Mechanical Test, Optomechanical Systems New Los Angeles, CA

General Matter, Inc.; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

General Matter, Inc. is seeking a Mechanical Test Engineer to build test infrastructure and execute campaigns that qualify the mechanical hardware behind our next‑generation enrichment technology.

You will work hands‑on with prototype and production hardware, and collaborate with mechanical, optical, materials, and manufacturing engineers to drive design improvements. The role requires a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering and 3+ years of test experience, including fixture design and data

Qualifications

• Evidence of exceptional ability demonstrated by projects or portfolio.
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 3+ years in mechanical test engineering, environmental testing or hardware qualification.

Responsibilities

• Design, build and maintain test fixtures and setups for mechanical, thermal, vibration and durability testing of enrichment hardware.
• Develop and execute test plans to verify performance and alignment under environmental conditions.
• Perform materials testing (fatigue, corrosion, wear, thermal cycling) to support material qualification.
• Instrument test articles and analyze data to assess pass/fail criteria and margins.
• Lead root-cause analysis on test failures with design engineers to implement corrective actions.
• Own test documentation, procedures, and qualification packages with traceability.

Skills

Test fixture design

Instrumentation

Data acquisition

Environmental testing

Materials testing

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

DAQ systems

Sensors

Strain gauges

Thermocouples

Job description

We are designing, building, and operating the world’s lowest-cost enrichment services, here in the US.

In the process, we are restoring America’s ability to produce nuclear fuel to power AI, advanced manufacturing and critical industries our country relies on to remain competitive.

Fuel drives the cost of advanced reactor electricity production, and enrichment drives the cost of the fuel that advanced reactors consume. Reliable, low-cost enrichment is the catalyst for the nuclear Renaissance now under way.

Our mission is to make nuclear not only the cleanest and safest source of baseload power, but also the most affordable. We believe abundant nuclear energy will lead to a post-scarcity society.

We were incubated inside Founders Fund, like Anduril and Palantir before us, and are backed by over a dozen of the world's top venture capital firms.

Our lean, world‑class team of engineers and operators is applying a first-principles approach to solving the problem of nuclear fuel production.

We are a mission-driven company with a culture of urgency, accountability, and transparency.

Help us build a high-energy society by making the cleanest, safest form of baseload energy the most affordable.

About This Role

As a General Matter Mechanical Test Engineer, you will build the test infrastructure and execute the test campaigns that qualify the mechanical hardware behind our next‑generation enrichment technology ‑ including precision optical mounts, alignment stages, beam delivery paths, and structures that must survive demanding thermal, vibration, shock, and material‑compatibility conditions unique to uranium processing. You'll work hands‑on with prototype and production hardware, design fixtures and test setups from scratch, and partner closely with the mechanical, optical, materials, and manufacturing engineers who design the hardware you're qualifying. If you seek high impact and are excited by fast‑paced, intense, Skunkworks‑style projects at the frontier of enrichment technology, we encourage you to apply to join our team.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain test fixtures, rigs, and setups for mechanical, thermal, vibration, shock, and durability testing of enrichment hardware, including precision optical and beam delivery assemblies.
• Develop and execute test plans that verify mechanical performance, alignment stability, and beam pointing/positioning accuracy under representative environmental and process conditions.
• Perform coupon- and component‑level materials testing (e.g., fatigue, corrosion, wear, thermal cycling) to support material selection and qualification decisions.
• Instrument test articles and collect, reduce, and analyze test data to assess pass/fail criteria and identify design margins.
• Perform root‑cause analysis on test failures and partner with design engineers to develop and verify corrective actions.
• Own test documentation, including test plans, procedures, reports, and qualification packages, ensuring traceability for engineering and regulatory purposes.
• Continuously improve test methods, tooling, and lab infrastructure to increase test throughput and fidelity as hardware iterates rapidly.
• Work closely with mechanical, optical, materials, manufacturing, and nuclear engineers to translate test results into design and process improvements.

Basic Qualifications

• Evidence of exceptional ability (prior projects, portfolio of work, completed products, etc).
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in mechanical test engineering, environmental test, or hardware qualification via project team, research, internship, and/or professional experience.
• Hands‑on experience designing and building test fixtures and instrumented test setups.
• Working knowledge of environmental test methods (vibration, shock, thermal cycling, thermal vacuum, durability/fatigue).
• Comfortable working directly with hardware in a lab environment, including troubleshooting instrumentation and data acquisition systems.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Background or working knowledge in materials science or metallurgy, particularly failure analysis, fatigue/corrosion testing, or performance of metals and alloys under extreme thermal, mechanical, or corrosive conditions.
• Experience testing precision optical or photonic‑based hardware — for example alignment stage repeatability, beam pointing/stability verification, or thermal management validation for high‑energy optical components.
• Experience with data acquisition systems, sensors (accelerometers, strain gauges, thermocouples, sensors), and test automation.
• Strong understanding of engineering fundamentals and statistical methods for interpreting test data.
• Experience in a fast‑paced engineering environment or a highly technical role requiring a resourceful, entrepreneurial approach to complete tasks within tight timeframes or budget constraints.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary.

Equal Opportunity Employer

General Matter is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with General Matter is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

The base salary range for this role is $110,000–$180,000 annually.
Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary based on job‑related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. Please note that the stated salary range is an estimate and may be adjusted based on market conditions, business needs, or other factors. In addition to base salary, for full‑time hires, you may also be eligible for long‑term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.

This position requires eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

This position requires eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. Q security clearance. This includes, but is not limited to, the following requirements:

• Successful completion of an extensive background investigation
• Drug testing
• Security interview
• Favorable adjudication of trustworthiness and reliability

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self‑identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in General Matter’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

• A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service‑connected disability.
• A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three‑year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.
• An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.
• An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

• Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
• Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
• Blind or low vision
• Cancer (past or present)
• Cardiovascular or heart disease
• Celiac disease
• Cerebral palsy
• Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
• Diabetes
• Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
• Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
• Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
• Intellectual or developmental disability
• Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
• Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
• Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
• Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Neurodivergence, for example, attention‑deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
• Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
• Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
• Short stature (dwarfism)
• Traumatic brain injury