Mechanical Engineering Development Program (3 Months - Path to Hire) at Space Kinetic Corp.

El Segundo, CaliforniaFull-timeDevelopment Programs - Fall 2026Posted 4 months ago

About the Role

A New Paradigm For Space Operations. <div>Who We Are: </div> <div> Space Kinetic is a dual use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations – one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible, attritable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo,  we are focused on creating something entirely different – an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on.  Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures – where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small # of) primary payloads attached to the bus -- and unlock a ‘one-to-many’ system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster. <div>This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space</div> </div> <div> Our Development Program: This is a full-time, onsite program for three months at our headquarters in El Segundo, California. Our Development Program is a pathway to a career at Space Kinetic. We hire recent graduates who are eager to solve cutting edge technical problems and contribute to high consequence dual use space missions. Interns become part of our core technical, operations, and business teams, work on mission-critical projects, and are evaluated for long-term career opportunities based on performance, initiative, collaboration, and ownership. Outstanding interns may receive a full-time employment offer before or upon completion of the program. Qualified participants relocating for the program may be eligible for a housing stipend, and applications are accepted year-round based on hiring needs. Over the three-month program you are paired with a mentor, assigned one to three meaningful projects, and provide monthly progress updates to the Leadership team. </div> What You’ll Do:  As a Mechanical Engineering team member, you will work with the Space Kinetic manufacturing and engineering team to finalize the current prototype's CAD design. This role involves enhancing the design through precise tolerancing across all prototype development stages, finalizing mechanism designs, and delivering detailed CAD drawings for manufacturing. You will collaborate with vendors to source components, support finite element analysis (FEA) simulations for the system, and create models for both the current prototype and the full-scale system.  What It Takes:  <ul> <li>A Graduate of a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Engineering or a related degree at an accredited college or university</li> <li>Passion for design, manufacturing and testing of space systems and/or mechanisms </li> <li>Experience in solid modeling, drawing release of structures, actuator mechanisms </li> <li>Experience with CAD software (SolidWorks) </li> <li>Ability to maintain or obtain Government Security Clearance. </li> </ul>  What We’d Love:  <ul> <li>Master's degree or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field. Compensation will be commensurate with experience, education, and demonstrated technical depth.</li> <li>Experience with Mechanical FEA tools</li> <li>Curiosity for testing in-space operations </li> <li>Passion for the commercial and government space industry. </li> <li>Passion for spacecraft or launch vehicle system development. </li> <li>Experience with CNC Machining and / or Additive Manufacturing</li> </ul> Where You’ll Be:  <ul> <li data-leveltext="●" data-font="Noto Sans Symbols" data-listid="6" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Noto Sans Symbols","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"●","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">The position is onsite at our headquarters in El Segundo, CA.</li> </ul> Compensation:  This position is paid hourly based on the candidate’s highest completed degree at the time of hire: <ul data-start="248" data-end="345"> <li data-section-id="883g34" data-start="248" data-end="285">Bachelor’s degree: $30 per hour</li> <li data-section-id="pjv2hh" data-start="286" data-end="321">Master’s degree: $35 per hour</li> <li data-section-id="13ycwff" data-start="322" data-end="345">PhD: $42 per hour</li> </ul> ITAR Requirements:   To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR <a href="https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/ddtc_public/ddtc_public?id=ddtc_kb_article_page&sys_id=24d528fddbfc930044f9ff621f961987">here</a>  Equal Employment Opportunity:  Space Kinetic provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. <div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="description">The annual base salary for this role is below. Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data.  Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education/experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity.  </div><div class="title">Pay Range</div><div class="pay-range">$30—$42 USD</div></div></div>

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