Principle Mechanical EngineerLocation: Playa Vista, California (in-person, five days per week)
The RoleThe
Principle Mechanical Engineer will serve as the technical authority for the primary and secondary structures of Outpost's Carryall. This is a role for a veteran structural engineer who has expertise on full-scale flight vehicles whether launch vehicles, satellites, or re-entry capsules. Unlike traditional space vehicle roles where the structure simply needs to survive launch, you are designing for the round trip: launch vibration, the harsh vacuum of orbit, and the extreme thermal and mechanical loads of hypersonic re-entry and landing. You will own the structural architecture of the vehicle, moving rapidly from trade studies to detailed analysis, and finally to hands-on integration.
Responsibilities - Structural Architect: Lead the mechanical design of the entire vehicle structure, including primary structure, interfaces to the deployable heatshield, secondary structures, and payload bay
- High-Fidelity Analysis: Perform and sign off on detailed hand calculations and Finite Element Analysis (ANSYS/FEMAP/NASTRAN). You will be the final check on stiffness, buckling, and thermal expansion compatibility.
- Drawing & GD&T: Create and approve high-quality manufacturing drawings with appropriate geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (ASME Y14.5) to ensure parts fit the first time.
- Build & Test Leadership: "Get your hands dirty" leading the assembly of your designs. Own the structural test campaign (static load, random vibration, shock, and deployment testing) to qualify hardware for flight.
- Vendor & Partner Management: Work directly with machine shops, composite vendors, and external partners to resolve fabrication conflicts and ensure on-time delivery of precision parts.
- Mentorship: Elevate the team's standard of engineering rigor. Mentor junior engineers in design best practices, analysis methods, and First Principles thinking.
Qualifications - Bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Structural Engineering.
- 8+ years of experience minimum (10+ preferred) in the design and analysis of complex aerospace structures and mechanisms.
- Full-Vehicle Heritage: Proven track record working on full space vehicles or rockets (not just subsystems). You should have experience taking a primary structure from concept through PDR/CDR to flight.
- CAD Proficiency: Expert-level skill in Siemens NX, SolidWorks, or similar parametric modeling software.
- Analysis Expertise: Deep background in structural analysis (FEA) and classical hand calculations. You must trust your hand calcs before you trust the solver.
- Materials Knowledge: Extensive understanding of aerospace materials (aluminum, titanium, Inconel, composites) and their behavior in extreme thermal environments.
- Manufacturing Fluency: You understand the limits of manufacturing, CNC machining, sheet metal, welding, and composite layup, and you design for them.
Preferred Experience - Active U.S. Government Security Clearance (Not required, but beneficial)
- Experience with deployable space structures and mechanisms (booms, solar arrays, antennas, or aerobrakes).
- Experience designing for high-heat environments or integrating with Thermal Protection Systems (TPS).
- Proficiency in scripting (Python/MATLAB) for design automation or data post-processing.
- Deep knowledge of aerospace standards (NASA-STD-5000 series, SMC-S-016) for structural margins and testing.
Compensation & Benefits - Competitive compensation: $210- $235,000; (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!
