Mechanical Engineer III

Job Description

Job Description

Title: Mechanical Engineer III

Location: Pasadena, CA - ONSITE

Shift: 1st

9/80 Schedule

Pay Range: $49-76.60HR - with PTO/Holiday Pay

This is a contract position for 2 years with the possibility of conversion to Direct HIRE. APPLY NOW

Summary:

The Mechanical Engineer will support the Manufacturing, Packaging & Test Services Section, contributing to the design, development, fabrication, assembly, integration, and testing of space flight electronics, microelectronics, photonic hardware, and ground support equipment. This role blends advanced mechanical design capabilities with strong technical design execution, requiring broad knowledge of mechanical systems, electronic packaging, CAD modeling, and hardware manufacturing processes.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinate with product delivery leads, technical leads, proposal managers, and project management.
• Participate in and sometimes lead design teams to develop space flight and ground support electronic hardware, subsystems, and components.
• Generate detailed 3D CAD models, drawings, layouts, sketches, and design studies using NX or comparable tools.
• Create and revise designs for components, subsystems, and systems to improve manufacturability, structural integrity, performance, and compliance with engineering standards.
• Interface with packaging and manufacturing engineers, designers, analysts, machine shop, Quality Assurance, and project staff.
• Plan and produce work instructions for fabrication and assembly of electronic packaging, cable harnesses, and mechanical assemblies.
• Prepare for and participate in technical design reviews, including presenting design content and addressing action items.
• Solve complex mechanical and packaging design problems, perform trade studies, and develop design requirements supporting hardware qualification and fabrication workflows.
• Coordinate design criteria including ease of manufacture, material availability, and contractual specifications with engineering, materials, and planning groups.

Qualifications:

• Advanced understanding and application of mechanical engineering principles including structures, configuration, mechanisms, structural analysis, integration, and test.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering or related technical discipline, with corresponding experience levels.
• Strong proficiency with CAD tools such as NX or SolidWorks; experience with recent NX versions preferred.
• Knowledge and practical application of ASME Y14.xx and Y14.5 GD&T standards.
• Broad experience in mechanical and electronic packaging design, including printed wiring board (PWB) design, mechanical chassis, manufacturing processes, and cable harness assembly.
• Ability to independently execute mechanical design activities, coordinate fabrication and assembly, and support hardware qualification.
• Strong communication, organizational skills, and ability to meet deadlines in a team environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with spacecraft flight electronic hardware development and test.
• Working knowledge of JPL drawing release processes and inspection documentation.
• Knowledge of soldering operations, cable assembly, SMT electronics manufacturing, and electro-mechanical analyses (thermal, structural, venting).
• Experience with PWB design tools such as Mentor or Altium.
• Experience interfacing with vendors and fabrication services for mechanical, electronic, and PWB manufacturing.
• Familiarity with applicable NASA, JPL, and government standards, policies, and procedures

A world-renowned aerospace research organization where your work contributes to groundbreaking space exploration, scientific discovery, and technologies that shape the future.

Company Description

A world-renowned aerospace research organization where your work contributes to groundbreaking space exploration, scientific discovery, and technologies that shape the future.