Mechanical Design Engineer - Broomfield - Karman+ - Launching the Regolith Age

Description

Karman+

We are inventors, designers, engineers, scientists, tinkerers, entrepreneurs, adventurers, artists, activists, global citizens, architects, musicians, builders, writers, athletes and space nerds. We partner with the best minds and most experienced teams across industry and academia, bringing together the knowledge, experience, and skills required to navigate our critical path.

Mission

We want to mine space resources from near-Earth asteroids to provide abundant, sustainable energy and resources in space and for Earth.

Vision

Asteroid mining has lived at the intersection of scientific research and popular culture for decades, with as many academic papers published as there are books, TV shows and movies about it.

Access to resources, with its finite nature and disparate distribution, plays an essential part in the geopolitical web of power and wealth. It has defined economic growth to such an extent that we have been using them as primary demarcation lines and identifiers in our history, from the stone to bronze and iron age to our current silicon age.

But our resources-driven growth faces a massive existential challenge, with climate change, ecosystem degradation and resource depletion demanding a complete reset. Humanity needs to shift global transportation, manufacturing, construction and energy onto a sustainable path.

Expanding beyond the Kármán line is where we believe transformative future growth and innovation will be found. Recent missions by NASA (OSIRIS-REx & DART) and JAXA (Hayabusa2) have firmly pushed the idea of using space resources from academic research into commercial opportunity.

We believe the Regolith Age, powered by abundant space resources, is an inevitability that we can accelerate.

We value these principles:

• Diversity of thought. We believe that different perspectives drive better results. We aim to build diverse teams and a diverse company.
• Ownership, feedback and accountability. Ideas improve through collaboration, discussion and iteration. Decisions don't follow the same pattern and revert to the mean when made in a group. We aim to have clear ownership, accountability for results and autonomy to deliver.
• No silos. We build cross-functional teams to be able to deliver on our goals. There are no predefined lanes for people to operate in, information is pushed out across all teams to make sure we benefit from cross-pollination.
• High talent bar, no a**holes. We optimize for potential and a growth mindset. We value experience, but only when balanced with self-awareness and first principles thinking.
• Small is beautiful. The best results as well as the best work experience come from a small team of talented people working towards a common goal.

Position: Mechanical Design Engineer

Location: Broomfield, CO

Position Type: Full-time, On-site

Mission: High Frontier – Build the Structures That Carry Us Beyond Earth Orbit

At Karman+, we're developing spacecraft to enable ambitious missions beyond Earth orbit. As we expand our team, we're looking for a Mechanical Engineer with a strong foundation in detailed design, a passion for hardware, and the versatility to jump between projects and disciplines as needed. This role will focus on the design and manufacturing of structural components and packaging solutions that are core to our mission success.

This is a hands-on position ideal for an engineer who loves building physical systems, iterating quickly, and delivering real hardware. You'll work closely with a wide range of teams—including AI&T, Avionics, and Propulsion—to ensure mechanical solutions meet the high-performance and reliability demands of space.

What it takes to be successful in this role:

As a Mechanical Engineer focused on spacecraft component design, you'll be designing everything from electronics enclosures and structural joints to load-bearing panels. You'll own designs from CAD through fabrication, interacting with vendors and machine shops to get hardware out the door.

You'll be expected to bring strong fundamentals in structural design, mechanical drawing generation, and design-for-manufacturing principles. Your ability to work across disciplines and move fast with precision will be key. Over time, you'll have the opportunity to expand your skillset with finite element analysis, structural testing, and flight qualification campaigns.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and iterate spacecraft components including structural members, mechanical joints, electronics packaging enclosures, camera mounting brackets, etc.
• Own CAD models and generate high-quality engineering drawings in SolidWorks
• Support prototype and flight production from concept through fabrication
• Work with our testing team to prepare prototype and flight parts for test campaigns including vibration, thermal vacuum, radiation, EMI/EMC, etc.
• Conduct basic structural analysis (beam bending, statics, material behavior)
• Interface directly with vendors, machinists, and fabricators to ensure manufacturability
• Participate in peer and cross-functional design reviews
• Support integration and test of mechanical hardware as part of spacecraft builds
• Contribute to continuous improvement of mechanical standards and design practices

What You Bring

• Proven experience creating fully-dimensioned, GD&T-compliant engineering drawings for precision machined parts, optimized for clarity and manufacturability
• Fluency with SolidWorks, including assemblies and detailed drawings
• Hands-on experience collaborating directly with machine shops and fabricators to ensure parts are built correctly, efficiently, and to spec—ideally with flight or prototype hardware delivered
• Familiarity with additive manufacturing techniques and constraints
• Deep understanding of design for manufacturing (DFM) principles, including material selection, tolerancing, and process-specific constraints (e.g. CNC machining, additive, composites)
• Solid understanding of structural fundamentals: stress-strain, beam bending, materials selection
• Familiarity with fastener selection, torque specs, and mechanical joint design best practices
• Hands-on experience assembling and debugging mechanical hardware—prototype or flight
• Understanding of thermal constraints and how they impact mechanical and packaging design
• Comfort working in low-volume, high-performance hardware environments (e.g., aerospace, robotics, R&D labs)
• Experience working with thermal, electrical, avionics, and systems engineers to define mechanical requirements
• Familiarity with design review processes and incorporating cross-functional feedback
• BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field

Bonus If You Have

• Experience with structural finite element analysis in Siemens NX/Simcenter/Nastran
• Familiarity with aerospace vibration environments and design constraints
• Hands-on experience with structural or thermal testing
• Background in composite materials, carbon fiber layups, or sandwich panel design
• Exposure to flight hardware production and qualification processes

Additional Information

We Offer

Our cash compensation amount for this role is targeted at $90, $140,000.00 annually in this location. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including candidate experience and expertise and may vary from the amount listed above.

Top Benefits & Perks

As a member of the Karman+ team, you'll enjoy an impressive benefits package:

• Equity Incentives - Participate in our shared success.
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Plans for top tier plans with additional buy-up plan options.
• Short-term Disability and Long-term Disability covered by Karman+
• Basic Life Insurance covered by Karman+
• 401k plan
• Unlimited Paid Time Off - We focus on what you get done, not how many hours or days you work.

Location & Work Environment

This position is full-time in-person at our offices & lab in Broomfield, CO. If you reside in locations outside of daily commuting distance you will be considered, however, no relocation or travel assistance will be provided by Karman+ for this position. This position operates in an office environment. This entails working inside in an office space wherein you may be provided with a public work station (cubicle) or private offices. In the performance of the duties and responsibilities of this job, you will be required to view a computer terminal for prolonged periods of time.

Travel

Occasional travel to work site locations may be expected. Overnight stays may be required from time to time for training, seminars, conferences, meetings, events, or visits to onsite locations.

Disclaimer

This job posting is not intended to contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required. Karman+ reserves the right to change or assign additional duties, responsibilities, and activities at any time with or without notice.

Hiring Practices

Karman+ is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact

Come work with us...

We are crazy ambitious but the timing is right. Be part of the team looking to make it happen.

• We are looking to build things to put in space quickly.
• We emphasize creativity and innovation and resources are available to support good ideas.
• Join a team of people working toward the same ambitious goal.
• We are an engaging team looking to empower our teammates.
• You can have a share in the company value creation.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

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If you know someone who'd be a great addition to our team, please encourage them to apply for this role or for our General Application.