design skills, including CAD, drawings, tolerancing, material selection, manufacturability, assembly, and testability
• Experience in a fast‑paced startup environment or similar, with high agency, strong ownership, and willingness to work hands‑on across disciplines

Benefits

Benefits include medical/vision/dental/PTO/401k/stock options, and more!

Export Control

This position requires access to information protected under US export control laws, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and/or the Export Administration Regulations. As such, US person status (including US citizens, U.S. permanent residents, individuals granted U.S. asylum status, or individuals admitted in U.S. refugee status) is a required qualification for this position.

Equal Employment Opportunity

General Galactic Technologies Corporation provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.