Mechanical Designer

Aerospacelab; Toulouse; On-site; EUR 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Aerospacelab is seeking a Mechanical Designer to join the satellite-focused team in Toulouse. You will develop mechanical structures for spacecraft, translate constraints into concepts, and support testing and validation to ensure robust performance.

Join a fast-paced environment with cross-functional collaboration across hardware, software, and systems teams. Fluency in English is required; experience with space-grade processes is a plus.

Qualifications

• MSc in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or related field.
• 2+ years of experience with 3D/2D CAD in aerospace or mechanical design.
• Strong communication and teamwork abilities.
• Fluency in English; other languages a plus.

Responsibilities

• Carry out development, procurement and testing of mechanical elements.
• Collaborate across systems engineering, project management and AIT.
• Perform concept studies and preliminary design phases with sales teams.
• Define interfaces and validation with suppliers/launch authorities.

Skills

3D CAD

2D CAD

Communication

Python scripting

Education

MSc in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Nastran

Simcenter 3D

Simcenter Testlab

Python

Job description

About Aerospacelab

Our mission is supported by an ambitious vertically integrated approach: design & manufacture of small satellites combined with development of earth observation services.

Since its creation in 2018, the company has already grown substantially. Our team gathers more than 25 engineering expertise, from hardware design to software development & data science.

In 2025, Aerospacelab counts offices in Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium), Toulouse (France), Lausanne (Switzerland) and US West Coast with more than 300 full-time employees, with the ambition to position itself as the European leader in small satellites.

Role Overview

As a satellite manufacturer and operator, Aerospacelab develops a range of units, payloads and platforms, each of them requiring a mechanical structure with stringent requirements: accurate pointing for optical unit, heat dissipation for power and RF units, stiffness yet smooth environment during launch, accurate mechanical plays for mechanism, radiation shielding, lightness and ease of assembly... you name it! To support those activities, we are looking for passionate and talented designer with a pragmatic mindset.

As mechanical designer, you will join an efficient team that works on cutting-edge products from their inception to their final assembly in the satellite: our activities range from performing the concept trade-offs and the overall design studies to the validation of the product through extensive testing.

At Aerospacelab, our motto is work hard, play hard. With strive to innovate, in a fun and inclusive work environment. We work in short cycles - no waiting for years before manufacturing and testing to get valuable feedback. Expect an exciting job, where you will learn constantly and contribute to building state-of-the-art designs, that will play a crucial role in our missions.

Our Mechanical missions

• Carry out the development, procurement and testing of the mechanical elements of our products
• Support the other teams in fulfilling their duties: system engineering, project management, AIT, avionics, AOCS, procurement,... Mechanical design is at the crossroad of most of the technical fields!
• Perform concepts studies and preliminary design phases in close coordination with the sales team

Key Activities

• Translate engineering constraints (mechanical, thermal, EE, RF, AOCS,…) into spacecraft's structure and mechanisms concepts and assess their feasibility
• Perform concept trade-off, carry out overall design studies and validate the product through extensive testing
• Establish the design file of a product (configuration, drawings, stack-up analysis, material and treatments) and support the procurement process
• Define interface files and validation of the integration with suppliers and/or launch authority
• Support the testing activities (support to assembly, FE validation and prediction, Ground Support Equipment)

Must have

• MSc degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or related field
• Demonstrated ability to work across the team and company to drive mechanical designs to completion in full autonomy
• 2y+ experience in 3D/2D CAD design
• Good communication skills
• Pragmatic
• Result-oriented
• Fluency in English

Nice to Have

• Experience with Nastran, Simcenter 3D and Simcenter Testlabwill be strongly appreciated
• Experience with space environment requirements will be strongly appreciated
• Task automation skills through scripts (Python)
• Skills regarding CAD model versioning and configuration management (PLM)
• Good knowledge of manufacturing technologies and drawings