Senior Mechanical Engineer

Responsibilities

• Serve as the system responsible engineer (SRE) for production jettison and separation systems on a launch vehicle payload fairing.
• Own end-to-end production engineering for pyrotechnic and ordnance-actuated separation mechanisms.
• Lead anomaly resolution and root cause investigations for production hardware nonconformances.
• Drive certification activities and interface with regulatory bodies and customer organizations.
• Develop and maintain system-level documentation including interface control documents, specifications, and acceptance criteria.
• Resolve structural margin and loads issues related to separation system interfaces.
• Provide manufacturing and production support for ordnance-based mechanical systems.
• Coordinate with suppliers on ordnance components, energetic devices, and custom mechanical assemblies.
• Support launch preparation, engineering support requests, and flight readiness activities.
• Work with cross‑functional teams responsible for selecting materials, manufacturing processes, and suppliers to produce world‑class aerospace hardware.
• Maintain and report on schedule, budget, and technical status.
• Coach, mentor, and technically assist other engineers.
• Identify opportunities for improvements and operational cost savings.

• Minimum of a B.S. degree in engineering and 8+ years of experience with aircraft, spacecraft, or launch vehicle structures, mechanisms, or pyrotechnic systems.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.
• Experience with pyrotechnic or ordnance‑actuated separation systems (e.g., linear shaped charges, frangible joints, pin pullers, explosive bolts, or similar energetic devices).
• System‑level engineering ownership experience – ability to own a complex mechanical/pyrotechnic system end‑to‑end from design through production and flight.
• Experience with structural dynamics, FEM interpretation, and loads analysis as applied to separation events.
• Strong understanding of production engineering processes for flight hardware.
• Experience with certification or qualification processes (e.g., NSSL, NASA, FAA, or equivalent regulatory frameworks).
• Experience with anomaly resolution, failure investigation, and root cause analysis on flight or flight‑like hardware.
• Mechanical design experience using CAD (Creo/Windchill preferred), hand calculations, and FEA (ANSYS preferred) tools.
• Experience with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerance analysis (ASME Y14.5).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion.
• Collaborative mindset and effective interpersonal skills.
• Strong desire to continuously learn, improve, and drive solutions forward.