Founding Mechanical Engineer

Founding Mechanical Design Engineer Equity: 0.3% – 1% depending on experience About Us We're a stealth team building space hardware at the edge of what's currently possible — high-stakes, flight-grade systems where the engineering bar is unforgiving and the upside is enormous. While we can't share full details yet, our founding and early engineering team includes talent from SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, and Starpath, the group includes people who've pulled off feats almost no one else on Earth has. Role Overview We're seeking a Founding Mechanical Design Engineer to take ownership of structural and mechanical design from first principles — driving projects from concept through analysis, build, and qualification. In this role, you'll have a direct and significant impact on our technology and the team we build together. Key Responsibilities Own the end-to-end mechanical and structural design of cutting-edge flight-grade hardware — from concept through detailed design, prototyping, qualification, integration, and deployment. Design precision mechanisms, interfaces, and electromechanical assemblies optimized for vacuum, vibration, thermal cycling, and microgravity. Perform trade studies across mass, stiffness, payload, repeatability, thermal performance, manufacturability, reliability, and cost. Generate 3D CAD, 2D drawings, release packages, interface definitions, and technical documentation. Perform hand calculations, tolerance analyses, and FEA to validate component and subsystem designs. Define requirements, loads, interfaces, error budgets, and verification plans at the component, subsystem, and system levels. Build and test prototypes, analyze failures, and drive root-cause resolution and design iteration. Work cross-functionally with controls, autonomy, software, avionics, and manufacturing to deliver an integrated flight system. Collaborate closely with founders and founding engineers, shaping engineering culture, processes, and the long-term technical roadmap. Basic Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline. 2+ years designing, building, analyzing, and testing complex mechanical or electromechanical hardware. Proficiency in professional CAD software (NX, CATIA, Creo, SolidWorks, or equivalent). Strong fundamentals in machine design, structural sizing, mechanism design, and electromechanical integration. Experience with hand calculations, tolerance analysis, and FEA. Proficiency with GD&T and engineering drawing standards (ASME Y14.5). Hands-on experience building, debugging, and testing hardware. Bonus Experience designing mechanisms for space, vacuum, or other harsh environments — including thermal qualification, vibration, and contamination control. Experience integrating electrical components, PCBAs and harnessing into mechanical assemblies. Experience with requirements verification, formal hardware qualification, and V&V processes. Familiarity with PLM tools and configuration-managed hardware development. Experience transitioning hardware from prototype to flight production. Familiarity with early-stage startups or founding teams. Who You Are An exceptional mechanical engineer with experience in demanding, high-reliability hardware environments (e.g., aerospace, robotics). Adept at taking full ownership of mechanical and structural systems from blank sheet to implementation. Comfortable working with high ambiguity, rapidly changing requirements, and limited resources. A collaborative builder who elevates those around you and drives technical excellence. Why Join Us? Build incredibly ambitious, world-first hardware alongside world-class talent. Define the product, culture, and trajectory of a breakthrough company from the start. Own significant technical challenges and create outsized impact. Benefits Health Insurance — We cover the full base premium for Blue Shield's Bronze plan. If you'd like more coverage, you can upgrade to the Gold plan and just cover the difference in premium. You're also welcome to add dependents and a spouse to your plan. Dental & Vision — We cover the base premiums for both, through Guardian. Coverage for dependents and a spouse is available too. 401(k) — We offer a 401(k) with a 4% company match to help you save for the future. Equity — You'll receive meaningful equity in the company, so you share in what we build together. PTO & Sick Time — We offer unlimited PTO and sick time, and we trust you to take the time you need to rest and recharge. ITAR / Citizenship Requirements To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Compensation Range: $135K - $215K #J-18808-Ljbffr Pillar Space