Mechanical Engineer

General Galactic; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Vision

Dental

PTO

401k

Stock options

Job summary

General Galactic in Los Angeles seeks a hands-on Mechanical Engineer to design and analyze spacecraft structures and systems.

You will own major hardware, run simulations, create CAD drawings, and work across teams in a fast-paced startup environment with strong ownership.

This role requires a BS in engineering and 2+ years aerospace hardware experience; export control compliance applies.

Qualifications

• BS in mechanical or aerospace engineering or related field.
• 2+ years designing, analyzing, building, or testing aerospace hardware.
• Strong fundamentals in robotics, dynamics, materials science, and mechanical design.
• First-principles problem solving, even with partial information.
• Hands-on experience designing flight or test hardware.
• Proficiency in hand calculations, spreadsheets, Python, MATLAB, CAD, and FEA.

Responsibilities

• Own mechanical system design, selection, and integration for spacecraft hardware.
• Design and integrate mechatronic systems supporting vehicle functions.
• Develop simulations, calculations, and models to guide decisions.
• Create CAD models, drawings, interfaces, assembly, test procedures, and docs.
• Plan, execute, and troubleshoot structural system testing.

Skills

Robotics

Dynamics

Materials science

Mechanical design

First-principles problem solving

Hands-on hardware

Education

BS in mechanical engineering or aerospace

Tools

CAD

Python

MATLAB

FEA

Job description

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 may include:

• 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

Successful applicants should have most of the following:

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

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.

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.