Bachelor's degree in industrial design, transportation design, or digital arts, or equivalent experience
Proficient in KeyShot for photorealistic rendering
Skilled in Alias for Class A surfacing and complex geometry
Experience in a studio or marketing environment
Familiar with CAD files from SolidWorks or CATIA
Responsibilities
Create high-quality surfaces using Alias from design concepts
Optimize complex CAD data for visualization
Refine physical forms in collaboration with design leads
Produce high-fidelity renders using KeyShot
Build a library of visual assets for marketing purposes
Composite renders with Adobe Creative Suite for realistic environments
Maintain feedback loops with engineering for design accuracy
Benefits
Opportunity to work with leading engineers in planetary exploration
Equity ownership in the company
Comprehensive health benefits including mental health support
401(k) plan with company match
Flexible PTO and parental leave options
Reimbursement for home office setup
Weekly lunch stipend with complimentary snacks on-site
Monthly social hour for team building
Full Job Description
CAD Modeler & Visualization Specialist
Department: Marketing
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Hawthorne, California
Compensation: $110,000 - $140,000 / year
Description
As a CAD Modeler & Visualization Specialist at Astrolab, you will be the technical execution engine of our design and marketing efforts. At Astrolab, our design function operates within a studio model embedded inside the Marketing organization. We believe that design sits at the intersection of engineering and brand; it is the visual language that translates our technical DNA into a consistent identity that defines a market. You will work day-to-day with our Fractional Chief Creative Director (a world-class automotive ID designer) and our Head of Marketing, taking raw engineering geometry and transforming it into beautiful, accurate, and compelling visual assets.
In this role, you will serve both the design team and the marketing organization. Your output-from Class A surfacing to photorealistic KeyShot renders-will be the primary way the world sees our rovers before they launch. You will bridge the gap between complex aerospace engineering and high-impact brand communication.
What you'll do:
Modeling & Surfacing
Class A Modeling: Utilize Alias to create high-quality, production-ready surfaces from initial design concepts and engineering data
Geometry Translation: Take complex, constraint-heavy CAD data from the engineering team and optimize it for visualization and design iteration
Form Refinement: Work closely with the Industrial Designer and Chief Creative Direction to refine the physical forms of our hardware, ensuring they meet both aesthetic and aerodynamic/structural requirements
Visualization & Rendering
Photorealistic Rendering: Produce stunning, high-fidelity renders using KeyShot, translating technical CAD into marketing-ready imagery
Asset Creation: Build a library of visual assets for use across investor decks, social media, press releases, and the Astrolab website
Compositing: Use Adobe Creative Suite to composite renders into lunar environments, ensuring lighting, scale, and context are hyper-realistic and scientifically accurate
Cross-Functional Execution
Engineering Liaison: Maintain a tight feedback loop with the engineering team to ensure that visualizations accurately reflect the current state of the vehicle's design and capabilities
Marketing Support: Deliver visual assets at the speed of a modern marketing organization, supporting campaign launches, milestone announcements, and brand initiatives
What you'll bring:
Basic Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in industrial design, transportation design, digital arts, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and professional experience
Experience using KeyShot for photorealistic rendering and lighting setup
Experience using Alias for Class A surfacing and complex geometry
Preferred Qualifications
Experience using Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop and Illustrator, for compositing and post-production
Experience in transportation, robotics, automotive, aerospace, or a related industry
Experience working in a studio environment or with marketing and communications teams
Experience working with engineering constraints and CAD files generated in SolidWorks or CATIA
Experience with lighting, material textures, Color, Materials, and Finish (CMF), and environmental rendering
Experience managing multiple rendering projects and delivering assets within established deadlines
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
