Mechanical Engineer
Location: Playa Vista, California (in-person, five days per week)
The return lane isn’t going to build itself. Come build it with us.
Outpost is an orbital logistics company rewriting the rules of global logistics by building reusable Earth-return vehicles that unlock in-space manufacturing, on-orbit warehousing, and 60-minute global delivery through space.
Our CarryAll vehicle family returns payloads ranging from 200 kilograms to 10 metric tons, lands within 10 meters of its target, and can then be refurbished and launched again. One vehicle, many missions: responsive logistics and precision delivery for national security; commercial cargo moved with real cadence; R&D payloads flown, tested, and refined across repeatable cycles; and critical aid delivered where roads and runways can’t reach.
The demand is already here, validated through defense and civil agreements and supported by a growing pipeline of government and commercial customers.
We have the customers, the team, and a clear technical path ahead of us. We’re building the return lane. Come build it with us.
The Role
Outpost's vehicles are unlike anything in the market, reusable, fabric-shielded, paraglider-guided Earth-return spacecraft. We're looking for a Mechanical Engineer who will own the design and delivery of flight and ground hardware for our Atmospheric Entry (ATMO) subsystem, the hardware that keeps customer payloads safe from launch through landing.
This role spans the full engineering lifecycle, design, analysis, drawing release, build support, and test. You'll work alongside an integrated team and have meaningful ownership of your hardware from day one.
What You’ll Do
- Design and develop mechanical systems for atmospheric recovery, including deployable structures, aerodynamic decelerators, recovery mechanisms, airframe interfaces, and precision landing hardware from requirements through release, build support, and qualification.
- Develop CDR-level design packages: CAD, drawings, specifications, analysis, and test plans.
- Define and manage hardware requirements, interface with mission operations and payload customers.
- Perform or coordinate structural and thermal analysis to verify hardware margins.
- Write and execute qualification and acceptance test procedures, support environmental test campaigns.
- Participate in peer reviews and formal milestone reviews (CDR, TRR, etc.).
- Drive design reviews (PDR/CDR) and prepare clear documentation, drawings, BOMs, and work instructions.
- Perform other duties as required.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Systems Engineering.
- 5-10 years designing flight hardware structures and mechanisms.
- Experience taking hardware from concept to production and/or flight.
- Strong proficiency in CAD (SolidWorks, NX, or similar) and mechanical analysis tools (structural/thermal in Ansys - Solidworks).
- Experience designing structures, mechanisms, deployables, or aerodynamic structures (parachutes/paragliders, flaps, linkages, hinges, etc.).
- Understanding of load path, interfaces, and environmental requirements for high-energy flight environments.
- Experience executing rapid, hands-on prototypes to support fast design–build–test cycles.
- Excellent documentation, communication, and technical writing skills.
- Understanding of spacecraft environmental requirements (launch loads, shock, vibration, thermal).
- Write and read engineering requirements and interface control documents.
- Strong cross-functional communication - you'll work daily with systems, integration, and test engineers.
Preferred Experience
- Experience taking hardware through at least one formal design review (PDR or CDR); exposure to qualification testing strongly preferred.
- Experience with reentry systems, atmospheric flight vehicles, TPS interfaces, or parachute/paraglider systems.
- Background integrating soft goods with rigid structures.
- Experience in hypersonic, supersonic, or high-aero-load environments.
- Field test experience (drop tests, flight tests, parachute deployments, etc.).
- Familiarity with DOF-limited mechanisms and precision actuation in harsh environments.
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive compensation: $125,000 – $160,000; (commensurate with experience).
- Additional Compensation: Annual performance-based bonuses that reward your impact.
- Shared upside: Meaningful equity in Outpost so you share directly in the value you help create.
- Comprehensive healthcare: Medical, dental, and vision coverage to keep you and your loved ones covered. We cover the base tier of medical insurance and all premiums of vision and dental.
- Protection when it matters: Company-provided short- and long-term disability coverage for peace of mind, plus life insurance for even more security.
- PTO: Recharge on your own terms with paid time off, plus 9 days of paid holidays.
- Invest in your future: 401(k) with company match to help you build long-term wealth.
- Fueled for the mission: Daily DoorDash lunch stipend, plus unlimited snacks, coffee, and tea to keep you energized.
- Mission that matters: Work shoulder-to-shoulder with leaders from aerospace, new space, and deep-tech industries building the future of orbital infrastructure.
- Pet Friendly Office: Bring your furry friend into the office so that they can be a part of our mission too.
- Monthly Company Happy Hours and Events: Drinks at the local bar, hibachi nights, mini golfing and more!
You must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 ,or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
