Mechanical Engineer

Gitai • Los Angeles, CA

12d • Onsite

About The Position

GITAI is a space robotics company working to reduce the cost of work in space by 100x. Our robots are designed for tasks such as assembly, inspection, maintenance, construction, and surface operations in environments where human labor is expensive, dangerous, or impractical. The Mechanical Engineer owns mechanical hardware from concept through test. This role spans GITAI’s robotic and space systems, including robotic arms, rovers, spacecraft structures, propulsion-related hardware, mechanisms, fixtures, and ground support equipment. You will perform practical design calculations, evaluate loads, stiffness, strength, tolerances, manufacturability, and assembly constraints, and turn those decisions into CAD models, drawings, prototypes, and hardware that can be built, tested, and improved. You will work close to the hardware, supporting fabrication, assembling prototypes, integrating systems, troubleshooting failures, and taking hardware to test sites. The expectation is simple: you do not just design parts. You own whether they work.

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

• Create detailed 3D CAD models, assemblies, drawings, and mechanical design packages that are practical to fabricate, assemble, inspect, test, and maintain.
• Work closely with electrical, software, propulsion, robotics, and systems engineers to define requirements, interfaces, load paths, packaging, assembly sequences, and test configurations.
• Move quickly from ambiguous requirements to workable mechanical concepts, then refine them into detailed designs ready for prototype fabrication or flight-like builds.
• Support vendor and in-house fabrication by reviewing manufacturability, resolving build issues, updating drawings, and maintaining clean mechanical documentation.
• Assemble, integrate, inspect, and maintain prototypes and early builds, and feed lessons from the shop floor and test floor back into the design.
• Plan and execute mechanical and system-level testing, including operational verification, reliability testing, quality checks, and failure investigation, and use results to drive design improvements.

Benefits

• Health Insurance – Platinum medical plan with 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees; 90% for dependents
• 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 – 12 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