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CesiumAstro creates out-of-the-box communication systems for space and airborne platforms.
The Role
Lead mechanical design and analysis for spacecraft from concept through flight: define requirements, perform trades, CAD and FEA, electronics packaging, thermal and structural analysis, design mechanisms, support manufacturing, testing, qualification, and in-orbit support to optimize mass, cost, reliability, and manufacturability.
Summary Generated by Built In
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 Spacecraft Mechanical Engineer II to our Internal Missions team. If you enjoy working in a startup environment and are passionate about developing space hardware for leading-edge communications satellites, we would like to hear from you.
In this position, you will be responsible for mechanical aspects of Cesium spacecraft, subsystems, and interfaces through all phases of the development process. The ideal candidate will be versatile and proficient in mechanical analysis, electronics packaging, computer-aided design (CAD), mechanical interfaces, thermal architecture, spacecraft propulsion, deployable and actuated structures, and environmental qualification of spacecraft.
As a Cesium spacecraft team member, you will work on a small team to develop satellites and put them in orbit. You will be responsible for mechanical designs from concept through space flight including requirements definition, architecture trades and block diagrams, analysis, manufacturing, testing, qualification, and in-orbit support.
Your work will have a direct impact on the success of the company. You will work closely with the engineering team, program management to ensure the successful build and launch of our satellite. Element will be the largest, most powerful rideshare satellite in LEO. We’re launching eight of them in the next four years, starting with our first launch this year. Together, our small team will design, build, and iterate to reduce mass and cost while increasing performance, reliability, and manufacturability of a new generation of satellites. Let’s build!
JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering from an accredited university or institution.
- Minimum of 6 years of experience (including CubeSat projects) in spacecraft mechanical engineering to include electronics packaging, thermal, shock, vibration, stress dynamics, and cost. A Master's degree may count as two years of experience.
- Experience in conducting architectural trade studies including parametric and first-order cost and physical analysis.
- Experience with professional mechanical and FEA CAD tools, such as Ansys Mechanical, SolidWorks Simulation, and Thermal Desktop.
- Experience with CNC manufacturing and GD&T.
- Experience with advanced aerospace manufacturing and materials including sandwich panels and carbon composites.
- Proficiency in detailed mechanical design (3D CAD, drawings, etc.).
- Experience designing and manufacturing mechanisms and mechanical actuators.
- Experience with EMI/EMC mitigation techniques.
- Familiarity with spacecraft thermal architectures including heat pipes, phase change materials, contact resistance, and surface finishes as well as fundamental understandings of thermodynamics in a spacecraft context.
- Familiarity with launch and LEO environments (thermal, shock, vibe, radiation, etc).
- Familiarity with design for test, manufacturability, assembly, and reliability.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE
- Python, C++, or other programming languages.
- Experience with two or more spacecraft structural and mechanical architectures which drives your vision for the next generation of spacecraft.
- CubeSat experience.
- Robotics and control systems experience.
- Spacecraft propulsion system experience.
- Gyroscopic system experience.
- PCBA experience.
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.
Skills Required
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering
- Minimum of 6 years spacecraft mechanical engineering experience (Master's may count as two years)
- Experience with architectural trade studies including parametric cost and physical analysis
- Experience with professional mechanical and FEA CAD tools (Ansys Mechanical, SolidWorks Simulation, Thermal Desktop)
- Proficiency in detailed mechanical design (3D CAD, drawings)
- Experience with CNC manufacturing and GD&T
- Experience with advanced aerospace manufacturing and materials (sandwich panels, carbon composites)
- Experience designing and manufacturing mechanisms and mechanical actuators
- Experience with EMI/EMC mitigation techniques
- Familiarity with spacecraft thermal architectures (heat pipes, phase change materials, contact resistance, surface finishes) and thermodynamics in spacecraft context
- Familiarity with launch and LEO environments (thermal, shock, vibration, radiation)
- Familiarity with design for test, manufacturability, assembly, and reliability
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Experience conducting environmental qualification, testing, and in-orbit support
- Experience with electronics packaging
CesiumAstro Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about CesiumAstro and has not been reviewed or approved by CesiumAstro.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage includes medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, plus FSAs and mental health benefits. Feedback suggests the health package is comprehensive for a growth-stage aerospace firm.
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Retirement Support — Offerings include a 401(k) with company matching and other retirement-plan elements. Feedback suggests core retirement mechanisms are in place alongside standard financial benefits.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Generous PTO, paid holidays, paid sick days, and bereavement leave are included. Feedback suggests time-off options are broad on paper across multiple leave types.
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The Company
What We Do
We build high-throughput, plug-and-play phased array communication payloads for space and airborne platforms. CesiumAstro’s full-stack, multi-mission hardware and software products enable a diverse range of commercial and defense objectives. Full-system engineering design is at the heart of every CesiumAstro product. We deliver high-performance solutions under rapid development timelines.
Why Work With Us
At CesiumAstro, we’re a team. We’re passionate, respectful, and determined colleagues ready to help at a moment’s notice. We’re mentors excited to enable our peers with the knowledge they need to succeed. Together, we’re visionaries committing to building memories that will last a lifetime.
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