Senior Mechanical Engineering-Design

Job Description Senior Mechanical Engineer – Vehicle Structures (Full-Lifecycle Architect)
Location: Los Angeles, CA (Playa Vista area) – 100% On-site
Compensation: $160,000 – $225,000 Base (+ Equity + Bonuses)
Clearance: US Citizen or Green Card Holder required (ITAR regulations)

Our client is building an entirely new class of reusable, precision Earth-return vehicles designed to bring payloads back from orbit safely and reliably. With multiple government and commercial missions already manifested, you won’t be working on theoretical paper studies—your hardware will fly, orbit, survive hypersonic re-entry, and land.

You will tackle the rare engineering challenge of designing across the full mission cycle.
Architect the Airframe: Own the primary load-bearing structures, payload bays, and secondary structures from blank-page concept through detailed design.
Engineer for the Extremes: Design robust structures that can withstand aggressive launch loads, orbital vacuum, and intense hypersonic re-entry conditions.
Lead the Analysis: Perform and sign off on high-fidelity hand calculations and advanced FEA (NASTRAN/ANSYS) to validate your designs.
Drive Manufacturing & Integration: Create and approve flight-ready manufacturing drawings using strict GD&T (ASME Y14.Work hands-on with fabrication teams and external vendors to ensure perfect first-assembly fit.
Break It to Build It Better: Lead rigorous hands-on structural testing (static load, vibration, shock, deployment) and use the data to iterate rapidly.
Serve as the technical authority on structures, integrating seamlessly with thermal (TPS) and atmospheric recovery teams.

We are looking for builders who have taken complete flight vehicle structures from concept through test and flight.
Experience: 5 to 10+ years of deep mechanical/structural engineering experience, ideally within a modern space startup, launch vehicle manufacturer, or a specialized "Skunk Works" advanced program.
Flight Heritage: Proven experience designing primary structures/airframes for spacecraft, launch vehicles, or re-entry systems that have successfully gone to space (or through advanced test/flight cycles). Technical Chops: Expert-level proficiency in CAD (Siemens NX or SolidWorks) and FEA tools (NASTRAN, ANSYS, or FEMAP), paired with a strong "hand-calculations first" mindset.
Ownership Mentality: You thrive in a high-autonomy environment and can independently drive a project from early trade studies to the launch pad.
(Note: While advanced degrees are welcome, we are prioritizing applied, hands-on flight hardware experience over purely academic research backgrounds.)

Substantial early-stage equity in a company with validated demand and strong government backing.
Comprehensive health benefits, performance bonuses, and relocation assistance for the right candidate.
The chance to work alongside alumni from top-tier modern space and aerospace companies in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment near the beach in Playa Vista.