Staff Mechanical Engineer - Turbomachinery

Karman Industries

Karman Industries is a Torrance-based thermal technology company building the backbone for giga-scale AI infrastructure. Founded by a team from SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and GE, Karman is moving beyond legacy cooling with the launch of the HPU (Heat Processing Unit)—a new category of thermal architecture designed for the 100kW+ rack era.

The HPU shrinks the exterior mechanical yard by up to 80% while reducing peak energy consumption by 10%+. Unlike traditional systems, the Karman HPU provides zero-water (WUE 0) cooling that ensures high-TDP GPUs and HBM4 memory stay at optimal thermal setpoints without throttling.

Founded in 2024, we’re a fast-growing team of passionate professionals dedicated to making a tangible impact on the future of humanity. We design, build, and test real hardware, and we lead with ownership: you’ll own your work from concept to hardware and help shape how we scale. Our values are Ownership, Performance Excellence, Radical Transparency, and Customer-Centricity.

Join us in our mission to transform the industry and contribute to a more sustainable world.

Staff Mechanical Engineer, Turbomachinery

Karman Industries is seeking an experienced Staff Mechanical Engineer, Turbomachinery to lead the design, development, and integration of rotating machinery for the next generation of heat processing systems. The successful candidate will be responsible for end‑to‑end ownership of turbomachinery components and systems—including compressors, turbines/expander stages, seals, bearings, and high‑speed rotating assemblies—used within the Heat Processing Unit (HPU) platform and future product lines.

This role requires deep technical expertise in turbomachinery aerodynamics, rotor dynamics, thermal‑mechanical analysis, and high‑speed system integration. You will drive the full lifecycle from conceptual design and first‑principles modeling through prototype build, testing, and productionization. We value first‑principles thinking, hands‑on problem solving, accountability, and close collaboration with cross‑functional partners to deliver cohesive, high‑performance systems.

Responsibilities:

• Lead architecture, design, and analysis of high‑speed turbomachinery components including compressors, turbine/expander stages, volutes/diffusers, seals, and bearing systems.

• Develop aerodynamic and thermodynamic models to predict performance, efficiency, operability, and off‑design behavior of rotating components.

• Perform rotor dynamic and structural analyses to ensure high‑speed system stability, durability, and reliability.

• Own turbomachinery integration into the overall heat processing system, ensuring alignment with thermal, mechanical, and manufacturing requirements.

• Create and manage complex CAD assemblies, detailed component models, and engineering drawings for prototypes and production hardware.

• Lead and support test campaigns, including instrumentation planning, test stand definition, data analysis, and performance correlation.

• Guide suppliers and internal manufacturing teams in the fabrication, balancing, and assembly of high‑speed rotating hardware.

• Ensure designs meet performance targets, cost objectives, reliability standards, and program schedules.

• Apply creativity and first‑principles reasoning to develop novel solutions that challenge conventional turbomachinery designs.

• Contribute to roadmap development for next‑generation compressors and expanders tailored for industrial heat electrification applications.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.

• 5+ years of experiencein end-to-end turbomachinery design, analysis, and testing (compressors, turbines, expanders, or high‑speed rotating systems).

• Strong proficiency with CAD tools (Siemens NX or equivalent).

• Knowledge of aerodynamic design principles, rotor dynamics, and turbomachinery thermodynamics.

• Demonstrated hands‑on experience building, assembling, or testing rotating hardware.

• Strong understanding of materials, manufacturing processes, tolerancing, and high‑speed system considerations.

• Highly self‑motivated, detail‑oriented, and capable of managing multiple priorities with excellent communication skills.

Desired Skills and Experience:

• Master’s degree or higher in mechanical or aerospace engineering.

• 8+ years of relevant experience

• Direct experience with turbomachinery CFD, 1D cycle modeling, and performance simulation tools.

• Proficiency with FEA tools such as ANSYS, Abaqus, NASTRAN, or similar.

• Knowledge of high‑temperature, high‑pressure fluid systems, steam cycles, or thermodynamic cycle optimization.

• Experience taking turbomachinery concepts from initial design through production and field operation.

• Familiarity with manufacturing environments, including machining, rotor assembly, balancing, and quality control.

• Experience with high‑speed electric motors, magnetic bearings, or permanent‑magnet machine integration.

• Programming experience in Python or similar languages for analysis, automation, or simulation workflows.

Karman Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Karman Industries 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.

Direct applicants only — we are not working with outside recruiters or agencies for this role.