Vehicle Mechanisms Engineer I (Aerospace)

Location: Long Beach, California, United States

Salary: $90,000–$136,000 USD annually

Company

Develops Terran R rockets and additive manufacturing technologies for commercial orbital launch services.

What you will do

• Design and test Terran R mechanisms for stage separation, payload deployment, aero control features, and landing gear.
• Complete full-cycle design work from concept development and trade studies through analysis, manufacturing, and testing.
• Define design criteria and subsystem requirements, and review loads, material properties, and manufacturing processes.
• Collaborate with structures, avionics, fluids, vehicle design, test, loads, additive, and manufacturing teams.
• Integrate subsystems into printed primary structures and support additive process development.
• Present mechanism concepts and trade studies to leadership while delivering projects on time and budget.

Requirements

• Undergraduate degree in engineering or a related field.
• 0–2+ years of full-cycle design engineering experience, including CAD, analysis, build, and test.
• Fundamental knowledge of kinematic synthesis, pneumatic and hydraulic actuation, mechatronics, and instrumentation.
• Fundamental knowledge of structural strength, stability, and fatigue failure modes.
• Experience with technical problem-solving, manufacturing processes, materials, surface treatments, and hands-on hardware builds.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to lead discussions on complex technical topics.

Nice to have

• Experience with launch vehicle mechanisms and multibody dynamics analysis.
• Experience in a demanding, fast-paced development environment.
• Proficiency with NX, Teamcenter, Ansys, Femap, Python, or MATLAB.
• Hands-on fabrication or prototyping experience, including machining, 3D printing, welding, or woodworking.

Culture & Benefits

• Competitive salary and equity.
• Generous paid time off and sick leave.
• Parental leave.
• Annual learning and development stipend.
• Work includes hands-on hardware ownership and cross-functional collaboration throughout the rocket development lifecycle.