Mechanical Engineer (Aerospace)

Location: Kent, Washington, United States; on-site role. Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual under ITAR requirements, and must be authorized to work in the United States.

Target annual base salary: Level 2 — $109,725–$148,470; Level 3 — $129,150–$193,620.

Company

Develops Nova, a fully and rapidly reusable launch vehicle, and future spacecraft, on-orbit mobility, downmass, satellite, platform, and in-space manufacturing products.

What you will do

• Own mechanical and structural spacecraft hardware from concept through flight operations, including structures, mechanisms, fluid and avionics packaging, thermal hardware, and launch-vehicle interfaces.
• Perform structural and thermal analysis using hand calculations and FEA; develop loads and load cases for launch, deployment, and on-orbit environments.
• Create CAD models and detailed manufacturing drawings with GD&T.
• Work directly with machinists, welders, and technicians to build, test, and improve hardware.
• Procure parts, manage suppliers, and deliver hardware on schedule and budget.
• Run and improve vibration, thermal, thermal-vacuum, structural, and pressure tests; troubleshoot failures, resolve non-conformances, and drive root-cause corrective action.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 2+ years of hands-on engineering experience designing, building, and testing hardware; internships and major university projects count.
• Exceptional command of statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD, preferably NX, and detailed manufacturing drawings.
• Working knowledge of GD&T according to ASME Y14.5.
• Experience with structural analysis using both hand calculations and FEA.
• Strong understanding of machining, sheet metal, welding, and additive manufacturing.
• Ability to take ownership, work independently, deliver results, and explain complex problems clearly.

Nice to have

• Experience with NX and ANSYS or similar tools.
• Spacecraft or launch-vehicle hardware experience, including launch loads, deployment, thermal cycling, vibration, shock, and vacuum.
• Experience with mechanisms, deployables, or separation systems.
• Experience with thermal-control hardware such as radiators, heaters, MLI, or heat pipes, or with propellant tank and fluid-line packaging.
• Hands-on test-campaign experience, including test plans, instrumentation, test execution, and data analysis.
• Exposure to avionics integration, harness routing, or electronics packaging.
• Experience in fast-paced startup or rapid-development environments.

Culture & Benefits

• Mission-driven, collaborative environment with ownership and cross-disciplinary responsibilities in a small organization.
• Stock options for regular, full-time employees.
• Subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus company-paid life and disability insurance.
• 401(k) plan with employer match.
• Four weeks of paid time off, 10 holidays including an end-of-year closure, and paid family/parental leave.
• On-site gym or monthly wellness stipend, depending on location, and dog-friendly offices.