---
title: 'Mechanical Design Engineer II at Astro Mechanica'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-design-engineer-ii-astro-mechanica-san-francisco-hzj3qpxx1v6m'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-31'
---

# Mechanical Design Engineer II at Astro Mechanica

- **Company:** Astro Mechanica
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA
- **Compensation:** $140k–$170k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Posted:** 2026-10-21
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-31
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/astro-mechanica/4c28e32c-90b7-4650-b1f4-2743d9ed8826

## Job description

## ABOUT US:

Astro Mechanica is a vertically integrated aerospace company developing a scalable technology platform to power critical infrastructure, mission operations, and the future of flight. We apply aerospace engineering and quality standards across our products, delivering high performance, reliability, and efficiency for the most demanding operating environments. Astro Mechanica is backed by leading venture and strategic investors, including Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Giant Step Capital, United Airlines Ventures, and Voyager Ventures.

## WHO WE ARE:

We're a team of hardcore engineers who live and breathe aerospace. We’re generalists who each have subject matter expertise and operate in a flat organizational structure. We move fast and build world-changing technology in a pragmatic and competent workplace culture.

## WHO YOU ARE:

You’re a mechanical design engineer who takes full ownership of hardware from concept to production, and you understand how your designs affect the systems around them. You solve technical problems from first principles, and you’d rather build and test than theorize. You might come from aerospace, automotive, motorsport, robotics, energy, industrial machinery, or another field where hardware has to perform under real loads, temperatures, and pressures. Prior propulsion experience is a plus but not required. We’ll teach you the engine; we’re hiring for design judgment and hands-on rigor. At Astro Mechanica, you’ll design hardware for Duality™, our jet engine built to be efficient from takeoff through supersonic flight. You’ll carry your designs from early prototype through flight qualification, vehicle integration, and aircraft flight, and you’ll embody the test-like-you-fly philosophy along the way.

## WHAT YOU’LL DO:

- Own the mechanical design of engine components and subsystems, from trade studies through detailed design and release
- Weigh system-level impacts in your design trades, working closely with the propulsion, aircraft, and test teams
- Complete detailed design and support structural, thermal, and fluid analyses
- Present design reviews and use feedback from stakeholders to strengthen your designs
- Assemble prototypes firsthand, design supporting tooling, and write work instructions
- Test hardware and analyze the data to verify requirements and performance
- Diagnose hardware problems quickly and drive corrective actions

## WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

- 3+ years of hands-on mechanical design experience, taking hardware from concept through build and test
- Proficiency in solid, surface, and sheet metal CAD modeling in a major CAD package (Siemens NX preferred; we’ll support your transition from CATIA, Creo, or SolidWorks)
- Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes, including machining, additive, and sheet metal, along with precision measurement and GD&T
- A working understanding of structural analysis, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics
- A track record of designing parts that got built, tested, and improved based on what the tests showed
- Comfort in a fast-paced environment where priorities change as test results come in
- High standards for detail and quality in your work

## NICE TO HAVE:

- Experience with propulsion systems, such as gas turbines, rocket engines, or other turbomachinery
- Experience with high-temperature, high-speed rotating, or pressurized hardware
- Familiarity with data acquisition and instrumentation
- Exposure to electromechanical systems or power electronics integration
- Experience with flight hardware or qualification testing

## PERKS AND BENEFITS:

- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, including Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- 401(k) program and transparent stock option plan
- Self-managed and flexible time-off policy, including PTO, paid holidays, and sick time
- Flexible work environment
- Company-funded perks, including weekly team lunches and Astro Mechanica swag

## ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

At Astro Mechanica, we highly value in-office work to foster collaboration and strengthen our company culture. We consider working in the office five days a week an essential part of the employee's role. Astro Mechanica is an equal opportunity employer. We proudly recruit and hire a diverse workforce and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

## About Astro Mechanica

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Astro Mechanica is building the world’s first turboelectric adaptive jet engine (Duality) that achieves high efficiency across both subsonic and supersonic speeds, aiming to democratize high-speed flight.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Venture-backed; latest round: Series A-II / Venture Round in September 2025)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2021
- **Founders**: Ian Brooke (CEO & Founder)

## Core Business
- **Primary industries**: Aerospace, aviation propulsion, defense systems
- **Target customers**: US government (military and defense applications), commercial aviation (long-term), cargo/logistics
- **Mission/purpose**: “Democratize high-speed flight by making supersonic travel flexible, accessible, and sustainable” – developing rapid, on-demand, point-to-point global mobility.

## Products & Services
- **Duality™ Propulsion System**: A proprietary dual-use turboelectric adaptive jet engine designed to be efficient at all speeds from subsonic to supersonic. Currently in development and expected to begin altitude testing in 2027 on a dedicated testbed aircraft.
- **Airframe & Flight Systems**: Vertically integrated design of airframes and flight control systems optimized for the Duality engine, with near-term focus on government contracts.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total funding raised – **$54.7 million** as of the latest venture round in September 2025 (LinkedIn data; earlier reports by CBInsights indicated $27.6 million, likely reflecting a prior round)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: United Airlines Ventures (lead investor in latest round), Andreessen Horowitz, Giant Step Capital, Y Combinator (seed)
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew **228.6% year-over-year** to ~35 employees; **36 active job postings** as of mid-2025; rapid hiring across engineering, manufacturing, and leadership roles; moving toward engine flight test in 2027.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Unique engine architecture**: The turboelectric adaptive design allows a single engine to operate efficiently from subsonic to supersonic regimes, removing the need for afterburners or separate engines.
- **Vertical integration**: In-house engine, airframe, and flight systems development enables tight optimization and rapid iteration.
- **Flat engineering culture**: Described as “generalists with specialist depth” and a flat structure that accelerates decision-making and innovation.

## Strategic Focus
- **Near-term**: Engine altitude testing (scheduled for 2027) and securing US government contracts for high-speed systems.
- **Long-term**: Develop a full aircraft platform and operational model for economically viable supersonic commercial travel.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Emphasis on engineering excellence, pragmatism, and moving fast. Flat hierarchy where “engineering speaks louder than hierarchy.”
- **Work policy**: Hybrid environment – most roles are based in San Francisco with a mix of in-office and remote collaboration. The majority of job listings specify “In-Office” at the HQ.
- **Notable perks**: Not explicitly listed, but the company offers equity (typical for startups) and the opportunity to work on groundbreaking aerospace technology from concept to flight.
- **Engineering focus**: Strong technical team with talent from SpaceX, Relativity Space, Boom Supersonic, Lockheed Martin, and Astra. Active hiring in propulsion, flight software, GNC, test engineering, and manufacturing.

## Sources
1. [astromecha.co](https://www.astromecha.co/)
2. [astromecha.co/careers](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/astro-mechanica)
3. [linkedin.com/company/astro-mechanica](https://www.linkedin.com/company/astro-mechanica)
4. [cbinsights.com/company/astro-mechanica](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/astro-mechanica)
5. [builtin.com/company/astro-mechanica](https://builtin.com/company/astro-mechanica)

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