At Stoke, we believe a thriving space economy will enable a vibrant, sustainable, and equitable future here on Earth. That is why we’re building Nova, our fully and rapidly reusable launch vehicle. Designed for daily flight, Nova tackles the core challenges of space transportation by reducing cost, increasing availability, and improving reliability. By radically lowering launch costs and increasing flight cadence, we’re helping create a truly scalable space industry.

Our team is mission-driven, collaborative, and empowered to take ownership of their work. If you want to work alongside some of the most dedicated and talented people on Earth, we’d love to have you join us.

We are seeking a full-time Manufacturing Engineer to join our dynamic team in developing our soft goods capabilities at our factory in Kent, WA. In this role, you will be responsible for developing thermal protective materials and coatings and standing up the capability within the factory to achieve reliable and repeatable outcomes. You will collaborate with design and analysis teams through all phases of the reusable vehicle product lifecycle. At Stoke, we value a first principles approach to engineering. In this role, you will own and develop the materials, process, and performance capabilities of soft goods at Stoke.

Responsibilities

Serve as the responsible engineer for soft goods (insulations, paints, foams, etc) at Stoke
Trade, evaluate, and select appropriate materials for launch vehicle thermal and coating needs considering performance requirements, cost, and process lead time factors
Analyze, develop, and prove material capabilities for soft goods through thermal, environmental, and structural analysis, prototyping, and test
Author, implement, and maintain processes and requirements for soft goods fabrication, implementation, and maintenance
Deliver design guidance to internal customers for improved vehicle performance outcomes
Establish and maintain relationships with suppliers to develop and improve internal quality and capabilities
Implement or fabricate equipment and tooling to support process development

Qualifications 

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, materials engineering, aerospace engineering, or similar
3+ years of professional experience with thermal test or soft goods engineering
Demonstrated organizational and project management skills
Demonstrated ability to work across many different projects and with many different people concurrently
Background working with hands-on soft goods development
Excellent written and verbal communication
Willing to relocate to Seattle, WA

Benefits

Equity – We know that our employees are the reason we succeed. To give everyone a stake in our future, we are pleased to offer equity in the form of stock options to all regular, full-time employees.
Comprehensive benefits program including subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance
Company-paid life and disability insurance
401(k) plan with employer match
4 weeks’ Paid Time Off
Holidays – 10 days (including an end-of-year closure)
Paid Family/Parental Leave
On-site gym or monthly wellness stipend (depending on location)
Dog friendly offices!

Compensation

Target Levels:

Level 2 Range: $109,725 - $148,470
Level 3 Range: $129,150 - $193,620
Level 4 Range: $151,305 - $252,105

Our job posts are intentionally written to attract a wide variety of experience levels, and we make decisions about the right fit on a per-candidate basis.

Your actual level and base salary will be decided based on your specific experience and skill level.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the 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.

Equal Opportunity

The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including with respect to disability and veteran status. It is committed to compliance with all equal opportunity laws, including the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and Title VII. It does not discriminate on the basis of nationality, race, citizenship, immigration status, or any other protected class when it comes to employment practices, including hiring.

Employment at the Company is contingent upon satisfactory completion of reference and backgroundchecks, and on your ability to prove your identity and authorization to work in the U.S. for the Company. Employees must comply with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services employment verification requirements, and, therefore, they must complete an Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 at the start of employment and re-verify authorization to work periodically.

Separate from this I-9 process, this position entails access to certain technology and technical data that is restricted under U.S. export control laws and regulations. Employment or continued employment may be conditioned on your legal authorization to work with or have access to export control materials as necessary to perform your job.

Candidate Rights & Accommodations

If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete the application or participate in the interview process, please contact [email protected]. Requests will be handled in accordance with applicable laws. Please do not include medical or other confidential information in your initial request.

For more information about your rights, please refer to the "Know Your Rights" notice here.

E-Verify

Stoke Space uses E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires.

For more information on the right to work, please refer to the poster here.

