Mechanical Designer - Airborne

About Matter Intelligence

Welcome to Matter, where we are building the future of vision AI: pairing a world-first sensor that sees molecular chemistry, temperature, and 3D shape with a Large World Model that will be the most powerful intelligence engine for the physical world. This system doesn't just see what something looks like; it understands everything from a single pixel. We call this Superintelligent Vision.

Our team has delivered technologies to Mars for NASA/JPL, designed advanced sensors for U.S. Defense, and built core infrastructure at OpenAI. We are now building the next generation of space- and airborne-based sensing systems.

About the Role

Matter is hiring a Mechanical Designer focused on airborne payload hardware. This role will turn engineering concepts into detailed, manufacturable designs and support hardware from early packaging through fabrication, assembly, integration, and flight testing.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and maintain detailed mechanical designs, assemblies, drawings, and bills of material for airborne payload hardware.

• Translate system, optical, electrical, thermal, and structural constraints into practical packaging solutions.

• Apply sound design-for-manufacture and design-for-assembly practices while working closely with suppliers and internal builders.

• Support prototype builds, fit checks, integration, test-fixture development, and hardware troubleshooting.

• Maintain configuration discipline and incorporate lessons from fabrication, test, and flight operations into design updates.

Qualifications

Required

• Experience producing detailed mechanical designs and release-ready engineering drawings for complex hardware.

• Strong working knowledge of mechanical packaging, tolerancing, materials, and manufacturing processes.

• Ability to collaborate with engineers across optical, electrical, structural, thermal, and systems disciplines.

• Hands-on judgment and attention to detail through fabrication, assembly, and integration.

Preferred

• Experience with airborne, aerospace, precision-instrument, robotics, or other mass- and volume-constrained hardware.

• Experience packaging optical and electronic components with tight alignment or environmental requirements.

• Familiarity with rapid prototyping and low-volume production environments.

What Success Looks Like

• Designs are complete, manufacturable, and released on time with clear configuration control.

• Hardware assembles and integrates as intended with minimal avoidable rework.

• Design updates incorporate evidence from build, test, and flight operations quickly and accurately.

Location

This role is based in El Segundo, CA, and requires onsite work.

ITAR Requirements

To comply with U.S. export regulations, applicants must be one of the following:

• A U.S. citizen or national

• A lawful permanent resident (green card holder)

• Eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State

Employee Offerings and Benefits

At Matter, we believe in rewarding high performance and providing the support you need to thrive. Our compensation and benefits package includes:

• Competitive compensation based on experience

• Early-stage equity package

• 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision coverage

• Opportunity to work on novel sensing, data, and AI systems with real-world deployment paths to the largest industries in the world

Matter Intelligence is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds who can raise the ambition and performance of the team.