Senior Mechanical Engineer

Meet Slingshot

At Slingshot Aerospace, we're on a mission to make space safer and more secure for everyone. Our work directly impacts global security, disaster response, climate monitoring, and the critical infrastructure that connects our world. We're a team of builders, thinkers, and problem-solvers who believe that the next generation of space operations will be powered by better data and smarter software.

We move fast, we're not afraid to fail, and we believe the best ideas can come from anywhere—whether you're in engineering, sales, product, or operations. If you want to work on something that truly matters, with people who care deeply about the impact we're making and help shape the future of an industry that's just getting started, you're in the right place.

Relocation assistance is available for this position.

As a senior member of Space Surveillance Research and Development (R&D) technical staff, you will take a lead role advancing Slingshot’s efforts to accelerate the security, safety, and sustainability of space via the development and deployment of next-generation electro-optical space surveillance systems. You will serve as a senior mechanical engineering contributor for Slingshot’s ground-based sensing systems, designing the structures, enclosures, mechanisms, mounts, and optomechanical hardware that allow precision optical systems to operate reliably in some of the most demanding environments on Earth.

This work will include a subset of (i) designing and modifying telescope and sensor enclosures for remote and extreme-environment operation; (ii) developing ruggedized mechanical systems capable of reliable operation in polar and other harsh environments; (iii) designing precision optomechanical structures, mounts, and alignment systems for custom optical assemblies; (iv) developing rigid structures for arrays of optical sensors and telescope assemblies; (v) integrating high-performance mechanical components into electro-optical sensing systems;

and (vi) working directly with fabrication partners and field teams to take designs from concept through manufacturing, assembly, deployment, and operation.

This role is intended for a highly practical mechanical engineer who enjoys solving unusual hardware problems and seeing those solutions operate in the real world. The right person will be equally comfortable developing a precision mechanical design in CAD, working through tolerances with a machine shop, troubleshooting an electromechanical mechanism in the lab, and helping a field team understand why a system behaves differently at
-50°C than it did in Colorado.

• Execute all position responsibilities in alignment with Slingshot’s core values, mission, and purpose

• Serve as a senior mechanical engineering contributor for Slingshot’s ground-based electro-optical space surveillance systems

• Design and develop mechanical structures, telescope enclosures, equipment housings, mounts, frames, optical benches, and other hardware for permanent and deployable sensing systems

• Lead mechanical design and hardening of systems intended for operation in polar and other extreme environments, accounting for environmental effects such as cold temperatures, wind, snow, ice, moisture, freeze/thaw cycles, marine atmospheric corrosion, and large thermal excursions

• Develop approaches for maintaining reliable mechanical operation, alignment, sealing, lubrication, cable management, and serviceability at very low temperatures

• Design custom optomechanical hardware including lens mounts, camera mounts, optical tube interfaces, baffles, alignment features, focus mechanisms, and other precision assemblies

• Design rigid mounting structures and…