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Lead Mechanical Engineer, Structures at Astrolab
Astrolab is hiring a Lead Mechanical Engineer, Structures in Hawthorne, CA, US. On-site. Pay: USD 150k-169k/yr.
About Astrolab
Astrolab designs and deploys planetary surface mobility and infrastructure to support human and commercial operations on the Moon and Mars. Its rover platform, FLEX, is a large, versatile rover for surface logistics. The company has built and tested full-scale rover systems and plans lunar missions, including FLIP in 2026 carrying NASA and commercial payloads, and CLV-1 in 2028 under NASA's Artemis program.
Lead Mechanical Engineer, Structures job description
Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) is pioneering new ways to explore and operate on distant planetary bodies. We are singularly focused on designing, building, and operating a fleet of multi-purpose commercial planetary rovers to extend and enhance humanity’s presence in the solar system. We are seeking motivated, creative, and exceptional people to join our world-class team.
As a Lead Structures Engineer, you and your team will design, develop, test, and operate planetary rovers and related hardware. You will be responsible for producing high-performance designs for challenging environments, with cradle-to-grave accountability. You will have the opportunity to develop and mentor other engineers while working on novel, complex mechanical systems.
As a Lead Structures Engineer, you and your team will design, develop, test, and operate planetary rovers and related hardware. You will be responsible for producing high-performance designs for challenging environments, with cradle-to-grave accountability. You will have the opportunity to develop and mentor other engineers while working on novel, complex mechanical systems.
What you'll do:
- Work with leadership and design counterparts to define Astrolab best practices for structures design, analysis, and test
- Design mechanical and thermal platforms at the architectural level
- Build tools and infrastructure to make your team and the company more efficient
- Set team priorities and manage progress through various program phases
- Develop and train structures engineers
What you'll bring:
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) related field
- 5+ years of experience in a design role at an aerospace company
- Experience with structural design principles, finite element analysis methods, structural test design
- Experience developing hardware to meet space industry design standards and best practices
- Experience leading a team through a design program start-to-finish
- Experience mentoring and developing more junior engineers, contractors, and interns to build an effective design team
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master’s or PhD degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) related field
- Experience operating to meet schedule targets in a fast-paced environment
- Experience with NASA technical standards for design, analysis, and test
- Experience with structural dynamics analysis and test methods
- Experience with thermal analysis methods and tools
Benefits and Perks
- Join a team of best-in-class engineers building the foundation of planetary surface exploration
- Equity ownership in the company
- Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and mental health support
- 401(k) plan with company match
- Flexible PTO and parental leave
- Home office set up reimbursement
- Weekly lunch stipend, plus complimentary snacks and beverages on-site
- Once a month social hour on-site with food and drinks
Apply now
Applications go straight to Astrolab. We never sit between you and the employer.
Apply now ↗

