Senior Staff Mechanical Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Please Note:  To conform with the United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., conditional resident, asylee or refugee (protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

At  CesiumAstro , we are developers and pioneers of out-of-the-box communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and other space and airborne platforms. We take pride in our dynamic and cross-functional work environment, which allows us to learn, develop, and engage across our organization. If you are looking for hands-on, interactive, and autonomous work, CesiumAstro is the place for you. We are actively seeking passionate, collaborative, energetic, and forward-thinking individuals to join our team.  

We are looking to add a Senior Staff Mechanical Engineer to our team. In this role you will apply advanced mechanical engineering principles to develop and improve mechanical systems, structures, mechanisms, and hardware supporting complex products and platforms. This role contributes to product development by solving highly complex technical challenges, advancing mechanical engineering methodologies, and serving as a primary technical resource across multiple programs to improve product performance, manufacturability, reliability, quality, and mission success.

Working cross-functionally with engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and operations teams, this role supports mechanical engineering activities throughout the product development lifecycle.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Apply mechanical engineering principles to develop mechanical systems, structures, mechanisms, assemblies, and engineering solutions across multiple products and manufacturing programs.
• Evaluate structural performance, thermal behavior, tolerance requirements, manufacturability, and mechanical interfaces to advance mechanical engineering methodologies and design approaches.
• Lead complex engineering analyses, structural evaluations, thermal assessments, design trade studies, and technical reviews requiring ingenuity to resolve challenging mechanical engineering issues.
• Lead highly complex mechanical verification, qualification, validation, and testing activities supporting engineering and manufacturing objectives.
• Evaluate engineering data, test results, inspection findings, manufacturing information, and product performance while developing solutions that improve mechanical system performance and reliability.
• Guide root cause investigations, engineering changes, corrective actions, and design improvements supporting successful product development and manufacturing.
• Serve as a primary technical resource for mechanical engineering across significant engineering and manufacturing initiatives.
• Provide mechanical engineering guidance through design reviews, engineering investigations, manufacturing reviews, supplier evaluations, and complex technical problem resolution.
• Promote consistent mechanical engineering practices by mentoring engineers and supporting continuous improvement initiatives.
• Advance mechanical engineering methodologies, design practices, engineering standards, verification approaches, and analytical techniques across multiple programs.
• Evaluate mechanical engineering methods, design practices, manufacturing processes, and emerging technologies to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Lead initiatives that enhance product performance, manufacturability, reliability, quality, design efficiency, and engineering effectiveness.

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Civil Engineering, Industrial Design, Engineering Technology, or a related technical field with 12–15 years of related experience, Master's degree in a related field with 8–12 years of related experience, or PhD in a related field with 5–8 years of related experience in mechanical engineering, structural analysis, stress analysis, CAD, product design, or aerospace mechanical design, including the design of mechanical components, assemblies, structures, and mechanisms for applications involving ruggedized computing, defense electronics, VPX architectures, Line-Replaceable Units (LRUs), spaceborne payloads, or a related engineering discipline.
• Prior experience as a Mechanical Engineer acting as a technical leader and/or Subject Matter Expert (SME) for a site, program, or engineering organization.  
• Experience with tolerance analysis, bolted-joint analysis, self-locking fasteners and mechanical locking methods, and Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) in accordance with ASME Y14.5.
• Experience with mentoring engineers. 
• Substantial knowledge of mechanical engineering principles, machine design, structural analysis, mechanical systems, and product development methodologies.
• Extensive experience designing mechanical components, assemblies, structures, mechanisms, and manufacturing solutions across multiple engineering programs.
• Comprehensive understanding of engineering analysis, structural analysis, thermal analysis, tolerance analysis, GD&T, manufacturing processes, product verification, and system integration.
• Develops innovative solutions for highly complex mechanical engineering challenges while advancing technical capabilities across multiple engineering efforts.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
• Mechanical design, CAD, simulation, and engineering analysis tools, e.g. SolidWorks, Creo, ANSYS, MATLAB, or equivalent applications.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Prior experience as a lead mechanical engineer or lead mechanical design engineer to a site, program, or engineering organization. 
• Experience with root cause and corrective action (RCCA) methodologies, including 5 Whys, Fishbone diagrams, or equivalent techniques.
• Experience with mechanical, structural, and thermal analysis methods, particularly Finite Element Analysis (FEA) using Ansys Mechanical, Steinberg vibration fatigue methods, and JEDEC JESD15-3 two-resistor compact thermal modeling.
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes, product verification, system integration, CNC machining, acceptance and qualification testing, and Design for Assembly (DFA) and Design for Manufacturing (DFM) methodologies. 

CesiumAstro considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.  Full-time employment offers include company stock options and a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability and retirement plans.  

CesiumAstro is an Equal Opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Please note: CesiumAstro does not accept unsolicited resumes from contract agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited resumes submitted to our website or to CesiumAstro team members will be considered property of CesiumAstro, and we will not be obligated to pay any referral fees.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.