Principal Manufacturing Engineer (Payloads)

Location: On-site in El Segundo, California, United States

Salary: $181,913–$232,444 per year, plus potential 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 hardware built, integrated, and tested in-house.

What you will do

• Own end-to-end manufacturing and assembly processes for pharmaceutical processing hardware, experiment modules, and customer-furnished payload equipment.
• Develop work instructions, assembly travelers, process specifications, and acceptance test procedures.
• Translate payload customer requirements and ICD constraints into executable production and integration processes.
• Implement contamination control, cleanliness, and handling protocols for pharmaceutical-grade and precision optical hardware.
• Collaborate with design engineering on DFM/DFA, assembly accessibility, connector placement, thermal interfaces, and testability.
• Execute acceptance testing and pre-integration inspections, maintain traceable build records, and lead corrective actions for non-conformances.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• 6+ years of experience manufacturing or integrating complex electromechanical assemblies, scientific instruments, or payload systems.
• Experience building precision hardware to tight tolerances and exacting cleanliness requirements.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, ICDs, and assembly models; familiarity with GD&T and interface requirement management.
• Experience developing assembly procedures and acceptance test plans, with strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States and qualify as a U.S. person for access to export-controlled technology.

Nice to have

• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Fluid Mechanics, Biomedical Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience with spacecraft payloads, scientific instruments, hosted payloads, or microgravity experiment hardware.
• Knowledge of pharmaceutical or bioprocessing manufacturing, GMP considerations, and contamination control.
• Experience with environmental testing, including thermal vacuum, vibration, and shock testing.
• Experience working in an ISO Class 7 or better cleanroom environment.

Culture & Benefits

• Full-time employment with flexible PTO and 12 paid holidays.
• Company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance, with FSA and employer-matched HSA options.
• 12 weeks of parental leave, family-building benefits, and sponsored One Medical memberships.
• 401(k) plan with a 6% immediately vested employer match and incentive equity.
• Relocation support may be available for new hires.
• Daily lunch, twice-weekly dinner, wellness reimbursement, team events, and complimentary EV charging.