Cmf Design Manager Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Department: Marketing

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Hawthorne, California

Compensation: $140,000 - $160,000 / year

Astrolab is The Lunar Operations Company. We design and build the systems and hardware the lunar economy will come to depend on — rovers, power, and data networks for sustained operations on the Moon. We are focused on the problems that must be solved before the next chapter of human exploration can scale. The Moon does not forgive untested assumptions. The people who work here know that, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

As a CAD Modeler & Visualization Specialist at Astrolab, you will be the technical execution engine of our design and marketing efforts. At Astrolab, our design function operates within a studio model embedded inside the Marketing organization. We believe that design sits at the intersection of engineering and brand; it is the visual language that translates our technical DNA into a consistent identity that defines a market. You will work day-to-day with our Fractional Chief Creative Director (a world-class automotive ID designer) and our Head of Marketing, taking raw engineering geometry and transforming it into beautiful, accurate, and compelling visual assets.

In this role, you will serve both the design team and the marketing organization. Your output—from Class A surfacing to photorealistic KeyShot renders—will be the primary way the world sees our rovers before they launch. You will bridge the gap between complex aerospace engineering and high-impact brand communication.

Modeling & Surfacing

• Class A Modeling: Utilize Alias to create high-quality, production-ready surfaces from initial design concepts and engineering data
• Geometry Translation: Take complex, constraint-heavy CAD data from the engineering team and optimize it for visualization and design iteration
• Form Refinement: Work closely with the Industrial Designer and Chief Creative Director to refine the physical forms of our hardware, ensuring they meet both aesthetic and structural requirements

Visualization & Rendering

• Photorealistic Rendering: Produce stunning, high-fidelity renders using KeyShot, translating technical CAD into marketing-ready imagery
• Asset Creation: Build a library of visual assets for use across investor decks, social media, press releases, and the Astrolab website
• Compositing: Use Adobe Creative Suite to composite renders into lunar environments, ensuring lighting, scale, and context are hyper-realistic and scientifically accurate

Cross-Functional Execution

• Engineering Liaison: Maintain a tight feedback loop with the engineering team to ensure that visualizations accurately reflect the current state of the vehicle's design and capabilities
• Marketing Support: Deliver visual assets at the speed of a modern marketing organization, supporting campaign launches, milestone announcements, and brand initiatives

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in industrial design, transportation design, digital arts, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and professional experience
• Experience using KeyShot for photorealistic rendering and lighting setup
• Experience using Alias for Class A surfacing and complex geometry

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience using Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop and Illustrator, for compositing and post-production
• Experience in transportation, robotics, automotive, aerospace, or a related industry
• Experience working in a studio environment or with marketing and communications teams
• Experience working with engineering constraints and CAD files generated in SolidWorks or CATIA
• Experience with lighting, material textures, Color, Materials, and Finish (CMF), and environmental rendering
• Experience managing multiple rendering projects and delivering assets within established deadlines

• Join a team of best-in-class engineers building the foundation of planetary surface exploration
• Equity ownership in the company
• Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and mental health support
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Flexible PTO and parental leave
• Home office set up reimbursement
• Weekly lunch stipend, plus complimentary snacks and beverages on-site
• Once a month social hour on-site with food and drinks