Early-Career Satellite Mechanical Engineer

NewOrbit Space; Reading; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity stake in company

Visa sponsorship

Relocation support

Private health insurance

Job summary

NewOrbit Space is seeking a dedicated mechanical engineer to design and organize hardware for the NEO-1 satellite in a small, multidisciplinary team. You’ll translate requirements into manufacturable designs, own real parts early, and support validation through prototyping and environmental testing.

You’ll work on the 3D CAD assembly, run tolerance checks, and help maintain interfaces as the design evolves, while collaborating with engineers across disciplines to ensure robust integration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in mechanical, aerospace or related engineering discipline, completed or completing very soon.
• Hands-on 3D CAD skills from university projects, a placement or an internship (SolidWorks preferred; CATIA, NX or Creo also considered).
• Working knowledge of GD&T and experience producing engineering drawings, including from coursework or a team project.
• Solid grounding in mechanical design principles, materials and thermal management, with a working understanding of structural mechanics.
• Evidence of designing, building and testing something real, such as a placement project, Formula Student, a UAV, or a rocketry or satellite team, including troubleshooting and iteration.
• Clear communicator who is comfortable explaining and defending design decisions, and open to feedback and challenge in a fast-moving team.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop mechanical hardware for the satellite, such as brackets, panels, component mounts, thermal-control hardware and cable and harness routing, with guidance from the lead designer.
• Work in the satellite's large 3D CAD assembly alongside the wider design team, learning how to keep interfaces, configurations and revisions in step as several designers work in the same model.
• Support assembly configuration, PLM data (3DEXPERIENCE ('3DX') or similar), bills of materials and engineering change control (ECO/ECR/ECN), so that models, drawings and interfaces stay consistent as changes are released.
• Run interference and clash checks and help maintain the digital mock-up, working with each subsystem owner to allocate space and resolve conflicts.
• Produce dimensioned, manufacturing-ready drawings using GD&T, with review from senior engineers.
• Support design reviews (PDR and CDR) and qualification, working with structural and thermal engineers.
• Work with manufacturers and suppliers to make designs easier to build, and to balance cost, mass and reliability.
• Support prototype builds, integration and environmental test campaigns, iterating designs based on results.
• Collaborate with electrical, software, systems and thermal engineers to integrate mechanical components into the satellite platform.

Skills

3D CAD

SolidWorks

GD&T

Engineering drawings

Thermal management

Structural mechanics

Communication

Education

Bachelor's or master's in mechanical/aerospace

Tools

3DEXPERIENCE

Windchill

Teamcenter

ENOVIA

SolidWorks PDM

Job description

NewOrbit Space is seeking a dedicated mechanical engineer to design and organize hardware for the NEO-1 satellite in a small, multidisciplinary team. You’ll translate requirements into manufacturable designs, own real parts early, and support validation through prototyping and environmental testing.

You’ll work on the 3D CAD assembly, run tolerance checks, and help maintain interfaces as the design evolves, while collaborating with engineers across disciplines to ensure robust integration.