Mechanical Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Mechanical Engineer

Location: Playa Vista, California (in-person, five days per week)

Launch has changed the economics of space. Now it is time to return.

Outpost is building the missing infrastructure between orbit and Earth: reusable vehicles that can bring payloads back from space and deliver them to a precise location within hours. We call it exologistics, space-to-Earth logistics at planetary scale. This is not a paper concept or a distant roadmap. Our system is in active development, with core technologies advancing toward flight readiness.

The need is already here, and the market has responded. We have validated demand through multiple defense and civil agreements, and a growing pipeline across government and commercial customers.

Outpost is building the logistics layer that makes space economically useful in a new way: the ability to move material from orbit to Earth quickly, reliably, and affordably. Over time, that supports point-to-point logistics, 10 tons of cargo, anywhere on Earth in an hour. It also creates the foundation for a reusable reentry network and enables new categories of space activity, including in-space manufacturing, supporting AI data centers, advanced manufacturing, and novel materials.

We have a strong foundation, clear demand, and a technical path in front of us. Now the company is scaling rapidly. We are expanding the team, growing our operational footprint, and building the systems needed to execute at the next level. This is a chance to join a company with real traction, working on a problem that matters, at the point where execution and scale begin to define the outcome.

The Role

Outpost's vehicles are unlike anything in the market - reusable, fabric-shielded, paraglider-guided Earth-return spacecraft. We're looking for a Mechanical Engineer to join our Structures and Mechanism team who will design and build the test and qualification process for spacecraft components and vehicles - from concept through execution and data analysis. This is a deep mechanical role with elements of instrumentation and data acquisition, and strong ownership over how our hardware earns its right to fly.

This role spans the full engineering lifecycle - design, analysis, drawing release, build support, and test. You'll work alongside an integrated team and have meaningful ownership of your hardware from day one. 

What You'll Do

• Design, model, and fabricate mechanical components and test fixtures for spacecraft assemblies, including heat shield, payload containment, parachute and paraglider systems, and primary and secondary structure.
• Select materials, fasteners, and mechanical interfaces that satisfy flight boundary conditions.
• Produce engineering drawings and documentation for in-house build or vendor fabrication.
• Iterate designs rapidly based on test outcomes and anomalies, build, test, learn, improve.
• Set up and execute test, including apply instrumentation (load cells, strain gauges, displacement sensors, thermocouples, pressure transducers), and verifying boundary conditions prior to every test run.
• Troubleshoot mechanical test anomalies hands-on: trace failures to root cause, propose corrective actions, and retest to closure Participate in peer reviews and formal milestone reviews (CDR, TRR, etc.).

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or higher degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field.
• 2-5+ years of hands-on experience designing flight hardware structures and mechanisms.
• Experience in hardware test development.
• Familiarity with spacecraft or launch vehicle components, or other space/aviation hardware where qualification and reliability are critical.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD (Siemens NX, CATIA, SolidWorks or similar) and GD&T.
• Experience taking hardware from design to build to test in an aerospace or space environment.
• Ability to read and understand mechanical drawings, GD&T.
• Strong documentation habits and familiarity with following structured standards and guidelines.
• Familiarity with NASA test and qualification standards (GEVS / NASA-STD-7002, SMC-S-016) and ASME Y14.5 drawing conventions at a functional level.

Preferred Experience

• Active U.S. Government Security Clearance (not required, but beneficial).
• Experience with data acquisition and analysis using at least one of: LabVIEW, Python, MATLAB, or similar tools.
• Experience with deployable space structures and mechanisms (booms, solar arrays, antennas, or aerobrakes).

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive compensation: $100,000 – $140,000; (commensurate with experience).
• Additional Compensation: Annual performance-based bonuses that reward your impact.
• Shared upside: Meaningful equity in Outpost so you share directly in the value you help create.
• Comprehensive healthcare: Medical, dental, and vision coverage to keep you and your loved ones covered. We cover the base tier of medical insurance and all premiums of vision and dental.
  
• Protection when it matters: Company-provided short- and long-term disability coverage for peace of mind, plus life insurance for even more security.
• PTO : Recharge on your own terms with paid time off, plus 9 days of paid holidays.
• Invest in your future: 401(k) with company match to help you build long-term wealth.
• Fueled for the mission: Daily DoorDash lunch stipend, plus unlimited snacks, coffee, and tea to keep you energized.
• Mission that matters: Work shoulder-to-shoulder with leaders from aerospace, new space, and deep-tech industries building the future of orbital infrastructure.
• Pet Friendly Office: Bring your furry friend into the office so that they can be a part of our mission too.
• Monthly Company Happy Hours and Events: Drinks at the local bar, hibachi nights, mini golfing and more!