Principal Manufacturing Engineer (Integration)

Location: On-site in El Segundo, California, United States. The role requires regular lifting of 25 lbs., bending, stooping, and standing for extended periods while working directly with flight hardware.

Salary: $181,913–$262,763 per year, plus eligibility for stock options and/or long-term cash awards.

Company

hirify.global develops commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing payloads, reentry capsules, heat shields, and satellite buses, with vehicles and equipment built, integrated, and tested in-house.

What you will do

• Own spacecraft integration sequences and procedures from subassembly mating through final vehicle closeout and acceptance.
• Develop, maintain, and improve assembly travelers and integration work instructions covering subsystem interfaces.
• Coordinate manufacturing with structures, propulsion, avionics, and thermal protection systems engineering teams.
• Identify and resolve interface conflicts, clearance issues, and assembly sequence problems on the production floor.
• Lead integration readiness reviews and ensure cleanliness, FOD sweeps, torque records, pin-to-pin checks, and other pre-integration checkpoints are completed and documented.
• Drive root cause analysis and RCCA for integration non-conformances, disposition MRBs, track integration metrics, improve cadence, and define tooling and lifting equipment requirements.

Requirements

• B.S. in Mechanical or Systems Engineering, or a related discipline, with equivalent professional experience considered.
• Typically 6–10+ years of professional experience, including 6+ years in vehicle or system-level integration or final assembly within aerospace, defense, robotics, or a similar industry.
• Strong understanding of mechanical, electrical, and fluid subsystem interfaces within vehicle assembly.
• Experience developing and executing complex assembly or integration procedures.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and make sound real-time decisions on the production floor.
• Exceptional communication and coordination skills across multidisciplinary teams.
• Physical ability to regularly lift 25 lbs., bend, stoop, and stand for extended periods while working directly with flight hardware.

Nice to have

• M.S. in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, specializing in Embedded Systems, Mechatronics, Control Theory, or a similar discipline; equivalent professional experience is considered.
• Experience as a lead integration engineer or integration manufacturing engineer on a launch vehicle, satellite, or spacecraft program.
• Familiarity with integration and test flows for complex aerospace vehicles, including functional testing at each integration milestone.
• Experience integrating flight hardware from multiple subsystem suppliers or internal teams into a single vehicle.
• Experience with configuration management and build record documentation in a regulated aerospace environment.
• Knowledge of cleanliness and contamination control for propulsion, optical, or precision mechanism integration.
• Hands-on experience with cranes, slings, rotation fixtures, and precision alignment tooling.
• Experience in manufacturing environments scaling from unit builds to concurrent multi-vehicle production.
• Experience conducting integration readiness reviews, pre-mate inspections, and post-integration functional checkouts.

Culture & Benefits

• On-site work at a production facility where spacecraft, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested.
• Eligibility for stock options and/or long-term cash awards.
• Employment requires lawful authorization to work in the United States and access to export-controlled technology as a U.S. person.
• Employment eligibility is verified through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program.
• Inclusive workplace with evaluation based on merit, qualifications, and performance.