Senior Mobility Engineer
Astrolab
hawthorne, ca, usa
USD 140k-200k / year
Posted on May 17, 2025
Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) is developing planetary rovers and infrastructure to explore and establish human presence on the Moon and Mars. We are seeking motivated, creative, and exceptional people to join our team.
As a Senior Mobility Engineer, you will work with our mechanical, GNC, and test teams to develop planetary rovers and related systems. You will be responsible for developing mobility simulation and test capabilities and executing mobility simulations and laboratory/field tests to inform rover design, development, and operation.
As a Senior Mobility Engineer, you will work with our mechanical, GNC, and test teams to develop planetary rovers and related systems. You will be responsible for developing mobility simulation and test capabilities and executing mobility simulations and laboratory/field tests to inform rover design, development, and operation.
- Department
- Vehicle Engineering
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Location
- Hawthorne, California
- Workplace type
- Onsite
- Compensation
- $140,000 - $200,000 / year
- Reporting To
- Craig Western
What You’ll Do:
Development of mobility simulation capabilities
- Evaluation of planetary topography and surface strength information from orbital and ground observations
- Establishing terrain specifications and statistics
- Terrain topography and strength modeling
- Upscaling digital elevation models based on planetary geologic evolution and terrain statistics
- Rover drive path design and optimization
- Analysis of the line of sight between planetary surface assets, Earth stations, and the Sun
- Terrain strength data processing
- Advanced terramechanics modeling
- Lumped body dynamics modeling of planetary rovers
- Lumped body dynamics modeling of actuators
- Modeling of controller behavior and guidance, navigation and control algorithms
- Establishing metrics for understanding mobility performance.
Mobility test development
- Definition of analog terrain environments
- Development of systems and procedures to evaluate:
- Tire and rover terramechanics
- Obstacle and crater interactions
- Vehicle loads
- Design unit (tires, suspension, actuators, etc.) life
Simulation & laboratory/field testing for
- Model validation
- Test validation
- Mobility performance characterization and verification
- Mobility performance validation
- Developing loads for unit design
- Developing power budgets
- Evaluating crew vibration experiences
- Troubleshooting on-surface anomalies
What’s Prepared You:
Basic qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering
- 5+ years of experience in rover mobility engineering
- Expertise in applied physics as it relates to rover mobility analysis
- Capability to utilize a combination of analytical calculations, numerical simulation, testing, and engineering judgment to design, develop, and evaluate rover mobility
- Proficiency with MATLAB
Beneficial skills
- Ownership of task execution
- Aptitude for managing priorities and operating in a fast-paced environment
- Ability to work in a collaborative team environment with engineers, technicians, and leadership
- Ability to mentor and develop more junior mechanical engineers to build an effective design team
What We Offer:
- Work with a team of best-in-class engineers building the foundation of planetary surface exploration
- Ownership in the company
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- 401(k) with matching
- Flexible time off and parental leave
- On-site snacks, beverages, and 2x weekly lunches
- Flexible work environment
About Astrolab
Having a strong, inclusive, and inspired team is essential to accomplishing our bold mission. Employees are our biggest asset, and we are deeply committed to them and our values. At Astrolab we…
Demonstrate and inspire trust. Interactions are direct, honest, and respectful. We are fair and transparent with what we do and why.
Thrive in balance. Balance gives us perspective and keeps us motivated and inspired. We commit to rewarding work and a fulfilling personal life.
Seek diverse perspectives. We ask questions, engage in productive debate and offer alternatives to ensure our solutions and products are robust and a reflection of our collective best.
Move with purpose. Quality and reliability are accomplished through efficient ideation and iteration. We act with a sense of urgency and deliver what we promise, always with the big picture in mind.
Make an impact. We intentionally move our community and industry into the future through our work, practices, and actions.
Our Hiring Process
Stage 1:
Application Review
Stage 2:
Recruiter Phone Interview
Stage 3:
Video Interviews
Stage 4:
On-site Interview
Astrolab is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, gender, gender identity, parental or pregnancy status, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or veteran status. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to careers@astrolab.space. We strive to remove unconscious and unnecessary barriers to build the best team. While we’ve outlined what an ideal candidate could look like, we know that you may bring something unanticipated and essential to the team. If you’re reading this and can see yourself contributing, please register below.
