Mechanical Engineer, Propulsion Systems

GITAI • Los Angeles, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Mechanical Engineer, Propulsion Systems owns the end-to-end development of assigned mechanical hardware for space and missile defense systems, including solid rocket motor components, DACS-related hardware, flight mechanisms, fixtures, and ground support equipment. This role is not limited to desk-based design. It spans concept design, CAD, drawings, prototyping, fabrication support, hands-on assembly, integration, verification testing, failure investigation, and early-stage manufacturing support. The engineer applies established design guidelines and best practices, then feeds lessons from real builds and tests back into GITAI’s mechanical design standards to accelerate development cycles.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• 1+ years of relevant experience designing, analyzing, and supporting the manufacturing of electro-mechanical systems or mechanisms. Internship, research, and extracurricular project experience counts.
• Proficiency with mechanical CAD.
• Experience creating mechanical drawings and maintaining drawing packages.
• Hands-on ability with mechanical assembly, integration, and testing.
• Must be able to safely lift and move items up to 40 pounds (with or without reasonable accommodation), including during assembly and test activities.
• Flexibility to work weekends as needed based on build and test schedules.
• Willingness to spend up to 50% of work time outside of Torrance at test sites (including Mojave and the greater Los Angeles area). Travel may increase for short periods during critical integration and test campaigns.
• Must be a U.S. citizen, as this role may require eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance in the future.

Responsibilities

• Design and iterate mechanical hardware for propulsion and missile defense systems, including solid rocket motor components, DACS-related hardware, flight mechanisms, fixtures, and ground support equipment, while also supporting broader robotic and spacecraft hardware development as needed.
• Work closely with propulsion, robotics, electrical, software, and systems engineers to define requirements, interfaces, load paths, assembly configurations, and test configurations that are practical to build, integrate, and verify.
• Support the mechanical design, build, assembly, integration, and maintenance of propulsion-related prototypes, robotic systems, and early flight-like builds, and feed lessons from fabrication, assembly, and test back into the design.
• Plan and execute mechanical and system-level testing for propulsion-related hardware and robotic systems, including operational verification, environmental/reliability testing, quality checks, and failure investigation, and use results to drive design improvements.
• Support vendor and in-house fabrication of flight and test hardware by creating mechanical drawings, reviewing manufacturability, resolving build issues, and maintaining drawing packages.

Benefits

• Health Insurance – Platinum medical plan with 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees; 90% for dependents
• Life & AD&D Insurance – Free $20,000 policy for all employees
• 401(k) Plan – Company match up to 3.5%, with traditional and Roth options
• Equity – Stock option eligibility depending on role
• Relocation Support – Available for qualifying positions
• Time Off – 11 paid holidays per year, 12 days of paid vacation per year, and paid sick leave (in accordance with applicable law)
• Office Perks – Free snacks and drinks, plus regular team events
• Mission-Driven Culture – Work alongside passionate teammates on real space hardware
• Cutting-Edge Work – Direct access to next-gen space robotics and flight hardware

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees