Manufacturing Engineer - Mechanical

Department: Spacecraft Engineering

Location: Hawthorne

Employment Type: FullTime

Oligo is building a manufacturing-in-the-loop foundation model to automate spacecraft design and production worldwide. Our approach allows customers to focus entirely on their own technology and mission objectives, while we handle everything, from design and manufacturing to launch and operations. Leveraging cutting edge AI-driven generative design and automated manufacturing, our ex-MIT, Harvard, and NASA JPL team work to create the most advanced payload-specific spacecraft at scale in weeks over months.

With world‑class advisors on our board, and fresh funding from top investors like Lux Capital, we’re always on the lookout for exceptional builders, fast learners, and ambitious engineers. Whether your passion lies in spacecraft systems, avionics, ML/AI, or advanced manufacturing, you’ll be collaborating across disciplines on real missions that fly, perform in orbit, and scale internationally.

We pair world-class AI/ML talent with top-tier satellite engineers under one roof to reimagine how space systems are built, starting from first principles. No bureaucracy. No legacy thinking.

If you think you’re a fit, we are extremely excited to meet you.

As a Manufacturing Engineer, you’ll be one of the primary builders of our flight hardware — transforming raw stock into precision components that end up in space. You’ll operate CNC equipment, manual machines, and fabrication tools to produce spacecraft parts with tight tolerances and high reliability. You’ll collaborate closely with mechanical engineers, avionics teams, and integration technicians to keep hardware moving from design to reality.

This role is perfect for someone who loves making chips, understands how to work quickly without sacrificing precision, and thrives in environments where craftsmanship directly impacts mission success.

What You'll Do

As a Manufacturing Engineer, you’ll own critical portions of our fabrication workflow and ensure that flight hardware is produced to exacting standards. Your responsibilities will include:

Machining & Fabrication

• Operate CNC mills, lathes, and manual machining equipment to produce precision spacecraft components.

• Program CNC machines (CAM experience preferred) and optimize toolpaths for accuracy, surface finish, and efficiency.

• Use waterjet cutting systems to create precision plate parts, brackets, and quick-turn prototypes.

• Perform drilling, tapping, reaming, facing, and other fabrication tasks using power tools and machine-shop equipment.

• Produce parts using aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, plastics, and space-graded materials.

• Inspect parts using calipers, micrometers, height gauges, bore gauges, and CMM tools when available.

Collaboration & Prototyping

• Work closely with mechanical engineers to interpret drawings, validate manufacturability, and suggest improvements.

• Identify opportunities to simplify designs, reduce machining time, or improve part strength and reliability.

• Support rapid prototyping, hardware bring-up, and last-minute design turns.

• Provide feedback on GD&T, tolerances, and material selection to improve overall build quality.

Shop Operations & Workflow

• Maintain machine tools, tooling libraries, fixtures, and shop equipment to ensure smooth operation.

• Track materials, organize inventory, and help maintain a clean, safe, and well-documented machine shop environment.

• Follow company quality standards, including documentation of nonconformances and part acceptance processes.

• Collaborate with integration and test teams during assembly, fit checks, and troubleshooting of hardware issues.

What You'll Bring

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years of machining experience in aerospace, high-precision manufacturing, robotics, or similar industry.

• Strong proficiency operating CNC mills and lathes, with experience in setups, offsets, work holding, and tool selection.

• Experience operating waterjet cutters and understanding material-specific cutting parameters.

• Ability to read detailed engineering drawings with full GD&T.

• Experience using precision metrology tools for inspecting tight-tolerance parts.

• Comfort with power tools, fabrication tools, and shop safety best practices.

• Ability to lift 40 lbs occasionally and perform hands-on shop work daily.

• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate with engineers and technicians.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience programming CNC machines using CAM tools

• Background producing aerospace-quality components or parts for vacuum, thermal, or dynamic environments.

• Familiarity with welding, sheet-metal fabrication, and fixture building.

• Experience with 5-axis machining or advanced CNC operations.

• Knowledge of material behavior under cutting conditions, including chip load, speeds/feeds, and coolant strategies.

• Exposure to building spacecraft assemblies, flight hardware, or tight-tolerance mechanical systems.

• Ability to work extended hours during critical deadlines or rapid prototype cycles.

• Prior experience mentoring junior machinists or managing shop operations.

Pay Range

• Salary: $140,000 per year

• This role is on-site in Hawthorne, CA

Benefits

• Equity

• Unlimited PTO

• Medical (Platinum coverage), Vision, & Dental Insurance

• Catering provided on-site everyday.