Staff Turbomachinery Engineer – High-Speed Rotating Systems

Karman Industries; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Karman Industries, Torrance-based, seeks an experienced Staff Mechanical Engineer, Turbomachinery to lead design, development, and integration of rotating machinery for heat processing systems. You will own turbomachinery components from concept to production, collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver high-performance solutions.

The role requires strong turbomachinery aerodynamics, rotor dynamics, thermal‑mechanical analysis, and hands-on testing.

Qualifications

• End-to-end turbomachinery design, analysis, and testing.
• Experience with high-speed rotating systems.
• Hands-on experience building or testing rotating hardware.
• Strong understanding of materials and tolerancing.
• Ability to coordinate with suppliers and manufacturing teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture, design, and analysis of high-speed turbomachinery components including compressors, turbine/expander stages, volutes/diffusers, seals, and bearing systems.
• Develop aerodynamic and thermodynamic models to predict performance, efficiency, operability, and off-design behavior of rotating components.
• Perform rotor dynamic and structural analyses to ensure high-speed system stability, durability, and reliability.
• Own turbomachinery integration into the overall heat processing system, ensuring alignment with thermal, mechanical, and manufacturing requirements.
• Create and manage complex CAD assemblies, detailed component models, and engineering drawings for prototypes and production hardware.
• Lead and support test campaigns, including instrumentation planning, test stand definition, data analysis, and performance correlation.
• Guide suppliers and internal manufacturing teams in the fabrication, balancing, and assembly of high-speed rotating hardware.
• Ensure designs meet performance targets, cost objectives, reliability standards, and program schedules.
• Apply creativity and first-principles reasoning to develop novel solutions that challenge conventional turbomachinery designs.
• Contribute to roadmap development for next-generation compressors and expanders tailored for industrial heat electrification applications.

Skills

Turbomachinery design

Rotor dynamics

CFD

CAD (Siemens NX)

Rotating hardware testing

Materials & tolerancing

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Siemens NX

ANSYS/Abaqus/NASTRAN

Job description

Karman Industries, Torrance-based, seeks an experienced Staff Mechanical Engineer, Turbomachinery to lead design, development, and integration of rotating machinery for heat processing systems. You will own turbomachinery components from concept to production, collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver high-performance solutions.

The role requires strong turbomachinery aerodynamics, rotor dynamics, thermal‑mechanical analysis, and hands-on testing.