Mechanical Engineer (Vehicle Engineering), Senior or Staff-Level

Astrolab; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 219,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity ownership in the company

Comprehensive health benefits

401(k) plan with company match

Flexible PTO

Lunch stipend and snacks on-site

Job summary

Astrolab, located in Hawthorne, CA, seeks a Senior or Staff Mechanical Engineer to design planetary rovers and related hardware. You will own hardware from requirements through mission success, delivering high-performance designs for challenging environments and mentoring junior engineers.

You will craft detailed design documents, build tooling to boost team efficiency, and collaborate with leadership to establish best practices for design, analysis, and testing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in STEM
• 4+ years of design experience at a space company
• Experience with CAD modeling and analytical tools (FEA, MATLAB, etc.)
• Experience developing hardware to meet space industry design standards and best practices

Responsibilities

• Design mechanical systems (structures, mechanisms, electro-mechanical, thermal, etc.) at architectural and detailed levels
• Own hardware products through full life cycle from requirements to mission success
• Produce detailed design documentation including models, drawings, analysis packages, test plans and reports
• Build tools and infrastructure to improve team efficiency
• Define Astrolab best practices for design, analysis, and test

Skills

CAD modeling

FEA

MATLAB

Space hardware design

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Master's degree

Tools

NASA design standards

CAD tools

Job description

Compensation:

$130,000 - $219,000 / year

Department:

Vehicle Engineering

Location:

Hawthorne, California

Compensation:

$130,000 - $219,000 / year

Description

Astrolab is The Lunar Operations Company. We design and build the systems and hardware the lunar economy will come to depend on - rovers, power, and data networks for sustained operations on the Moon. We are focused on the problems that must be solved before the next chapter of human exploration can scale. The Moon does not forgive untested assumptions. The people who work here know that, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

As a Senior or Staff Mechanical Engineer, you will design, develop, test, and operate planetary rovers and related hardware. You will be responsible for producing high-performance designs for challenging environments, with cradle-to-grave accountability. You will have the opportunity to develop and mentor other engineers while working on novel, complex mechanical systems.

What you'll do

• Design mechanical systems (structures, mechanisms, electro-mechanical, thermal, etc.) at both architectural and detailed levels
• Own hardware products through the entire life cycle, from requirements definition all the way through to operational mission success and beyond
• Produce detailed design documentation, including models, drawings, analysis packages, test plans, test reports, certification compliance, operations plans, and more
• Build tools and infrastructure to make your team and the company more efficient
• Work with leadership and design counterparts to define Astrolab best practices for design, analysis, and test

What you'll bring

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) field
• 4+ years of experience in a design role at a space company
• Experience with CAD modeling and analytical skills (FEA, MATLAB, etc.)
• Experience developing hardware to meet space industry design standards and best practices

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in a science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) field
• Experience with NASA technical standards for design, analysis, and test
• Experience with integrated systems and test of complex structures, mechanisms, deployables, electro-mechanical systems, thermal hardware, etc.
• Experience with structural and thermal analysis methods and tools, kinematics & dynamics analysis, adjacent systems experience (power electronics, motor control, fluids, loads & dynamics, etc.)
• Ability to mentor and develop more junior engineers, contractors, and interns

Benefits and Perks

• Join a team of best-in-class engineers building the foundation of planetary surface exploration
• Equity ownership in the company
• Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and mental health support
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Flexible PTO and parental leave
• Weekly lunch stipend, plus complimentary snacks and beverages on-site
• Once a month social hour on-site with food and drinks