Mechanical Engineer, Interceptor

Location

Los Angeles, CA

Wage

$100,000 – $155,000/yr

Employment Type

Full-time

Apply for This Position

Posted on August 25, 2026

Job Description

Overview

GITAI is a vertically integrated space and defense company focused on building hardware for low-Earth-orbit missions, particularly in support of U.S. national security. The Mechanical Engineer, Interceptor will design, build, and test mechanical hardware for interceptor vehicles, working closely with various engineering teams.

Responsibilities

  • Design and release mechanical hardware for interceptor vehicles, including structures, motor mounts, avionics packaging, and ground-support equipment.
  • Translate system requirements and environmental conditions into manufacturable CAD models and assembly definitions.
  • Own the prototype build cycle by collaborating with machinists, technicians, and suppliers through fabrication and assembly.
  • Prepare for and execute various tests including structural and environmental tests.
  • Investigate failures in manufacturing and assembly, identify root causes, and implement design changes.
  • Make tradeoffs among mass, strength, manufacturability, cost, and reliability while maintaining design documentation.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field.
  • At least one year of professional experience in a rocketry, missile, or closely related aerospace company.
  • Direct experience designing mechanical hardware that was manufactured and tested.
  • Strong 3D CAD and mechanical drawing skills, including GD&T and design for manufacturing.
  • Practical understanding of structural mechanics and the ability to perform necessary calculations.
  • Experience working with machinists and fabrication teams to resolve hardware issues.
  • Basic understanding of rocket or missile propulsion systems.
  • Willingness to spend approximately 50% of time at remote test sites under demanding conditions.
  • U.S. citizenship is required.

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • 401k
  • Equity
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • This is a full-time onsite role based in Torrance, CA.
  • Approximately 50% of the time will be spent at remote test sites, primarily in the Mojave Desert.
  • Field assignments may involve multi-day stays and outdoor work under varying conditions.

Benefits

Health Insurance
401k
Equity
PTO

How this job compares in Los Angeles, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $61/hr, this posting sits about 43% above the $43/hr median for welding jobs in Los Angeles, CA — toward the top of a $35–$63/hr middle band drawn from 60 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 75% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. Pay that far above local median usually comes attached to something: a harder cert requirement, travel, night shift, or overtime that isn't really optional. Worth establishing which before you accept.

The local market in Los Angeles, CA

We're tracking 82 other active welding openings in Los Angeles, CA right now, from 55 different employers. 43 of them were added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 596 other active welding openings from 294 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Los Angeles, or widen the search to California.

GITAI currently has 1 other opening live in California, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (34), Aerotek (16), and Volt (16). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within California, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Redondo Beach at $65/hr, Long Beach at $49/hr, and Santa Ana at $48/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

Similar openings near Los Angeles, CA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Mechanical Engineer, Interceptor figures were last recalculated when this page was built.