Recent Graduate - Mechanical Engineer

About the role

Katalyst is an American technology company focused on dynamic space operations. We are building a fleet of dual-use multipurpose robotic space vehicles to create the future where maneuvering, upgrading, refueling, resupply, and exploration are as routine as they are on Earth.

Responsibilities

• Contribute directly to the design, analysis, development, manufacturing, integration, test, and operation of spacecraft mechanical systems, structures, mechanisms, and flight hardware.
• Own well-scoped mechanical engineering problems from requirements and concept development through CAD, analysis, drawing release, fabrication, integration, test, documentation, and closure with support from senior engineers.
• Work hands-on with CAD, drawings, analysis tools, prototypes, flight hardware, fixtures, test equipment, manufacturing processes, inspection data, and integration activities rather than operating only at the analysis or documentation layer.
• Participate in design reviews, hardware builds, integration activities, test campaigns, anomaly investigations, and mission-readiness activities; communicate mechanical performance, risks, assumptions, and decisions clearly.
• Collaborate across avionics, GNC, propulsion, software, systems, manufacturing, and mission operations to understand mechanical interfaces and system-level impacts on spacecraft performance.
• Build engineering judgment by comparing calculations and structural, thermal, or mechanism analyses against inspection, test, and hardware data, identifying discrepancies, and iterating toward reliable flight hardware.
• Document requirements, assumptions, interfaces, calculations, CAD, drawings, tolerances, analyses, test results, procedures, and technical decisions so others can review, reproduce, manufacture, and integrate the work.
• Take increasing ownership as technical capability grows, progressing from supervised design and analysis tasks toward independent part-, assembly-, mechanism-, or subsystem-level responsibility.
• Support spacecraft mission execution by helping translate mission objectives and constraints into credible mechanical designs, analyses, hardware, integration plans, test approaches, and operational recommendations.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree completed, or expected before start date, in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, or a closely related technical field.
• Strong academic or project-based grounding in mechanics, statics and dynamics, structures, materials, machine design, heat transfer, manufacturing, or related mechanical engineering fundamentals, with the ability to explain technical reasoning from first principles.
• Demonstrated hands-on mechanical engineering experience through internships, research, student spacecraft or robotics teams, capstone projects, personal projects, laboratories, machine-shop work, or prior employment.
• Ability to break down ambiguous mechanical problems, identify assumptions and loads, build appropriate models, make reasonable design tradeoffs, and validate work through analysis, inspection, prototype, test, or data.
• Clear written and verbal technical communication, including the ability to explain what was personally designed, modeled, analyzed, built, integrated, tested, or debugged versus what was completed by a team.
• Comfort learning new spacecraft hardware, materials, mechanisms, manufacturing methods, analysis tools, and mission concepts quickly in an environment where responsibilities may evolve with program needs.
• Ability to collaborate closely with avionics, GNC, propulsion, software, systems, manufacturing, and mission-operations engineers and accept direct technical feedback without losing ownership of the problem.
• Ability to comply with applicable export-control requirements and customer-access restrictions.

Qualifications

• Must be willing to work hands-on in the office, lab, integration, or test environment as required and to support occasional extended hours during critical test or mission activities.

Skills

• Strong academic or project-based grounding in mechanics, statics and dynamics, structures, materials, machine design, heat transfer, manufacturing, or related mechanical engineering fundamentals.
• Demonstrated hands-on mechanical engineering experience through internships, research, student spacecraft or robotics teams, capstone projects, personal projects, laboratories, machine-shop work, or prior employment.
• Ability to break down ambiguous mechanical problems, identify assumptions and loads, build appropriate models, make reasonable design tradeoffs, and validate work through analysis, inspection, prototype, test, or data.
• Clear written and verbal technical communication, including the ability to explain what was personally designed, modeled, analyzed, built, integrated, tested, or debugged versus what was completed by a team.
• Comfort learning new spacecraft hardware, materials, mechanisms, manufacturing methods, analysis tools, and mission concepts quickly in an environment where responsibilities may evolve with program needs.
• Ability to collaborate closely with avionics, GNC, propulsion, software, systems, manufacturing, and mission-operations engineers and accept direct technical feedback without losing ownership of the problem.

Benefits

• Your base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.
• The anticipated salary range for this role is $80,000 - $105,000 annually.
• Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at Katalyst. You will also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of the Employee Stock Option and Equity Plan, as well as a relocation bonus and other discretionary bonuses.
• You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, and unlimited Paid Time Off.

Pay

• Your base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.
• The anticipated salary range for this role is $80,000 - $105,000 annually.

Schedule

• Occasional extended hours during critical test or mission activities may be required.