Manager, Mechanical Engineering (Space Robotics)

Location: On-site in Pasadena, California, United States. Candidates seeking to work in U.S. offices must meet applicable ITAR authorization requirements.

Base pay range: $151,500–$252,500 USD annually.

Company

hirify.global is an end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems for exploration, connectivity, protection, and national security missions.

What you will do

• Lead, manage, mentor, and develop mechanical engineers delivering space robotics, precision mechanisms, electromechanical assemblies, tooling, fixtures, ground support equipment, and high-reliability hardware.
• Own mechanical design efforts from concept through CAD, analysis, drawing release, procurement, assembly, integration, environmental testing, qualification, and delivery.
• Remain a hands-on technical contributor by developing concepts, reviewing SolidWorks CAD, performing trade studies, supporting analysis, resolving design issues, and driving hardware delivery.
• Make decisions on mechanical architecture, packaging, interfaces, tolerance strategy, materials, fabrication, assembly, inspection, verification, and design risk.
• Support staffing, utilization, resource planning, budgets, performance feedback, career development, and functional priorities across programs.
• Identify and mitigate technical, schedule, staffing, manufacturing, and test risks.

Requirements

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, or a related engineering discipline.
• 8+ years of hands-on mechanical engineering experience, including leading development efforts and supporting engineering teams.
• Proven delivery of high-reliability or spaceflight hardware from concept through design, build, integration, environmental testing, qualification, and delivery.
• Experience managing or technically leading engineers, including prioritization, mentoring, technical reviews, performance feedback, staffing support, and professional development.
• Strong background in mechanical design, precision mechanisms, robotics, electromechanical assemblies, aerospace hardware, tooling, fixtures, ground support equipment, or related systems.
• Experience across requirements definition, concept development, trade studies, CAD, analysis, drawing release, procurement, assembly, testing, troubleshooting, and production readiness.
• Experience designing and delivering space mechanisms or similar high-reliability motion systems, including motorized mechanisms, actuators, gimbals, gear trains, harmonic drives, bearings, motors, rotary sensors, springs, release devices, and kinematic or pseudo-kinematic interfaces.
• Strong SolidWorks experience covering CAD modeling, production drawings, GD&T, tolerance analysis, mechanical analysis, bills of material, and design documentation.
• Hands-on experience with hardware assembly, integration, troubleshooting, inspection, environmental testing, qualification, and design iteration.

Nice to have

• Experience with NASA, JPL, DoD, commercial space, or prime-contractor flight programs.
• Experience with robotic manipulators, in-space servicing, planetary robotics, precision spacecraft mechanisms, or similar space robotics systems.
• Experience establishing or scaling a mechanical engineering function, including hiring, technical standards, design reviews, mentoring, resource planning, and process development.
• Experience with AS9100, ISO 9001, NASA standards, configuration management, quality systems, root-cause investigations, failure analysis, nonconformance disposition, or test anomaly resolution.
• Strong communication, documentation, presentation, problem-solving, and cross-functional leadership skills.

Culture & Benefits

• Benefits include medical, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, dependent care accounts, disability and life insurance, paid vacation and sick time, 11 paid holidays, paid parental leave, and a 401(k) with company match.
• Compensation includes company stock and an Employee Stock Purchase Program with a 15% discount.
• Additional benefits include subsidized EV charging, onsite fitness centers where available, gym memberships, snacks and beverages, and employee discounts.
• The role involves prolonged sitting, standing, walking, and computer work, with occasional moderate noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.
• Work culture emphasizes technical ownership, teamwork, accountability, tight deadlines, and hands-on hardware delivery.