Spacecraft Engine Mechanical Engineer

Staff Mechanical Engineer, Spacecraft Engine

Location: United States, Onsite

We are a rocket and spacecraft propulsion manufacturer building flight hardware that must survive launch and operate reliably in orbit for years. We are hiring a Staff Mechanical Engineer to lead the mechanical design and manufacturability of next generation Hall‑effect thrusters and associated propulsion hardware. The work requires deep mechanical design expertise for severe vibration and shock environments, a strong bias toward lightweight, small form factor packaging, and meticulous specification control over fasteners, joints and materials. It has to work the first time.

Hall‑effect thrusters introduce unique mechanical challenges. Critical components use brittle, high temperature ceramics that must endure launch loads, thermal gradients, and long duration operation in vacuum and plasma environments. We are looking for an engineer who can balance structural robustness, thermal performance, and manufacturability while protecting fragile materials and preserving thruster performance.

This is a hands on, high accountability role owning hardware from concept through qualification and flight production.

Role Overview

You will own the mechanical architecture of Hall‑effect thruster assemblies, including discharge channels, magnetic circuits, electrode assemblies, mounting interfaces, and thermal management features. You will drive design for manufacturability and assembly from the earliest concepts, ensuring scalability from engineering development units to repeatable flight production. You will define analyses, qualification approaches, supplier engagements, and test campaigns that demonstrate compliance with launch and space environmental requirements.

You will collaborate closely with plasma physics, electrical, test, and systems engineering to ensure mechanical decisions support thruster performance, spacecraft integration, and mission needs.

Key Responsibilities

Thruster Mechanical Architecture

• Own structural and thermal architecture for HET components and subassemblies
• Balance stiffness, mass, thermal paths, magnetic integration, and packaging constraints for small, lightweight configurations
• Define interfaces and mounting strategies that protect brittle ceramics during launch and test

Design for Manufacturability and Assembly

• Drive DFM and DFA from concept through release to reduce cost, complexity, and assembly risk
• Specify critical fasteners, locking features, torque methods, and thread engagements appropriate for vibration and shock environments
• Create build sequences, tolerance stacks, and datum strategies that deliver first‑time‑right assembly

Materials and Processes

• Select materials, coatings, and joining methods compatible with high temperature plasma and vacuum environments
• Engineer around CTE mismatch and thermal gradients for metal‑ceramic interfaces
• Establish handling, fixturing, and protection methods for fragile ceramic components

Analysis and Verification

• Perform structural, thermal, modal, random vibration, and shock analyses to qualification levels
• Translate requirements into analysis criteria with proper margins and acceptance criteria
• Correlate models to test data and update design or process accordingly

Supplier and Production Engagement

• Partner with manufacturing and supply chain to qualify vendors and resolve producibility challenges
• Define inspection criteria, special processes, and acceptance plans for critical features and ceramics
• Support transition from prototype builds to flight rate production

Testing and Qualification

• Define mechanical test plans for vibration, shock, thermal‑vacuum, and life testing
• Support instrumentation, fixturing, and test article configuration to ensure meaningful data
• Drive nonconformance resolution, root cause, and corrective action

Cross‑Functional Collaboration and Leadership

• Work closely with plasma physics, electrical, systems, and test to trade design options and risks
• Mentor mechanical and propulsion engineers, review critical designs, and establish best practices
• Lead simplification, standardization, and modularization efforts to improve reliability and cycle time

Why We Value You

• 5 or more years of mechanical design experience on aerospace flight hardware, preferably propulsion or high‑reliability spacecraft systems
• Demonstrated success taking hardware from concept through qualification and into production
• Proficiency in CAD and analysis tools such as NX, SolidWorks, Creo, ANSYS or equivalent
• Hands on experience with qualification testing for flight hardware including vibration, shock, and thermal‑vacuum
• Strong command of fastener selection, joints, GD&T, tolerance analysis, and lightweight packaging for severe environments
• Familiarity with spaceflight standards and processes such as NASA, ESA, ECSS, or MIL‑STD
• Clear communicator who can influence system decisions and mentor across disciplines
• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, or related field

Desired Multipliers

• Direct experience with electric propulsion hardware, particularly Hall‑effect thrusters or ion engines
• Background with high temperature materials, ceramics, plasma‑facing coatings, and metal‑ceramic joints
• Experience scaling hardware from engineering development units to flight production at quantity
• Familiarity with advanced manufacturing methods such as additive, brazing, precision ceramics machining, and vacuum compatible bonding
• Prior role as a mechanical lead or system architect for flight hardware

What Success Looks Like

• Designs that pass qualification on the first campaign and protect fragile ceramics through launch and life testing
• Repeatable builds with well‑defined tolerance stacks, inspection plans, and assembly sequences
• Clear, complete technical data packages that enable reliable production and supplier execution
• Strong model to test correlation and rapid, data‑driven iteration when required

Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

Adam Slade