Principal Mechanical Engineer, Space Special Programs

ABOUT THE TEAM: In the Space Special Programs team, we build spacecraft and space systems which serve a wide variety of functions in the space architecture. At a time when space superiority can no longer be taken for granted and with space systems proliferating at an incredible rate, the Space Special Programs team provides advanced, mission critical capabilities to our customer base to be able to more effectively operate and survive within this expanding environment with limited personnel. Working across product, engineering, sales, logistics, operations, and mission success, the Space Special Programs team develops, tests, deploys, and operates new, unique, space capabilities to drive mission success in challenging operational environments.

ABOUT THE JOB: We are looking for a Principal Mechanical Engineer to join our rapidly growing team in Chantilly, VA. In this role, you will be responsible for the full cycle design for spacecraft and associated systems including deriving requirements, 3D CAD, modelling (structural, thermal, dynamic, etc), materials selection, supervision of fabrication, initial assembly, test, debug and integration with the system. The designs include deployment mechanisms for spacecraft and subsystems (such as antennas, solar panels, etc), as well as boxes, structures, pressure vessels, and the like. All of these components require rigorous testing including vibration, shock, thermal vacuum, thermal, etc and must be developed to work with very tight tolerances, since the space vehicles themselves are fairly small. The design work also includes designing, building, and testing the MGSE required to integrate, assemble, and test the spacecraft, ultimately in a high-rate manufacturing environment. Your engineering team as a whole must span the capabilities of structural, thermal, and dynamic analysis, structure design for spacecraft, spacecraft dispensers, and other components, 3D CAD for all of these designs, design for fabrication and manufacture, as well as building prototypes, flight articles, and taking them through full qualification or acceptance test campaigns. You are expected to be an individual contributor as well as the team lead. Additionally, you will be responsible for helping develop the system mechanical designs, techniques, and standards, and, as the expert mechanical engineer, for mentoring and growing your team.

WHAT YOU’LL DO: Work with a cross‑functional team to design market leading hardware products