Mechanical Engineer

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.

Mechanical Engineer

Karman Industries is seeking a motivated Mechanical Engineer to support the design and development of the next generation of electric heat pumps for industrial process heat electrification. The ideal candidate will contribute to the design, analysis, and testing of mechanical and thermal systems within the Thermal01 heat pump platform and future product lines.

This role requires broad technical ownership spanning structural, thermal, and turbomachinery hardware. You will drive all phases of product development—from conceptual design and analysis through prototyping, testing, and production. We are a team that values first-principles thinking, hands-on problem solving, and close cross-functional collaboration to deliver cohesive, high-performance systems.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the design and development of components and subsystems for Karman’s industrial heat pump systems.
• Create detailed CAD models, assemblies, and drawings for prototype and production hardware.
• Support prototype builds, including hands-on assembly, instrumentation, and test setup.
• Assist in performing structural, thermal, and fluid analyses using analytical and numerical methods.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define system requirements and integrate hardware designs.
• Participate in design reviews, testing, and documentation to ensure system performance and reliability.
• Work with suppliers and manufacturing partners to support fabrication, machining, and component qualification.
• Apply first-principles thinking and creative problem-solving to overcome design challenges.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 1–3 years of relevant experience in mechanical hardware or system design (professional work, internships, or project experience).
• Proficiency in Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools, preferably Siemens NX, SolidWorks, or equivalent.
• Strong understanding of mechanical fundamentals: materials, manufacturing processes, structural mechanics, and thermal/fluid principles.
• Hands-on experience with mechanical prototyping, testing, or fabrication through coursework, labs, or personal projects.
• Excellent communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment.
• Highly self-motivated, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple priorities with excellent communication skills

Desired Skills and Experience

• Master’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, or related field
• Experience with finite element analysis (FEA) using Ansys, Abaqus, NASTRAN, or similar tools.
• Exposure to turbomachinery, heat exchangers, or high-temperature fluid systems.
• Basic proficiency in Python or MATLAB for data analysis or automation.
• Familiarity with instrumentation, sensors, and testing of thermal or mechanical systems.
• Understanding of design for manufacturability and experience in a prototype or production environment.
• Strong desire to learn, take initiative, and grow into technical ownership roles as the company scales., and design for manufacturability.

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay are determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.

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.