Technician - Mechanical

Karman Industries; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Karman Industries is hiring a Mechanical Technician to build and test our hardware. You will assemble supercritical CO₂ rotating machinery, cryogenic heat exchangers and compressor systems, working from drawings and build travelers alongside manufacturing engineers, machinists and welders.

This role is on-site and reports into Manufacturing. You will read mechanical drawings, interpret GD&T and use precision measuring tools; you must be able to lift up to 50 lbs and uphold strict documentation

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent, plus a trade certificate or technical training in a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of mechanical assembly experience in aerospace, turbomachinery, energy, automotive or similar precision manufacturing.
• Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, schematics and basic GD&T.
• Skilled with hand tools, torque tools and precision measurement tools.
• Careful, detail-oriented and committed to documentation and quality.
• Able to lift up to 50 lbs and work on the shop floor for extended periods.

Responsibilities

• Assemble, align and disassemble mechanical components, subassemblies and complete machines to drawings, specifications and build travelers.
• Set up and use hand tools, torque tools, lifting equipment, fixtures and precision measurement tools (micrometers, indicators, calipers, height gauges).
• Support leak, pressure and functional testing, and help prepare hardware for test.
• Inspect parts on receipt and during assembly, and flag nonconformances to engineering and quality.
• Record build data accurately: serial numbers, torque values, measurements and traceability records.
• Give feedback to engineers on design, tooling and process improvements, and help write and improve work instructions.
• Keep your work area clean, organized and safe, and follow all EHS procedures.
• Support facility and equipment bring-up as we expand assembly and test capacity.

Skills

Reading drawings

GD&T

Precision measurement tools

Attention to detail

Education

High school + trade cert/technical training

Tools

Micrometers

Indicators

Calipers

Height gauges

Job description

Karman Industries

Karman Industries is a Torrance-based thermal technology company building the backbone for giga-scale AI infrastructure. Founded by a team from SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and GE, Karman is moving beyond legacy cooling with the launch of the HPU (Heat Processing Unit)—a new category of thermal architecture designed for the 100kW+ rack era.

The HPU shrinks the exterior mechanical yard by up to 80% while reducing peak energy consumption by 10%+. Unlike traditional systems, the Karman HPU provides zero-water (WUE 0) cooling that ensures high-TDP GPUs and HBM4 memory stay at optimal thermal setpoints without throttling.

Founded in 2024, we’re a fast-growing team of passionate professionals dedicated to making a tangible impact on the future of humanity. We design, build, and test real hardware, and we lead with ownership: you’ll own your work from concept to hardware and help shape how we scale. Our values are Ownership, Performance Excellence, Radical Transparency, and Customer-Centricity.

Join us in our mission to transform the industry and contribute to a more sustainable world.

Technician, Mechanical

Karman is hiring a Mechanical Technician to build and test our hardware. You will assemble supercritical CO₂ rotating machinery, cryogenic heat exchangers and compressor systems, working from drawings and build travelers alongside manufacturing engineers, machinists and welders. You will help turn first builds into a repeatable process as we stand up our factory. This role is on-site and reports into Manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Assemble, align and disassemble mechanical components, subassemblies and complete machines to drawings, specifications and build travelers.

• Set up and use hand tools, torque tools, lifting equipment, fixtures and precision measurement tools (micrometers, indicators, calipers, height gauges).

• Support leak, pressure and functional testing, and help prepare hardware for test.

• Inspect parts on receipt and during assembly, and flag nonconformances to engineering and quality.

• Record build data accurately: serial numbers, torque values, measurements and traceability records.

• Give feedback to engineers on design, tooling and process improvements, and help write and improve work instructions.

• Keep your work area clean, organized and safe, and follow all EHS procedures.

• Support facility and equipment bring-up as we expand assembly and test capacity.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent, plus a trade certificate or technical training in a related field, or equivalent experience.

• 3+ years of mechanical assembly experience in aerospace, turbomachinery, energy, automotive or similar precision manufacturing.

• Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, schematics and basic GD&T.

• Skilled with hand tools, torque tools and precision measurement tools.

• Careful, detail-oriented and committed to documentation and quality.

• Able to lift up to 50 lbs and work on the shop floor for extended periods.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience assembling rotating machinery, bearings, seals, pumps, compressors or turbines.

• Experience with cryogenic, high-pressure or vacuum systems, and leak testing.

• Experience with cranes, hoists and rigging.

• Familiarity with ERP or MES systems and electronic build records.

• Experience in a startup or early-stage manufacturing environment.

Role level to be determined during interview process

Karman Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Karman Industries 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.