Geotechnical Engineer, Lunar Infrastructure

Interlune•Houston, TX

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Interlune is a Seattle-based space infrastructure and natural resources company building the industrial backbone of the space economy. The Geotechnical Engineer will join its engineering team to develop lunar surface technology needed to build and sustain off-world infrastructure. This person will own the geotechnical evaluation of regolith mechanics, soil-tool interactions, and lunar site preparation, helping ensure hardware operates effectively on the Moon. The role works across geological sciences, mechanical engineering, automation, systems engineering, modeling and simulation, and advanced fabrication on a small, early-stage team where adaptability and willingness to take on multiple roles are important. The position is full-time at Interlune’s Research Lab in Houston, Texas. Candidates in Seattle, Washington, will be considered, with a strong preference for Houston-based candidates. Applicants from all industries are welcome, especially those with complex, multidisciplinary system-development experience. Aerospace, oil and gas, construction, and mining experience are valuable but not required. Applicants must meet U.S. Government export-control eligibility requirements: be a U.S. citizen or national, a U.S. permanent resident, or lawfully admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum. Interlune is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages candidates who do not meet every listed requirement to apply and describe relevant substitute experience. Compensation targets are $125,000–$195,000 for Level 3 and $150,000–$250,000 for Level 4. The level and base salary will depend on the candidate’s experience and skill. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage; basic and supplemental life insurance; short- and long-term disability; other benefits; and flexible PTO with paid company holidays.

Requirements

B.S. in Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Geological Engineering, or a related technical subject area.
At least 5 years of experience in geotechnical design, soil mechanics, or terrestrial mining or construction technology.
Direct experience planning and executing geotechnical laboratory or field testing programs.
Familiarity with earthmoving, excavation, or foundation design principles and their practical implementation.
Ability to work effectively with minimal direction, with strong attention to detail and aspiration for technical excellence, and a demonstrated record of resourcefulness and success.
Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident, or lawfully admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, to conform to U.S. Government export regulations.

Nice To Haves

M.S. or Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, or a related technical subject area.
Knowledge or prior research in lunar regolith properties, extraterrestrial soil mechanics, or granular physics.
Proficiency with computational modeling software for granular materials and soil mechanics, such as Discrete Element Method/EDEM, Plaxis, FLAC, or similar.
Experience designing hardware or infrastructure intended to operate in extreme environments or high-vacuum systems.
Experience in aerospace, oil and gas, construction, or mining industries; such experience is valuable but not required.
Experience in complex, multidisciplinary system development.

Responsibilities

Integrate geotechnical insights with mechanical and systems engineering to deliver complete, functional hardware, bridging the gap between design intent and working products.
Evaluate and characterize lunar regolith mechanics to support the design of complex hardware that interacts with lunar regolith and surface infrastructure.
Apply geotechnical engineering principles to engineered lunar surfaces, anchoring systems, and surface stabilization techniques for lunar conditions, including low gravity, hard vacuum, and extreme temperatures.
Conduct engineering analyses using hand calculations, computational modeling such as DEM and FEA, and first-principles reasoning to validate soil-structure interactions and slope stability.
Lead the design and execution of terrestrial testing programs using lunar regolith simulants, including collaboration with planetary scientists on high-fidelity simulant development, to evaluate excavation forces, compaction behavior, and material flow.
Lead and participate in component-, subsystem-, and system-level design reviews, communicating technical decisions clearly to a multidisciplinary team.