Sr. Paraglider & Parachute 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
The Sr. Paraglider & Parachute Engineer will own the final, critical phase of the Outpost mission: the landing. While our deployable heat shield handles the hypersonic deceleration, it is the guided paraglider system that enables us to land payloads with "pinpoint" accuracy rather than just splashing down in the ocean or crashing in the desert. You will lead the design, development, and testing of high-performance paraglider & parachute systems. You will work at the intersection of soft-goods engineering, aerodynamics, and GNC, ensuring that our recovery system can deploy reliably at altitude and navigate to a precise landing zone.
Responsibilities
- Recovery System Architect: Lead the design and development of the parachute & paraglider recovery system, including canopy sizing, reefing strategies, and riser geometry.
- Textile & Manufacturing: Develop fabrication processes for complex soft goods. You will own material selection (ripstop nylon, Kevlar, Dyneema), patterning, and integration of hardware (steering lines, toggles, releases).
- Deployment Sequence: Design the deployment sequence for transitioning from the heatshield configuration, to drogue parachute flight, and on to stable paraglider flight, ensuring no entanglement during the critical handover.
- Flight Test Lead: Plan and execute flight tests (dropped from crane, aircraft, and balloon platforms) to validate opening characteristics and flight performance.
- GNC Integration: Collaborate closely with the Avionics and GNC teams to characterize the aerodynamic model of the paraglider, ensuring the autopilot can effectively steer the vehicle to the landing site.
- Hands-on Fabrication: Be willing to "cut cloth" and work with riggers and sewing technicians to prototype designs rapidly.
- Reliability: Own the reliability analysis for the recovery system, ensuring we meet the stringent safety requirements for returning critical payloads
Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
- 10 years of experience minimum (15+ years preferred) in the design and manufacturing of paragliders, parachutes, or parafoils
- Deep knowledge of soft-goods: Expertise in textile behaviors, patterning software (e.g., SpaceCAD, Lectra, specialized CAD modules), and construction techniques for flight-critical fabrics.
- Flight Test Heritage: Experience planning and conducting flight tests, including instrumentation, ground support, and data analysis.
- Mechanism Experience: Familiarity with reefing line cutters, pyrotechnic releases, and multi-stage deployment mechanisms.
- Aerodynamics: Strong understanding of low-speed aerodynamics, glide ratios, flare characteristics, and dynamic stability of flexible wings.
- Team Player: Ability to communicate complex aerodynamic behaviors to software engineers and structural engineers to ensure the whole vehicle works as a system.
Preferred Experience
- Active U.S. Government Security Clearance (Not required, but beneficial)
- Experience with precision guided aerial delivery systems (JPADS) or similar autonomous cargo delivery platforms.
- Experience with FAA coordination for flight testing in controlled and uncontrolled airspace.
- US military veterans, especially those with prior service as paratrooper or working closely with cargo aircraft
- Background in skydiving, paragliding, or rigging (FAA Master Rigger certification is a plus).
- Experience simulating fluid structure interaction & deformed shape analysis (LS-DYNA or similar).
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive compensation: $160,000 - $210,000; (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!
