Manufacturing Engineer
Location: Playa Vista, California (in-person, five days per week)
Outpost is pioneering Earth return logistics for space. We're building vehicles that can return payloads from orbit safely and precisely—enabling faster space-based manufacturing, global delivery, and entirely new capabilities in the space economy. Our spacecraft is already backed by the U.S. government with multiple missions ahead. We’re a mission-focused team, building with urgency, grit, and care for the work we do and the people we do it with.
The Role
As a Manufacturing Engineer, you’ll work at the intersection of design, fabrication, and test—owning the processes and tooling that enable rapid, reliable hardware development. This is a hands-on role for an engineer who thrives in a build-heavy environment and can move seamlessly between the machine shop, vendors, and the engineering floor.
Qualifications:
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4–8+ years of experience in aerospace or aviation manufacturing.
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Strong foundation in machining, fabrication, materials, and tolerance control.
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Hands-on experience with machining centers, manual machines, welding, and mechanical integration.
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Demonstrated ability to work closely with design engineering and technicians in a fast-moving environment.
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High attention to detail and a quality-first mindset.
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Clear communication, documentation discipline, and the ability to train technicians on new processes.
Responsibilities:
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Design, develop, and manufacture ground support equipment that interfaces directly with spaceflight hardware.
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Bring a deep understanding of aerospace/aviation part manufacturing, precision assemblies, and production methods to support prototypes, test units, and flight-adjacent hardware.
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Support engineers and technicians through hardware development, prototype builds, test campaigns, and high-precision part fabrication across multiple materials and processes.
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Partner with supply chain to procure engineered hardware, manage vendors, and contribute to program cost optimization.
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Apply hands-on fabrication experience—including machining (lathe, mill, etc), welding, sheet metal work, and mechanical assembly—to build and modify prototype hardware.
Personal fabrication projects or shop experience are a strong plus.
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Develop, implement, and refine manufacturing processes that improve efficiency, quality, repeatability, and safety in a fast-paced R&D environment.
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Interpret engineering drawings and apply strong GD&T per ASME Y14.5 and tolerance analysis to guide builds and ensure manufacturability.
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Perform or oversee CNC milling and turning operations, ensuring best practices across materials including aluminum, steels, titanium, and composites.
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Write clear work instructions, build plans, and process documentation to enable repeatable builds and support technicians.
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Execute in-process quality checks, verify tolerances, and ensure parts meet aerospace and government standards.
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Coordinate with machine shop personnel and operate machine shop equipment (lathe, drill, CNC) to support rapid development and iteration.
Compensation:
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$120k - $165k, Salary may vary with experience
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Annual Performance-Based Bonus
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Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
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Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance
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Subsidized daily catered lunch, snacks and coffee
You must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 ,or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State
