Senior/Principal Mechanical Engineer

About the Role Senior/Principal Mechanical Engineer will contribute to Starpath’s Rover platform by developing critical mechanical systems for space applications. You will own architectures and subsystems from requirements to deployment, including actuators, structures, and thermal control, enabling flight-ready hardware for Moon/Mars missions. What You'll Do

• Own architectures, systems, subsystems, and components from requirements to deployment
• Conduct trade studies and perform first-order calculations to define system requirements
• Determine qualification testing criteria in accordance with spaceflight testing standards
• Validate subsystems & components via testing in a simulated launch/Lunar environments
• Work cross-functionally with adjacent teams to incorporate electrical/thermal/software requirements while meeting integration milestones
• Identify & action high-level improvements to program operation and direction What We're Looking For
• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• 5+ years of experience developing hardware systems for space applications
• Experience with CAD (NX, Catia, SolidWorks, etc) and analysis (ANSYS, ABAQUS, etc) tools
• Working knowledge of engineering materials, manufacturing processes, and structural analysis
• Strong technical communication and the ability to work in a fast-paced team environment
• US export eligibility required Nice to Have
• Advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field
• 10+ years of experience developing hardware systems for space applications
• Track record of owning spaceflight hardware across the entire product lifecycle (design, analysis, qualification, and operation)
• Extensive experience with one of the following: Space-grade electromechanical rotary actuators and drive systems; Space mechanisms (passive, flexures, deployables, etc)
• Rigid body dynamics and/or vibration analysis
• Experience running shock, vibration, thermal, and other environmental qualification campaigns Compensation & Benefits
• Location: Los Angeles (Hawthorne), CA
• Salary ranges: Senior: $140k-$180k/yr, plus equity package; Principal: $160k-$200k/yr, plus equity package
• PTO and health/dental/vision coverage include
• EAR REQUIREMENTS: To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.