--- title: 'Senior Mechanical Engineer, Interceptor at GITAI' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-mechanical-engineer-interceptor-gitai-los-angeles-california-617jvnccwcq8' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-09' --- # Senior Mechanical Engineer, Interceptor at GITAI - **Company:** GITAI - **Location:** Los Angeles California, United States - **Compensation:** $155k–$200k - **Posted:** 2026-08-06 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-09 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/gitai/jobs/5382176008 ## Job description ## Who We Are GITAI is a vertically integrated space and defense company building the next generation of hardware for low-Earth-orbit missions. At our core is the space robotics technology that has defined GITAI from the beginning. A small, highly capable engineering team applies that foundation across satellite buses, in-orbit servicing robotics, and mission hardware for applications such as Earth observation. Today, a major focus of our work is supporting U.S. national security missions, particularly through proliferated LEO satellite constellations and other next-generation space systems. We design, build, integrate, and test much of our hardware in-house. Electrical, mechanical, software, manufacturing, integration, and test teams work closely together, allowing a small team to own complete systems rather than isolated components. This vertical integration helps us move quickly, learn directly from hardware, and shorten the path from architecture to a working system. We are still early. The systems, the company, and the market are all being built at the same time. Requirements change, technical problems are often ambiguous, and many answers do not yet exist. We are looking for exceptional engineers and operators who want broad ownership, can work across disciplines, and are willing to stay close to the hardware until the mission succeeds. ## Your Mission Lead the mechanical development of interceptor hardware from early architecture through prototype manufacturing, integration, field testing, and redesign. You will own complex mechanical systems across vehicle structures, propulsion interfaces, avionics packaging, internal mechanisms, test hardware, and ground-support equipment. You will make critical design decisions, resolve cross-functional problems, and help the broader engineering team move faster through strong technical judgment and direct hands-on execution. This is a senior individual-contributor role. You do not need to be a people manager, but you will be expected to provide technical direction, review the work of other engineers, raise the quality of mechanical design, and step into difficult hardware problems when the team is blocked. This is not an analysis-heavy or propulsion-performance position. You will perform and review the calculations needed to support sound decisions, but the work remains grounded in hardware. Designs must be manufacturable, assemble correctly, survive their expected environment, and be ready for the next test. ## What You’ll Drive - Own the mechanical architecture and detailed design of interceptor hardware, including primary and secondary structures, motor mounts and interfaces, avionics packaging, internal mechanisms, enclosures, test fixtures, and ground-support equipment. - Translate incomplete system requirements, expected loads, environmental conditions, packaging constraints, and subsystem interfaces into practical mechanical designs and clear technical decisions. - Lead hardware through the full development cycle, including CAD, drawings, design reviews, supplier coordination, fabrication, inspection, assembly, integration, testing, failure investigation, and redesign. - Provide technical direction and design review to junior and mid-level engineers, improving design quality, manufacturability, documentation, and engineering judgment across the team. - Work directly with machinists, technicians, suppliers, and engineers to resolve difficult manufacturing, assembly, and integration issues without relying on organizational handoffs. - Plan and execute structural, environmental, propulsion-related, and vehicle-level tests, including test readiness, field operations, inspection, troubleshooting, repair, and rapid preparation for follow-on testing. - Lead failure investigations, identify root causes, and drive corrective actions through analysis, physical evidence, design changes, and validation testing. - Make and communicate clear tradeoffs among mass, strength, stiffness, reliability, manufacturability, cost, schedule, and test risk. - Establish lightweight technical standards and working methods that improve execution without slowing the pace of development. - Adapt quickly as program priorities, designs, schedules, suppliers, and test plans change in an early-stage startup environment. ## What We’re Looking For - Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field. - At least five years of professional experience in rocketry, missiles, launch vehicles, propulsion, or a closely related aerospace field. - Demonstrated ownership