Director of Mechanical Engineering – Space Systems

Trident Systems Inc.; Sterling, Northern (VA, KY); Hybrid; USD 153,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Vision

401(k)

Job summary

Trident Systems seeks a Director of Mechanical Engineering to build, lead, and grow the mechanical engineering organization for DoD/IC/Civil space programs. This dual-role combines staffing leadership with technical authority as the Cognizant Mechanical Engineer, signing off on designs, analyses, and flight-ready products across the division.

The candidate will set engineering standards, guide processes, and balance functional excellence with program delivery, collaborating with program managers

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering (ABET-accredited).
• 15+ years of related experience with a BA, or 13+ with a MS, including leadership of mechanical eng teams.
• Experience as design authority or technical signature/approval for aerospace/space hardware.
• Experience hiring, performance management, and staff development.
• Experience defining or maturing engineering processes and standards in aerospace/defense contexts.
• Experience with aerospace/space hardware development and PDM/configuration management.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Cognizant Mechanical Engineer (CME) and design authority with sign-off responsibility for mechanical designs and analyses.
• Lead mechanical design of spacecraft electronics assemblies using CAD tools; ensure manufacturability.
• Review/approve structural and thermal analyses for flight readiness under loads and temperatures.
• Oversee space environmental testing (vibration, TVAC, shock) to ensure readiness.
• Resolve cross-disciplinary mechanical, electrical, software, and firmware issues with expert judgment.
• Represent mechanical engineering in customer, program, and executive reviews.

Skills

Leadership

Staff development

Communication

Problem solving

Education

ABET-accredited degree in Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor's or Master's degree

Tools

SolidWorks

CAD tools

Job description

Trident Systems seeks a Director of Mechanical Engineering to build, lead, and grow the mechanical engineering organization for DoD/IC/Civil space programs. This dual-role combines staffing leadership with technical authority as the Cognizant Mechanical Engineer, signing off on designs, analyses, and flight-ready products across the division.

The candidate will set engineering standards, guide processes, and balance functional excellence with program delivery, collaborating with program managers