Senior Mechanical Engineer (Structures)

Location: Los Angeles (Hawthorne), CA

Employment Type: Full-time

Department: Starlight Solar

Travel: Occasional

Starpath develops and manufactures the technologies that will enable humans to live on the Moon and Mars. Today, we are building robotic systems that locally produce the essential commodities a lunar civilization will require at extreme scale: water, power, and oxygen. Our ultimate goal is to build and operate a self-sustaining city on Mars.

The Starlight team is focused on dramatically improving space solar power to support Starpath’s core mission and the broader space economy. Starlight manufactures the lowest-cost, highest-performance space solar power systems, which will power the majority of new satellites built on Earth and all of Starpath’s equipment on the Moon and Mars.

As a Senior Mechanical Engineer on the Structures team, you will own the structural architecture, design, analysis, and qualification of Starlight’s solar array hardware. You will serve as a technical authority for lightweight space structures, resolving complex design and integration challenges from early trade studies through flight qualification and production.

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, structural engineering, or a related discipline

6+ years of professional mechanical-design or structural-engineering experience

Demonstrated ownership of complex structural hardware from concept through qualification or production

Strong command of structural mechanics, load paths, joints, stress, stiffness, buckling, fatigue, and structural dynamics

Proficiency with 3D CAD, GD&T, tolerance analysis, and detailed engineering drawings

Advanced experience performing and reviewing structural analysis using hand calculations and FEA

Experience defining structural test programs and correlating analytical models with test data

Hands-on experience building, testing, troubleshooting, and improving mechanical hardware

Ability to lead technical decisions, communicate risk clearly, and coordinate across engineering and manufacturing teams

Evidence of exceptional engineering ability

Advanced degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, structural engineering, or a related discipline

Experience owning structures that have survived launch and operated in space

Advanced proficiency with Nastran, Abaqus, Ansys, Femap, or similar FEA tools

Experience with quasi-static loads, random vibration, shock response, modal analysis, thermal distortion, fatigue, and coupled-loads analysis

Experience leading static load, vibration, shock, and modal qualification campaigns

Expertise in test planning, instrumentation, data interpretation, and test-to-model correlation

Experience designing lightweight structures across machined, sheet-metal, welded, composite, and bonded construction

Deep knowledge of aerospace materials, fasteners, joint design, and structural margin policies

Experience with deployable structures, hinges, latches, actuators, or other spacecraft mechanisms

Familiarity with NASA-STD-5001, GEVS, and other applicable aerospace structural standards

Experience transitioning flight hardware from prototype development into repeatable production

EAR Requirements:

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, you 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.

Equal Opportunity:

Starpath is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.