Mechanical Engineer

Mechanical Engineer

Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) is pioneering new ways to explore and operate on distant planetary bodies. We are singularly focused on designing, building, and operating a fleet of multi-purpose commercial planetary rovers to extend and enhance humanity's presence in the solar system. We are seeking motivated, creative, and exceptional people to join our world-class team. The Astrolab design team works collaboratively to design, develop and implement exceptional engineering solutions to enable off planet exploration. As a Mechanical Engineer within that team, you will be responsible for the design, development, test, flight, and operation of novel structures and actuators critical to the Astrolab lunar rover. You will report to our mechanical engineering manager.

Department: Vehicle Engineering

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Hawthorne, California

Workplace type: Onsite

Compensation: $123,000 - $150,000 / year

What You'll Do:

• Collaborate with the engineering design team to understand the mechanical needs of the Astrolab rover, leveraging experience to contribute to the evolution of the design
• Design and analysis of mechanical systems at the full system and sub system level using software simulation methods and experimental test data
• Define component requirements, understand lunar operational constraints and effectively communicate these within the team
• Make flight hardware selection decisions and develop the build flow for integrating this hardware into the vehicle for flight
• Develop test plans to validate and qualify mechanical subsystems for flight, coordinating with both inhouse and external test facilities to execute testing

What You'll Bring:

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering or STEM field
• 2+ years of experience in mechanical system engineering
• Experience using CAD software for part modeling and development
• Experience using software packages for finite element modeling and analysis
• Experience in design for manufacturing and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing of parts

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Master's degree in engineering
• Experience in the engineering of structures, mechanisms, and actuators
• Demonstrated ability to plan and execute flight hardware development programs from the ground up
• Demonstrated experience specifying and executing hardware qualification and acceptance test programs
• Ability to mentor and develop more junior mechanical engineers to build an effective design team

Benefits and Perks

• Join a team of best-in-class engineers building the foundation of planetary surface exploration
• Equity ownership in the company
• Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and mental health support
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Flexible PTO and parental leave
• Home office set up reimbursement
• Weekly lunch stipend, plus complimentary snacks and beverages on-site
• Once a month social hour on-site with food and drinks

About Astrolab

Having a strong, inclusive, and inspired team is essential to accomplishing our bold mission. Employees are our biggest asset, and we are deeply committed to them and our values. At Astrolab we…

Demonstrate and inspire trust. Interactions are direct, honest, and respectful. We are fair and transparent with what we do and why.

Thrive in balance. Balance gives us perspective and keeps us motivated and inspired. We commit to rewarding work and a fulfilling personal life.

Seek diverse perspectives. We ask questions, engage in productive debate and offer alternatives to ensure our solutions and products are robust and a reflection of our collective best.

Move with purpose. Quality and reliability are accomplished through efficient ideation and iteration. We act with a sense of urgency and deliver what we promise, always with the big picture in mind.

Make an impact. We intentionally move our community and industry into the future through our work, practices, and actions.

Our Hiring Process

Stage 1: Application Review

Stage 2: Recruiter Phone Interview

Stage 3: Video Interviews

Stage 4: On-site Interview

Stage 5: Offer

Stage 6: Hired

Astrolab is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, gender, gender identity, parental or pregnancy status, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or veteran status. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to View email address on click.appcast.io. We strive to remove unconscious and unnecessary barriers to build the best team. While we've outlined what an ideal candidate could look like, we know that you may bring something unanticipated and essential to the team. If you're reading this and can see yourself contributing, please register below.

Register Your Interest