R&D Engineering Resident — Mining & Payloads
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 1, 2026. First seen by Alion on Sep 1, 2026.
About AstroForge
At AstroForge, our mission is to make space resources accessible on Earth. We mine asteroids to extract valuable minerals in space at a lower cost and smaller carbon footprint than current terrestrial mining methods. By joining the team at AF you’ll have the opportunity to work side by side with our amazing engineering and science teams. This position will provide you with valuable skills, experience, and mentorship necessary to become a leading professional in your field. We offer a unique opportunity to join an exciting team looking to expand humanity’s capabilities in space.
Job Description
As an R&D Engineering Resident within the Mining & Payloads team at AstroForge, you’ll work on the design, assembly, and testing of flight payloads for asteroid characterization and mining as well as laboratory R&D of our laser-based asteroid mining process. This is a unique opportunity for an early-career engineer to work with a fast-paced, multidisciplinary team of engineers and scientists working on the cutting edge of space resources technology development.
Responsibilities
- Design, assembly, testing, and environmental qualification of optical and electrical payload elements for asteroid remote sensing and mining.
- Laser mining experimental design, execution, data analysis, and reporting.
Basic Qualifications
- Completed or near completion of engineering degree(s) (Bachelor or Master) in a relevant discipline.
- Ability to work on-site in Seal Beach, CA (minimum 40 hours per week).
- Hands-on assembly, integration, and test of an optical flight instrument or payload. E.g., mounting and aligning optics, integration into a flight structure, participation in the environmental qualification campaign. University, research-lab, or industry experience under an experienced mentor is the expected level. Instrument need not have flown, but must have gone through qualification.
- Has designed, built, and operated a complete engineering system end-to-end, such as robotics, laboratory instrumentation, vacuum or thermal test apparatus, or a comparably complex personal (hobby) build.
- Works quickly and independently, rapidly iterates, and documents work well enough for easy handoff to colleagues. Strong organizational and time-management skills in a fast-paced environment
Preferred Skills
- Circuit-level electronics competence: E.g., sensors, drivers, power, interlocks, microcontrollers, bench-instrument fluency. EE degree, or equivalent demonstrated capability.
- Python or equivalent for instrument control, data acquisition, and analysis.
- Can define, execute, and interpret a laboratory experimental campaign: hypothesis, variables, controls, uncertainty.
- Visible, near-infrared, and/or thermal infrared instrumentation exposure
Location: Onsite in Seal Beach, CA
Pay Rate: $30.00 per hour
Duration: 12 weeks with possibility of conversion to permanent, salaried employee
ITAR Requirements
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S.,protected individual as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.15) or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.