Mechanical Engineer, Fluid Systems

Department: Airframe

Location: San Francisco

Compensation: $135K – $170K

Employment Type: FullTime

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 YOU ARE:

Astro Mechanica is seeking a Mechanical Systems Engineer (Fluid Systems) to own the design, integration, and maturation of critical vehicle fluid systems. The ideal candidate is a hands-on engineer with a passion for owning complex systems from the ground up. You thrive in fast-paced development environments, are comfortable making informed tradeoffs, and take pride in building systems that are robust, maintainable, and performant across the full flight envelope. Your work will directly enable propulsion, actuation, thermal management, and vehicle operability at extreme conditions. You will own one or more subsystems end-to-end, leading them from early concept through detailed design, qualification, and flight test.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Own the full lifecycle of one or more vehicle fluid systems, such as fuel, hydraulics, pneumatics, lubrication, or thermal management.

• Perform trade studies and first-order analyses (pressure drop, flow sizing, transient behavior, failure modes) to inform design and system architecture decisions.

• Design and integrate components including pumps, valves, accumulators, heat exchangers, plumbing, and sensors, ensuring functionality and manufacturability.

• Collaborate closely with propulsion, structures, avionics, controls, and manufacturing teams to ensure seamless system integration.

• Work with suppliers to specify, select, and qualify off-the-shelf or custom components.

• Assist in developing test plans and participate in validation and verification activities, including component and system-level testing.

• Provide hands-on support during prototyping, vehicle builds, ground testing, and flight test campaigns.

• Lead technical reviews, generate clear documentation, and contribute to safety and hazard analyses.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.

• 2–5+ years of experience designing, integrating, or testing fluid or mechanical systems (internships and student projects count).

• Strong understanding of fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and mechanical system fundamentals.

• Experience with system-level thinking: requirements flow-down, interfaces, failure modes, and operational considerations.

• Proficiency in 3D CAD tools (NX, CATIA V5, SolidWorks, or similar) for routing, packaging, and component design.

• Hands-on experience with hardware—plumbing, assembly, instrumentation, or testing.

• Clear communicator who works well across disciplines and can translate analysis into practical design decisions.

• Comfortable operating in a fast-moving, evolving development environment.

• Willingness to travel to test sites and support field operations as needed.