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Mechanical

Mechanical Engineer

Reflect Orbital logoReflect Orbital$90,000–$200,000/yrHawthorne, CAFull-timePosted 1y+ ago

About the role

At Reflect, you will be expected to move fast, have a lot of ownership and, most importantly, be able to effect change. If this excites you, we are interested in hearing about your best work and accomplishments across any domain and from any points in your life.

About the Role

As a Mechanical Engineer, you will be responsible for quickly designing, prototyping, and flight validating spacecraft subcomponents and integrating mechanical systems on tight deadlines. Your highest priority is delivering functional hardware that strikes a balance between simplicity, scrappiness, analytical rigor and ingenuity.

Responsibilities

  • Deliver flight-ready critical spacecraft components
  • Take hardware and mechanisms from conceptual design through qualification to on-orbit operations
  • Correlate analysis of your components to ensure reliability in the space environment

Ideal Qualifications

  • You bring roughly 4–6 years of mechanical design experience, ideally on flight hardware or similar high-reliability mechanical systems.
  • You have owned spacecraft components from clean-sheet to spaceflight
  • Extensive CAD experience
  • You can teach a class on the design of bolted joints
  • You know what tolerances the machine shop can hit without needing to ask them
  • You have strong experience collaboratively designing complex interdependent systems

Even if you don’t meet 100% of the above qualifications, we are likely still interested in hearing from you. Hiring exceptional individuals is our #1 priority, and we believe that exceptional people often have highly unusual backgrounds.

We are also interested in carving out unique roles for unconventional people that we are excited about working with.

Benefits

Reflect Orbital’s success will hinge on our team, which is why our compensation and benefits plan is designed to reward our employees and support their families as generously as we’re able.

  • Broad choice of medical/dental/vision coverage, Reflect covers 100% of each base-policy
  • Access to HSA, FSA, and 401K
  • Unlimited paid time off
  • Healthy lunches provided daily

Equal Opportunity

Reflect Orbital is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Reflect Orbital 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.

More about Reflect Orbital

Learn more about our team here.

Copied from the listing Reflect Orbital published, verified 31 Oct 2026.

The application

Your details, portfolio and CV, then 5 questions.

Have readyPortfolioCVLinkedIn (optional)
  1. 1.
    Website/Other LinkShort answer · optional
  2. 2.
    Are you currently eligible to work in the United States of America?Yes or no
  3. 3.
    Do you now or in the future require visa sponsorship to continue working in the United States?Yes or no
  4. 4.
    Do any of the following designations apply to you: U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident (aka green card holder), Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158?Yes or no
  5. 5.
    Why don't astronauts fall back to Earth when they're in orbit?Pick one

Taken from the application form Reflect Orbital runs, verified 30 Oct 2026.

How to apply to Reflect Orbital: the questions its forms ask across its open roles.

About Reflect Orbital

Satellites with mirrors that redirect sunlight to places on Earth.

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