Chief Mechanical Engineer, Spacecraft Systems

InvestedintheMission; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation package

Equity grants

Medical, dental, vision

Job summary

Quantum Space in Rockville, MD or Hawthorne, CA seeks a Director of Mechanical Engineering to own the design, integration, and verification of all mechanical systems on our spacecraft platforms. You will lead a team of engineers and developers building systems that survive launch and enable mission-critical functions including payload support, structural integrity, mechanisms, and thermal control.

The role requires a Bachelor’s or Master’s in Mechanical Engineering, 12+ years in spacecraft

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 12+ years of relevant spacecraft mechanical design and analysis experience.
• 7+ years of technical team management experience.
• Experience with conceptual, detailed design, and integration phases of spacecraft programs.
• Strong knowledge of structural design, lightweight space structures, and pressurized system design principles.
• Familiarity with mechanical specifications and standards across industry.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams across disciplines and regions.
• Work location within the Washington DC / Maryland / Virginia (DMV) area.
• Proficiency developing large mechanical assemblies in PTC Creo and Windchill.
• GD&T per ASME Y14.5.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical design and analysis activities for flight hardware and ground support equipment.
• Own spacecraft mechanical configurations, including structural layout and payload integration.
• Hire, train, and develop mechanical engineering staff across programs.
• Oversee design artifacts, drawings, and analysis reports.
• Manage cradle-to-grave development from concept to on-site build and flight operations.
• Prepare subsystem and interface control documents.
• Identify risks and drive mitigations across teams.
• Develop mechanical hardware and test plans aligned to schedules.
• Support subcontract procurements via technical evaluation.
• Create content for design reviews and verification campaigns.

Skills

Mechanical design

Team leadership

Spacecraft engineering

Creo/Windchill

Systems integration

GD&T ASME Y14.5

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

PTC Creo

Windchill

GD&T

Job description

Quantum Space in Rockville, MD or Hawthorne, CA seeks a Director of Mechanical Engineering to own the design, integration, and verification of all mechanical systems on our spacecraft platforms. You will lead a team of engineers and developers building systems that survive launch and enable mission-critical functions including payload support, structural integrity, mechanisms, and thermal control.

The role requires a Bachelor’s or Master’s in Mechanical Engineering, 12+ years in spacecraft