Build Engineer I/II - Space

The posting, as Antares wrote it

About Us

At Antares, our long-term mission is to make clean energy abundant from Earth to the Asteroid Belt. We’re fueled by the belief that advanced nuclear energy can strengthen our military, solve the climate crisis, elevate global living standards, and expand humanity's presence in outer space. To achieve our mission, we’re building mass-producible, inherently safe, deployable microreactors that can be used terrestrially, underwater, and in space.

The Antares team hails from SpaceX, the White House, the Pentagon, the Department of Energy, MIT, Rigetti Computing, General Atomics, Relativity Space, Ursa Major, and National Laboratories like Idaho, Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, and Savannah River. Antares has raised over $600M in venture capital from top-tier investors and has hundreds of million-dollars on contract with the military services, NASA, and the Department of Energy.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As a Build Engineer I/II on Antares’ Space team, you will turn engineering designs into hardware that advances nuclear power for space missions. You will own development, prototype, and pathfinder builds from planning through assembly, testing, and as-built closeout. Working closely with design engineers and technicians, you will solve hands-on integration challenges and develop repeatable build processes that support qualification and transition to production.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Plan assembly sequences, build flow, and schedules using engineering drawings and CAD models; update models as needed.
• Write build procedures and work orders, maintaining accurate as-built records and hardware configuration throughout each build.
• Assemble mechanical and fluid hardware using appropriate tools, torque specifications, and hardware selections; support design reviews to confirm adequate safety factors and margins.
• Install instrumentation and wiring, perform mid-build checkouts, and support verification, validation, and qualification testing, including test installation, operations, teardown, and post-test inspection.
• Design, procure, and build fixtures, handling equipment, and development tooling.
• Source commercial off-the-shelf hardware, quick-turn machined parts, and consumables; inspect incoming parts and resolve fit or quality discrepancies before assembly.
• Troubleshoot assembly and integration issues, document redlines, and coordinate changes with design owners to preserve requirements, interfaces, and design intent.
• Capture lessons learned and incorporate process improvements into build documentation to support repeatable production and handoff.
• Maintain a safe, organized build area when working with pressurized systems, high temperatures, and heavy hardware.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• 1+ years of hands-on experience building, assembling, or integrating mechanical hardware; internships and hardware-focused stude

[…]

• The customer and end user are often not the same. We will never build globally competitive commercial products if we lose sight of our end users and their entire interaction with the product life cycle
• Be Unconstrained by Convention - Our only limits are the laws of physics. Many, even experts, will say what we are working on is impossible. They said the same about SpaceX reusing rockets. Generationally impactful companies, by definition, must accomplish the seemingly impossible. If it were easy, it would have already been done. Never shy away from a solution because it has never been tried before, and never choose to do something because that's “how it's always been done”
• Go Where the Work Is - Never miss a chance to meet a customer, user, or stakeholder face to face, even if that means hopping on a plane. If you can’t make it, find a teammate who can channel your intentions and go in your place. Deep work can be done from anywhere, but we believe teams are built in person, and aim to maximize our time together
• Operate in the Grey - Embrace nuance in pursuit of truth. Question every fundamental assumption

Equal Opportunity

Antares is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, competence, and qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/?id=ddtc_kb_article_page&sys_id=24d528fddbfc930044f9ff621f961987.