Principal 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
The Principal Mechanical Engineer will serve as the technical authority for the primary and secondary structures of Outpost’s Carryall. This is a role for a veteran structural engineer who has expertise on full-scale flight vehicles whether launch vehicles, satellites, or re-entry capsules. Unlike traditional space vehicle roles where the structure simply needs to survive launch, you are designing for the round trip: launch vibration, the harsh vacuum of orbit, and the extreme thermal and mechanical loads of hypersonic re-entry and landing. You will own the structural architecture of the vehicle, moving rapidly from trade studies to detailed analysis, and finally to hands-on integration.
Responsibilities
- Lead the mechanical design of the entire vehicle structure, including primary structure, interfaces to the deployable heatshield, secondary structures, and payload bay
- Perform and sign off on detailed hand calculations and Finite Element Analysis (ANSYS/FEMAP/NASTRAN). You will be the final check on stiffness, buckling, and thermal expansion compatibility.
- Create and approve high-quality manufacturing drawings with appropriate geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (ASME Y14.5) to ensure parts fit the first time.
- "Get your hands dirty" leading the assembly of your designs. Own the structural test campaign (static load, random vibration, shock, and deployment testing) to qualify hardware for flight.
- Work directly with machine shops, composite vendors, and external partners to resolve fabrication conflicts and ensure on-time delivery of precision parts.
- Elevate the team's standard of engineering rigor. Mentor junior engineers in design best practices, analysis methods, and First Principles thinking.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Structural Engineering.
- 10+ years of experience in the design and analysis of complex aerospace structures and mechanisms.
- Proven track record working on space vehicles or rockets.
- Experience taking a primary structure from concept through PDR/CDR to flight.
- Expert-level skill in Siemens NX, SolidWorks, or similar parametric modeling software.
- Experience in structural analysis (FEA) and classical hand calculations. You must trust your hand calcs before you trust the solver.
- Working knowledge of aerospace materials (aluminum, titanium, Inconel, composites) and their behavior in extreme thermal environments.
- Experience in designing for manufacturing, CNC machining, sheet metal, welding, and composite layup.
Preferred Experience
- Active U.S. Government Security Clearance (Not required, but beneficial)
- Experience with deployable space structures and mechanisms (booms, solar arrays, antennas, or aerobrakes).
- Experience designing for high-heat environments or integrating with Thermal Protection Systems (TPS).
- Proficiency in scripting (Python/MATLAB) for design automation or data post-processing.
- Deep knowledge of aerospace standards (NASA-STD-5000 series, SMC-S-016) for structural margins and testing.
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive compensation: $225,000– $245,000; (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!