of rocket or missile hardware from design through manufacturing, assembly, and test. - Strong mechanical design capability, including 3D CAD, production drawings, GD&T, tolerance analysis, material selection, fastening methods, and design for manufacturing and assembly. - Strong practical understanding of structural mechanics, load paths, vibration, shock, thermal effects, and the calculations required to support and review mechanical designs. - Experience leading complex hardware development or serving as a technical lead, including reviewing designs and guiding less-experienced engineers. - Experience working directly with machinists, technicians, fabrication suppliers, and test teams to solve real hardware problems. - Ability to investigate failures, make sound decisions with incomplete data, and rapidly convert findings into improved hardware. - Working knowledge of rocket or missile propulsion systems and the mechanical, thermal, and operational constraints they impose on the vehicle. - Ability to remain effective as priorities, requirements, and schedules change quickly. - Willingness and ability to spend approximately 50% of your time at remote test sites under demanding field conditions. - U.S. citizenship is required due to the nature of GITAI’s work with U.S. government customers and programs. This role may require eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance. Location & Position Type - Torrance, CA / Full-time - This is a full-time onsite role based at GITAI’s office in Torrance, CA. This position requires working onsite five days per week. Remote or hybrid work is not expected for this role. - This position is expected to spend approximately 50% of its time traveling to or working at test sites, primarily in the Mojave Desert and other locations outside the Los Angeles area. - Field assignments may involve multi-day stays, early departures, long test days, changing schedules, outdoor work, dust, heat, cold, and occasional evening or weekend work. ## Compensation The annual base salary range for this position is expected to be $155,000 to $200,000. Actual compensation and final level will be determined based on relevant experience, demonstrated mechanical-design capability, hands-on manufacturing and test experience, and other job-related factors. This position is also eligible for stock options and company benefits. ## 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 GITAI does not accept unsolicited resumes from staffing or recruiting agencies. We work only with recruiting partners that have been specifically engaged by GITAI. No fees will be paid for resumes submitted without a prior agreement. Compensation may include base salary or hourly pay and, depending on the position, equity. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, skillset, and other job-related factors. LA salary range $155,000—$200,000 USD Important Notice - Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. - To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), GITAI Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable. - GITAI USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment with GITAI USA is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status. ## About GITAI ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: GITAI is a space robotics startup developing robotic systems to provide safe and affordable labor for satellite servicing, lunar base construction, and other in-space operations. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series B – V; total funding $129M) - **Headquarters**: Torrance, California, United States (moved from Tokyo in October 2023) - **Founded**: July 2016 - **Founders**: Sho Nakanose (CEO), Yuto Nakanishi (CRO/Chief Robotics Officer), Toyotaka Kozuki (CTO) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Space robotics, defense and space manufacturing, lunar and orbital infrastructure - **Target customers**: Government space agencies (NASA, JAXA, U.S. Space Force, Missile Defense Agency), commercial satellite operators, and lunar/mars development programs (B2G, B2B) - **Mission**: To provide a safe and affordable means of labor in space, reducing operational costs by 100x and enabling humanity’s expansion beyond Earth ## Products & Services - **S2 Dual Robotic Arm System**: A 1.5-meter-long autonomous robotic arm successfully demonstrated on the International Space Station (ISS) for both internal and external operations. [gitai.tech](https://gitai.tech/vision/) - **Inchworm Robot**: A versatile robot designed for locomotion and manipulation in space environments. [gitai.tech](https://gitai.tech/) - **Lunar Rover**: Robotic platform for lunar surface construction, mining, and habitat preparation. [gitai.tech](https://gitai.tech/) - **Satellite Components & Platforms**: 16U satellite bus and robotic subsystems for on-orbit servicing and assembly. [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/gitai) - **On-Orbit Services**: Robotic maintenance, refueling, and inspection for satellites and space stations. [gitai.tech](https://gitai.tech/) ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed - **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue $2.5M (LinkedIn estimate); Total Funding $129.1M across 10 rounds - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Global Brain (lead Series B), SPARX Innovation for the Future, JIC Venture Growth Investments, Daiwa Corporate Investment, The Dai-ichi Life Insurance, EPSON X Investment, Skyland Ventures, Toyota Motor Corporation (joint R&D), JAXA, NASA (SBIR Phase I), DARPA (LunA-10), U.S. Space Force, Missile Defense Agency (SHIELD IDIQ) - **Growth Signals**: - Relocated HQ to a facility 4x larger in Torrance (June 2024) - Established GITAI Defense and Space LLC (April 2025) to expand U.S. government contracting - Achieved AS9100 certification (May 2024) - Selected for NASA SBIR Phase I (June 2024) - Won DARPA LunA-10 project for lunar robotics (March 2025) - Completed space demonstration of in-house 16U satellite (January 2025) - Headcount grew 1.7% YoY to 32 employees ## Competitive Advantages - **Proven in-space technology**: Only a handful of companies have demonstrated autonomous robotic arms outside the ISS; GITAI’s S2 completed a fully successful demonstration. - **Deep government relationships**: Contracts with NASA, JAXA, DARPA, U.S. Space Force, and Missile Defense Agency provide credibility and recurring revenue. - **Founding team pedigree**: CEO Sho Nakanose previously founded SCHAFT (bipedal robot startup acquired by Google); CRO Yuto Nakanishi and CTO Toyotaka Kozuki hold PhDs from University of Tokyo’s JSK Lab. - **Vertically integrated hardware**: Develops both robotic systems and satellite platforms, controlling the full stack. ## Strategic Focus - **Government and defense contracting**: The new subsidiary (GITAI Defense and Space LLC) targets U.S. military and intelligence programs. - **Lunar infrastructure**: Preparing flight models for lunar manipulator and rover under JAXA and NASA contracts. - **Scaling manufacturing**: AS9100 certification and new larger HQ signal readiness for production. - **International expansion**: Dual presence in the U.S. and Japan allows access to both markets. ## Why Work Here - **Mission-driven culture**: Employees contribute directly to building the robotic workforce for lunar and Martian settlements. - **Elite team**: Work alongside researchers from the University of Tokyo and former leaders from Google, NASA JPL, and successful startups. - **Hands-on impact**: With only 32 employees, engineers have broad ownership from concept to flight hardware. - **Diverse projects**: Work spans early concept development, lab prototypes, and operational robots on the ISS. - **Office/hybrid policy**: Not explicitly stated; HQ in Torrance, CA with offices in Japan. Likely requires on-site for hardware development. - **Employee ratings**: 3.1/5.0 on LinkedIn (9 reviews) – compensation rated highest (3.9), work-life balance lower (2.7). ## Sources 1. [gitai.tech](https://gitai.tech/) 2. [gitai.tech/careers](https://gitai.tech/careers/) 3. [gitai.tech/vision](https://gitai.tech/vision/) 4. [linkedin.com/company/gitai](https://www.linkedin.com/company/gitai) 5. [cbinsights.com/company/gitai](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/gitai) ## Other roles at GITAI - [Senior Talent Acquisition Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-talent-acquisition-manager-gitai-los-angeles-california-177xagzj3nh1) — Los Angeles California, United States - [Senior Propulsion Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-propulsion-engineer-gitai-los-angeles-california-226v9qhr7k2j) — Los Angeles California, United States - [Electrical Engineer, Early Career](https://feeny.ai/job/electrical-engineer-early-career-gitai-los-angeles-california-y8ey855c9vdc) — Los Angeles California, United States - [Head of Facilities](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-facilities-gitai-los-angeles-california-p1803av0zf91) — Los Angeles California, United States - [Senior Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-mechanical-engineer-gitai-los-angeles-california-sd0j74eb0yyj) — Los Angeles California, United States - [Technical Recruiting Intern (Open to Engineers Transitioning into Recruiting)](https://feeny.ai/job/technical-recruiting-intern-open-to-engineers-transitioning-into-recruiting-kcd8nqzacmxn) — Los Angeles California, United States - [Senior Electrical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-electrical-engineer-gitai-los-angeles-california-zk3xf0ns6d99) — Los Angeles California, United States - [Mechanical Engineer, Interceptor](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-interceptor-gitai-los-angeles-california-ypw4t05an29f) — Los Angeles California, United States - [Mechanical Engineering Intern / Co-op, Rocket Motors - Winter/Spring 2027](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineering-intern-co-op-rocket-motors-winter-spring-2027-gitai-los-96ng3sfyk17j) — Los Angeles California, United States - [Electromechanical Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/electromechanical-technician-gitai-los-angeles-california-d2b9zm6z681d) — Los Angeles California, United States