About the company

Stoke Space Technologies builds 100% reusable rockets to provide daily access to Earth's orbit and offers satellite data services for environmental monitoring. Rockets launch, land, and are reused, while data from missions like SWOT and MAIA are delivered to clients to study freshwater, oceans, aerosols, health, and climate issues. The company distinguishes itself by pairing frequent launch capability with analytics-ready satellite data to reduce costs and expand access for regular, data-driven environmental monitoring. Its goal is to make space access routine and to use space-based data to promote sustainable growth and environmental preservation on Earth.

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

Series E

Total Funding

$2.4B

Headquarters

Seattle, Washington

Founded

2019

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

Stoke closed a $1 billion Series E on September 8, 2026.
Total funding reached $2.3 billion, supporting factories, pads, and test campaigns.
AstroForge booked Pathfinder’s inaugural mission, giving Stoke a named commercial customer.

What critics are saying

Pathfinder slipped from late 2026 to early 2027, delaying revenue recognition.
Stoke still cannot win NSSL Lane 1 task orders before Pathfinder flies.
SpaceX and Blue Origin can outspend Stoke if Nova’s first launch fails.

What makes Stoke Space unique

Stoke’s Nova reuses booster and second stage, not just the first stage.
On September 8, 2026, Stoke unveiled Nova Block 2 targeting 2029 first flight.
NASA selected Stoke on July 6, 2026 for Nova upper-stage re-entry work.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

401(k) Company Match

Paid Vacation

Flexible Work Hours

Company Equity

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

↑ 1%

1 year growth

↑ 0%

2 year growth

↑ 0%

Stoke Space

Sep 9th, 2026

Stoke Space Raises $1 Billion to Accelerate Fully Reusable Launch

Seamless mobility to, through, and from space. Nova is built for 100% reusability, from the start.

Main-Post

Sep 8th, 2026

Porsche SE invests low double-digit millions in US rocket firm Stoke Space

Porsche SE, the majority shareholder of Volkswagen, has invested in US rocket company Stoke Space Technologies. The Stuttgart-based holding company of the Porsche and Piëch families committed a low double-digit million euro amount to the space venture. Stoke Space is developing a two-stage carrier rocket designed for full reusability, enabling higher launch frequency and significantly lower costs than conventional rockets. According to Porsche SE chief Hans Dieter Pötsch, this approach is similar to Elon Musk's SpaceX, which currently dominates the rocket launch market. This marks Porsche SE's second investment in the space sector. In 2021, the holding company invested in Bavarian rocket startup Isar Aerospace, acquiring a low single-digit percentage stake. Stoke Space's "Nova" rocket is scheduled for its first launch in early 2027.

Bloomberg

Aug 13th, 2026

Stoke Space Is Raising $1 Billion to Fund Flagship Nova Rocket

Stoke Space Technologies Inc. is raising $1 billion to accelerate development and production of a fully reusable rocket to challenge Elon Musk’s SpaceX, people familiar with the matter said.

Associated Press

Jul 8th, 2026

Former OpenAI executive Kevin Weil joins Stoke Space board as reusable rocket firm eyes commercial operations

Stoke Space has appointed Kevin Weil to its board of directors. Weil brings over 20 years of technology leadership experience from roles at OpenAI, Planet Labs, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Most recently, he served as vice president of science at OpenAI, focusing on applying AI to scientific discovery. Stoke Space is developing Nova, a fully reusable medium-lift launch vehicle. The company aims to provide low-cost, on-demand space transport with aircraft-like frequency. Weil was part of management teams that took Twitter and Planet public and helped scale Instagram and ChatGPT into global platforms. Stoke's technology development has been funded by the US Space Force, DIU, NASA, and the National Science Foundation. Weil holds degrees in physics and mathematics from Harvard and Stanford.

Business Wire

Feb 11th, 2026

Stoke Space Technologies Extends Previously Announced Series D Financing to $860 Million

Stoke Space Technologies extends previously announced Series D Financing to $860 million.