Mechanical Design Engineer - III

catalyx space; Ahmedabad District; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 2,600,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Provident fund

Job summary

Catalyx Space in Ahmedabad, India, seeks a Mechanical Design Engineer to lead the primary structure design for spacecraft and reentry vehicles. You will own CAD models, perform FEA, and drive qualification campaigns end-to-end.

The role requires 5+ years in space hardware design, expertise in SolidWorks, and experience delivering flight-ready structures. On-site work with competitive compensation and health benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience in spacecraft or reentry structural design
• Direct experience delivering space hardware through qualification and flight readiness
• Expert proficiency in SolidWorks CAD
• Strong expertise in tolerance stack-up analysis
• Deep knowledge of FEA modelling for structural and vibration analysis
• Proven experience with vibration testing
• Extensive experience with composites, sandwich panels, and high-temperature materials
• Experience designing and validating pressure vessels for space applications
• Experience integrating pyrotechnic devices into structural systems
• Expertise in additive-manufacturing design
• Experience with high-temperature fabrics, woven composites, or textile-based structures
• Familiarity with textile engineering concepts such as weaves, stitching, and layups

Responsibilities

• Define the product from concept through flight readiness
• Own overall BOM, vehicle configuration, hardware release process, and PLM coordination
• Take ownership of spacecraft qualification campaigns and flight acceptance testing at the system level
• Define test campaigns for spacecraft and reentry systems
• Define volume, mass, CG, and stiffness boundaries for cross-functional teams
• Own SolidWorks CAD design of primary structures and assemblies
• Perform FEA modelling and analysis using ANSYS, Abaqus, or equivalent tools
• Define assembly sequences for spacecraft structures and subsystems to support efficient integration and test flow
• Oversee spacecraft integration from structural build-up through final closeout
• Collaborate with engineering teams to provide DFM feedback and practical design solutions for complex geometries
• Apply additive-manufacturing design principles where appropriate
• Define and derive torque requirements for fasteners and joints
• Oversee MGSE hardware design supporting integration and test operations

Skills

SolidWorks CAD

Tolerance stack-up analysis

FEA modelling

Vibration testing

Composites

Additive manufacturing

High-temperature materials

Textile structures concepts

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

ANSYS

Abaqus

Job description

Mechanical Design Engineer - III

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India (On-site)

Full-time

Space Technology

Catalyx Space is building the world's best reentry systems. Our reusable ReX vehicles return payloads from orbit at unprecedented scale, up to 12 tons and 60m³ of cargo, while operating the full mission lifecycle from launch to recovery. Our core innovation is a Origami-inspired deployable heat shield that combines the scalability of an inflatable system with the robustness of a rigid structure. Built from commercial off-the-shelf components, it enables the world's widest heat shields, the largest payload return volumes, and a scalable pathway for returning everything from commercial cargo to future space nuclear assets.

Role:

As a Senior Design Engineer (Structures), you will lead the design, development, integration, and qualification of the primary structure for spacecraft and reentry vehicles. This role combines hands-on CAD/FEA expertise with system-level ownership across composites, pressure vessels, pyrotechnic interfaces, and full qualification campaigns.

You will help ensure Catalyx hardware is reliable, manufacturable, and flight-ready.

Key responsibilities:

• Define the product from concept through flight readiness
• Own overall BOM, vehicle configuration, hardware release process, and PLM coordination
• Take ownership of spacecraft qualification campaigns and flight acceptance testing at the system level
• Define test campaigns for spacecraft and reentry systems
• Define volume, mass, CG, and stiffness boundaries for cross-functional teams
• Own SolidWorks CAD design of primary structures and assemblies
• Perform FEA modelling and analysis using ANSYS, Abaqus, or equivalent tools
• Define assembly sequences for spacecraft structures and subsystems to support efficient integration and test flow
• Oversee spacecraft integration from structural build-up through final closeout
• Collaborate with engineering teams to provide DFM feedback and practical design solutions for complex geometries
• Apply additive-manufacturing design principles where appropriate
• Define and derive torque requirements for fasteners and joints
• Oversee MGSE hardware design supporting integration and test operations

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience in spacecraft or reentry structural design
• Direct experience delivering space hardware through qualification and flight readiness
• Expert proficiency in SolidWorks CAD
• Strong expertise in tolerance stack-up analysis
• Deep knowledge of FEA modelling for structural and vibration analysis
• Proven experience with vibration testing
• Extensive experience with composites, sandwich panels, and high-temperature materials
• Experience designing and validating pressure vessels for space applications
• Experience integrating pyrotechnic devices into structural systems
• Expertise in additive-manufacturing design
• Experience with high-temperature fabrics, woven composites, or textile-based structures
• Familiarity with textile engineering concepts such as weaves, stitching, and layups

Nice to have:

• Proven ability to deliver flight-ready structural hardware
• Background in algorithmic or generative design methods for lightweight structures
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Flexibility to support extended hours or weekend work during critical integration or test phases

Compensation & benefits:

• Competitive salary (details will be shared with shortlisted candidates),
• health insurance
• Provident fund.

We only contact candidates from @catalyx.space emails. No fees are required at any stage of our hiring process.

Equal Opportunity:

Catalyx Space is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on any protected characteristic.