Full-Time

Mechanical Engineer

Astranis

Astranis

501-1,000 employees

GEO satellites delivering bandwidth-as-a-service

Compensation Overview

$110k - $140k/yr

+ Equity (stock options)

No H1B Sponsorship

San Francisco, CA, USA

In Person

US Top Secret Clearance Required

Category
Mechanical Engineering (1)
Required Skills
FEM/FEA
Requirements
  • Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering or equivalent
  • 1-4 years of mechanical design or equivalent experience
  • Mastery of mechanical CAD
  • Demonstrated fundamentals with mechanical and thermal analytic abilities; FEA experience is not required, but preferred
  • A passion for hardware development, including working in a fast-paced environment and hands-on design and development
  • U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required
Responsibilities
  • Design, evaluate, procure, assemble, and test primary structure, bracketry, and mechanisms for Astranis spacecraft. Components include composite and metallic parts and assemblies with a variety of manufacturing techniques.
  • Develop requirements for components and systems including loads, interfaces, and functional requirements.
  • Perform mechanical and thermal analysis for spacecraft systems
  • Integrate parts and systems into the spacecraft by working together with the rest of the team, and document and develop procedures to improve the build process in the future.
  • Assist in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring additional teammates to our rapidly-growing team.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience with mechanical and/or thermal FEA
  • Experience with composite structures
  • Experience in designing in a vacuum environment with large temperature swings
  • Experience with vibration environments
  • Electromechanical design experience

Astranis builds and operates small, low-cost satellites in geostationary orbit to provide bandwidth-as-a-service for global connectivity. Its satellites carry telecom payloads that deliver internet capacity to customers, including commercial entities and government agencies, via turnkey services that simplify procurement and reduce costs. Customers buy bandwidth and use Astranis’ satellite capacity to reach previously unserved regions, rather than building and managing their own satellites. The company differentiates itself by owning the design, manufacturing, and operation of its GEO satellites, enabling cost-efficient, turnkey connectivity solutions for markets that traditional providers overlook. The goal is to close the digital divide by bringing affordable internet access to billions of people worldwide and to build a large, sustainable market for satellite-based connectivity.

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

Series E

Total Funding

$1.2B

Headquarters

San Francisco, California

Founded

2015

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • $450M funding expands MicroGEO production for 100 satellites by 2030.
  • Chunghwa Telecom partners for Taiwan's first dedicated MicroGEO satellite.
  • USSF and NASA contracts secure high-margin government revenue streams.

What critics are saying

  • Block 3 satellites delay to 2025 erodes first-mover edge versus Starlink.
  • Starlink Starshield achieves price parity by 2027, squeezing defense margins.
  • $1B backlog relies on few customers; Thaicom loss triggers 20% revenue drop.

What makes Astranis unique

  • MicroGEO satellites deliver 8.5 Gbit/s throughput, exceeding 7.5 Gbit/s specs.
  • Vanguard enables air-gapped point-to-point comms via MicroGEO for defense.
  • Omega satellites provide 50 Gbps at 600 kg mass from 2026 launches.

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Benefits

An equity stake in the company.

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.

Unlimited vacation days.

Healthy, delicious, free lunch catered in every day.

Complementary OneMedical membership.

Great office chairs, stand-up desks, and a machine shop.

Reimbursement to spend on commuting from outside SF

Generous, fully-paid parental leave.

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

-1%

2 year growth

1%
Future Digital Solutions
Apr 19th, 2025
Chunghwa and Astranis Collaborate on Developing Taiwan-Centric Satellite Solutions

Chunghwa Telecom has entered a partnership with Astranis to create a geostationary satellite specifically designed for Taiwan.

Central News Agency (CNA)
Apr 15th, 2025
Chunghwa Telecom to launch Taiwan's 1st dedicated satellite with Astranis

Taipei, April 15 (CNA) Taiwan-based telecom service provider Chunghwa Telecom Co. recently signed a strategic agreement with Astranis Space Technologies Corp., an American satellite start-up, to develop the first dedicated compact geostationary orbit (MicroGEO) satellite for Taiwan.

Castle Placement
Dec 3rd, 2024
Communications and Networking Telecom Capital Raises in the U.S. - November 16th-30th, 2024

Astranis, operator of a satellite internet company intended to bridge the digital divide, raised an additional $50 million of Series D venture funding from NTT Docomo Ventures, and other investors.

EIN News
Nov 6th, 2024
Orbits Satellite Corporation and Brightside International Corporation Sign a US$7B Agreement

As part of this ambitious effort, Orbits first partnered with Astranis, the world's leading operator of dedicated communications satellites, to construct its latest satellite.

GPS World
Nov 6th, 2024
Astranis to develop resilient GPS satellites for USSF

Astranis to develop resilient GPS satellites for USSF.