Founding Mechanical Engineer (Robotic Systems) at General Astronautics

General Astronautics is building autonomous dexterous robotic arms for microgravity environments. Our systems enable orbital science and manufacturing that isn't possible on Earth, and we're doing it without humans in the loop. We're looking for a Founding Mechanical Engineer to own the design and development of our robotic arm from concept through flight-ready hardware. This is a high-ownership , high-accountability role . You will be one of the first engineers at the company, and the hardware you build will fly. Responsibilities Lead architecture, design, development, and test of a robotic arm for autonomous microgravity operations Own hardware from concept through detailed design, prototyping, qualification, integration, and deployment Design precision mechanisms, joints, end effectors, actuator interfaces, and electromechanical assemblies optimized for vacuum, vibration, thermal cycling, and microgravity Perform trade studies across mass, stiffness, reach, payload, repeatability, thermal performance, manufacturability, reliability, and cost Generate 3D CAD, 2D drawings, release packages, interface definitions, and technical documentation Perform hand calculations, tolerance ana