# Founding Mechanical Engineer (Robotic Systems) at General Astronautics

- Company: General Astronautics (YC W26)
- What the company does: Robotics for Space R&D. Backed by Y Combinator.
- Company website: https://generalastro.com/
- Type: Startups (AI role)
- Level: Mid level
- Location: San Francisco, CA, US
- Work setup: On-site
- Pay: $120K to $185K base salary per year (USD)
- Posted: 2026-04-01
- Apply by: 2026-10-08
- Apply: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/generalastro/jobs/tQHTMUC-founding-mechanical-engineer-robotic-systems
- Page: https://www.1752.vc/careers/jobs/general-astronautics-founding-mechanical-engineer-robotic-systems/

## About the role

General Astronautics is building autonomous dexterous robotic arms for microgravity environments. Our systems enable orbital science and manufacturing that isn't possible on Earth, and we're doing it without humans in the loop. We're looking for a Founding Mechanical Engineer to own the design and development of our robotic arm from concept through flight-ready hardware. This is a high-ownership , high-accountability role . You will be one of the first engineers at the company, and the hardware you build will fly.

## What they're looking for

- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline
- 2+ years of experience designing, building, analyzing, and testing complex mechanical or electromechanical hardware
- Proficiency in professional CAD software (NX, CATIA, Creo, SolidWorks, or equivalent)
- Strong fundamentals in machine design, structural sizing, mechanism design, and electromechanical integration
- Experience with hand calculations, tolerance analysis, and FEA
- Proficiency with GD&T and engineering drawing standards (ASME Y14.5)

Tags: Engineering