Tooling Engineer

Karman Industries

Karman Industries is a Torrance-based thermal technology company building the backbone for giga-scale AI infrastructure. Founded by a team from SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and GE, Karman is moving beyond legacy cooling with the launch of the HPU (Heat Processing Unit)—a new category of thermal architecture designed for the 100kW+ rack era.

The HPU shrinks the exterior mechanical yard by up to 80% while reducing peak energy consumption by 10%+. Unlike traditional systems, the Karman HPU provides zero-water (WUE 0) cooling that ensures high-TDP GPUs and HBM4 memory stay at optimal thermal setpoints without throttling.

Founded in 2024, we’re a fast-growing team of passionate professionals dedicated to making a tangible impact on the future of humanity. We design, build, and test real hardware, and we lead with ownership: you’ll own your work from concept to hardware and help shape how we scale. Our values are Ownership, Performance Excellence, Radical Transparency, and Customer-Centricity.

Join us in our mission to transform the industry and contribute to a more sustainable world.

Tooling Engineer

Karman Industries is seeking a motivated Tooling Engineer to support the development of the next generation of electric heat pumps for industrial process heat electrification. The ideal candidate will contribute to the design, analysis, and fabrication of production and assembly tooling within the Thermal01 heat pump platform and future product lines — getting sCO₂ turbomachinery systems from drawing to skid.

This role requires technical ownership spanning structural, fabrication, and assembly hardware. You will drive tooling design from concept through structural analysis, fabrication coordination, and on-floor commissioning — for everything from large weldment fixturing and precision alignment tooling to the lift, rigging, and transport equipment that moves a 120,000+ lb skid. We are a team that values first-principles thinking, hands-on problem solving, and close cross-functional collaboration to deliver cohesive, high-performance systems.

You'll work at the pace of a company standing up its first production line, where the tool you design this month may be load-tested and in use on the shop floor the next.

Responsibilities

• Own the design, development, and implementation of tooling, fixtures, and jigs for weldment fabrication, component alignment, and final skid assembly on Karman's sCO₂ turbomachinery systems

• Design and structurally validate (FEMAP/NX Nastran or ANSYS) lift, rigging, and transport tooling — spreader bars, tow/pull systems, forklift and crane interfaces — for large hardware up to 120,000+ lbs

• Partner with mechanical, turbomachinery, and manufacturing engineering to build DFM/DFA, GD&T, and tolerance stack-up feedback into hardware before release

• Generate 3D models, drawings, and fabrication packages (NX/Teamcenter); source and manage external fabrication vendors on cost, schedule, and quality

• Design tooling and equipment layouts that integrate cleanly with the production floor as it scales

• Support hands-on tooling installation, commissioning, and load testing/certification of safety-critical fixtures and lifting equipment, driving root cause and corrective action as issues arise

• Be a visible presence on the shop floor and maintain a live tooling schedule against program milestones, flagging risk early

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field, or equivalent practical experience

• Experience designing tooling, jigs, or fixtures for production, assembly, or test environments

• Strong 3D CAD skills (NX preferred); proficiency in FEMAP/NX Nastran or ANSYS for structural analysis of tooling and lifting/rigging equipment — must-have

• Working knowledge of GD&T, tolerance stack-up analysis, and structural sizing codes/standards for rigging equipment (e.g., ASME BTH-1, 49 CFR, ASCE 7)

• Familiarity with common fabrication processes (welding, machining, assembly, inspection) and how they inform tooling design

• Comfortable working hands-on during tool installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting alongside a fabrication/build team

• Strong ownership mentality and effective cross-disciplinary/vendor communication in a fast-moving, resource-constrained environment

Physical Requirements

• Able to lift up to 50 lbs

• Comfortable spending time on the shop floor around active fabrication, assembly, and test operations

Desired Skills and Experience

• Master's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, or related field

• Exposure to turbomachinery, heat exchangers, or high-temperature fluid systems

• Experience with electromechanical tooling elements (motors, actuators, linear rails, bearings)

• Basic proficiency in Python or MATLAB, and familiarity with instrumentation/testing of thermal or mechanical systems

Karman Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment with Karman Industries is governed on the basis of merit, competence, and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by 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. Karman Industries provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and employment process.

Direct applicants only — we are not working with outside recruiters or agencies for this role.