At Turion Space, we’re building spacecraft to secure Earth and expand humanity’s reach beyond it. As part of our Mechanical Engineering team, you’ll help design and build the satellites and mechanisms that make our missions possible.
As a Staff Mechanical Engineer, you’ll work across the full development lifecycle from early concept and detailed design through analysis, fabrication, integration, and testing. You’ll collaborate closely with a multidisciplinary team to deliver flight hardware that is robust, reliable, and ready for space.
This is a full-time, exempt position based at our Irvine, California headquarters.
Key Responsibilities
Design metallic structures and propulsion fluid systems under accelerated timelines
Review specifications and other engineering data to develop mechanical systems
Update designs and drawings through engineering change orders to support our rapid pace of design iteration
Create detailed component and assembly drawings incorporating an understanding of GD&T and tolerance stack-ups
Lead, mentor, and train engineers
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree in an engineering discipline
8+ years of mechanical design and drafting experience
Experience with 3D CAD software (SolidWorks preferred)
Deep understanding and application of GD&T and tolerance stack-ups
Extensive spacecraft design experience
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret and/or a TS/SCI clearance.
Preferred Qualifications
Hands-on experience working on teams designing hardware in a highly constrained system under defined timelines
Experience working on aluminum and composite materials
Familiarity with welded structures and fluid systems
Ability to manage large assembly models and drawings
Ability to work and communicate well with minimal supervision
Creative problem solver that can bring multiple disciplines together to achieve buy-in for a unified design direction
Self-motivated with strong multi-tasking, organizational, communication, and documentation skills
Staff Mechanical Engineer: $150,000 - $225,000 USD
ITAR Requirements:
This position may include access to technology and/or software source code that is subject to U.S. export controls. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Benefits:
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package designed to support the well-being and professional growth of our employees. In addition to a competitive base salary and company stock, determined by factors such as job-related knowledge, education, skills, experience, and market demand, full-time employees are eligible for:
Equity: Receive equity in Turion Space, letting you benefit from the company's success
Health Insurance: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their dependents.
Retirement Plans: Access to a 401(k) plan to help you plan for your future.
Paid Time Off: Generous vacation days, personal days, sick days, and holidays to ensure you have time to recharge.
Professional Development: Opportunities for ongoing training, workshops, and courses to advance your skills and career growth.
Team Building Activities: Regular social events, team outings, and company-sponsored activities to foster a positive work environment.
We are dedicated to providing a supportive and enriching environment for our team members, recognizing that our collective success is built upon the well-being and satisfaction of each individual.
Turion Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Turion Space 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.
Top Skills
What We Do
Turion Space is building the infrastructure to secure and sustain the future of space. Founded to address the growing need for space domain awareness, in-space servicing, and debris mitigation, Turion designs, builds, and operates spacecraft with real-world operational capability. Our vehicles are built for national security and commercial missions that require speed, autonomy, and resilience.
We believe the next chapter of space operations will be defined by who can act, not just observe. That’s why we’re focused on building platforms that move fast, adapt in orbit, and solve problems ranging from satellite servicing to tactical intelligence gathering.
We successfully launched our DROID.001 satellite in June 2023 and DROID.002 in March 2025. DROID.003 is scheduled for launch in 2026.
Why Work With Us
Turion Space is where startup grit meets real space missions. We build and fly spacecraft for defense, servicing, and domain awareness. No red tape, no sidelines, just hands-on work that matters.
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