Astro Mechanica · San Francisco
Typical design pay at Astro Mechanica: $145K–$188K — median of 8 listed ranges.
Across all startups we track: $162K–$229K for design roles (579 listed ranges).
Astro Mechanica is a vertically integrated aerospace company developing a scalable technology platform to power critical infrastructure, mission operations, and the future of flight. We apply aerospace engineering and quality standards across our products, delivering high performance, reliability, and efficiency for the most demanding operating environments. Astro Mechanica is backed by leading venture and strategic investors, including Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Giant Step Capital, United Airlines Ventures, and Voyager Ventures.
We're a team of hardcore engineers who live and breathe aerospace. We’re generalists who each have subject matter expertise and operate in a flat organizational structure. We move fast and build world-changing technology in a pragmatic and competent workplace culture.
You’re a mechanical design engineer who takes full ownership of hardware from concept to production, and you understand how your designs affect the systems around them. You solve technical problems from first principles, and you’d rather build and test than theorize. You might come from aerospace, automotive, motorsport, robotics, energy, industrial machinery, or another field where hardware has to perform under real loads, temperatures, and pressures. Prior propulsion experience is a plus but not required. We’ll teach you the engine; we’re hiring for design judgment and hands-on rigor.
At Astro Mechanica, you’ll design hardware for Duality™, our jet engine built to be efficient from takeoff through supersonic flight. You’ll carry your designs from early prototype through flight qualification, vehicle integration, and aircraft flight, and you’ll embody the test-like-you-fly philosophy along the way.
Own the mechanical design of engine components and subsystems, from trade studies through detailed design and release
Weigh system-level impacts in your design trades, working closely with the propulsion, aircraft, and test teams
Complete detailed design and support structural, thermal, and fluid analyses
Present design reviews and use feedback from stakeholders to strengthen your designs
Assemble prototypes firsthand, design supporting tooling, and write work instructions
Test hardware and analyze the data to verify requirements and performance
Diagnose hardware problems quickly and drive corrective actions
3+ years of hands-on mechanical design experience, taking hardware from concept through build and test
Proficiency in solid, surface, and sheet metal CAD modeling in a major CAD package (Siemens NX preferred; we’ll support your transition from CATIA, Creo, or SolidWorks)
Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes, including machining, additive, and sheet metal, along with precision measurement and GD&T
A working understanding of structural analysis, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics
A track record of designing parts that got built, tested, and improved based on what the tests showed
Comfort in a fast-paced environment where priorities change as test results come in
High standards for detail and quality in your work
Experience with propulsion systems, such as gas turbines, rocket engines, or other turbomachinery
Experience with high-temperature, high-speed rotating, or pressurized hardware
Familiarity with data acquisition and instrumentation
Exposure to electromechanical systems or power electronics integration
Experience with flight hardware or qualification testing
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, including Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
401(k) program and transparent stock option plan
Self-managed and flexible time-off policy, including PTO, paid holidays, and sick time
Flexible work environment
Company-funded perks, including weekly team lunches and Astro Mechanica swag
At Astro Mechanica, we highly value in-office work to foster collaboration and strengthen our company culture. We consider working in the office five days a week an essential part of the employee's role.
Astro Mechanica is an equal opportunity employer. We proudly recruit and hire a diverse workforce and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
From Astro Mechanica's careers page. First seen Oct 21, 2026, last verified Oct 26, 2026.
Open roles: 36, flat over the last 1 days.