Senior Mechanical Engineer

Our client is a fast-scaling U.S. aerospace company building spacecraft and Space Domain Awareness (SDA) capability - satellites and on-orbit systems designed to track, inspect, rendezvous with, and operate around objects in orbit. Engineering teams here work end-to-end across the full mission lifecycle - from spacecraft structures and propulsion (including in-house electric/ion propulsion development) to GNC, modeling and simulation, AIT, and on-orbit operations. It's a small, mission-driven environment where mechanical engineers see their hardware go from CAD model to flight-qualified, on-orbit asset, often on accelerated, startup-pace timelines. This is a high-ownership opportunity for a senior mechanical engineer joining the Mechanical Engineering team to help design and build the satellites and mechanisms that make these missions possible. What You'll Do Mechanical Design & Development Design metallic structures and propulsion fluid systems for flight hardware under accelerated development timelines Review specifications and engineering data to develop mechanical systems and subsystems supporting spacecraft buses, mechanisms, and propulsion-adjacent hardware Update designs and drawings through engineering change orders to support rapid, iterative design cycles Create detailed component and assembly drawings, applying GD&T and tolerance stack-up analysis to ensure manufacturability and fit Work across the full development lifecycle — concept, detailed design, analysis, fabrication, integration, and test — to deliver flight-ready hardware Cross-Functional & Mission Collaboration Collaborate closely with propulsion, GNC, AIT, and systems engineering teams to ensure mechanical designs integrate cleanly with spacecraft subsystems, including propulsion components such as thrusters, fluidic systems, and high-voltage/plasma-exposed hardware Support trade studies, design reviews (e.g., PDR/FRR-style milestones), and system-level integration and testing as hardware moves from EM to FM stages Lead, mentor, and train junior and mid-level engineers Bring multiple engineering disciplines together to build consensus around a unified design direction in a fast-moving, resource-conscious environment What You Bring Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline 5+ years of mechanical design and drafting experience Proficiency with 3D CAD software (SolidWorks preferred) Strong understanding and application of GD&T and tolerance stack-ups Must be able to obtain a Secret and/or TS/SCI clearance Nice to Have Hands-on experience designing hardware within highly constrained systems under tight timelines Experience working with aluminum and composite materials Familiarity with welded structures and fluid systems, particularly propellant or high-voltage/plasma-exposed components Ability to manage large assembly models and complex drawing sets Experience supporting manufacture-ready GD&T release for flight or flight-like hardware Strong self-direction, multi-tasking, and documentation skills in a small-team, high-ownership environment #J-18808-Ljbffr ACE Partners