Early-Career TCA Mechanical Design Engineer — Space Hardware

Cowboy Space Corp.; United States; On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement savings plan

Paid time off

10 paid holidays per year

Paid parental leave

Relocation assistance

Daily lunch in the office

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. in Kent, WA is seeking a TCA Mechanical Design Engineer Level 1 to own hardware lifecycles from concept to flight.

You will work with propulsion, structures, and shop operations to deliver manufacturable designs using additive, CNC, and precision joining technologies. The role emphasizes hands-on fabrication, tooling design, and rapid design-build-test cycles, with opportunities to influence a growing hardware-focused startup.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Aerospace Engineering.
• 1+ years of mechanical design for rocket engine or high‑performance hardware; internships count.
• Strong design with DFM/DFA and hands-on fabrication or assembly experience.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD and ASME Y14.5 GD&T standards.
• Foundations in thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and structural mechanics.
• U.S. citizenship, permanent resident, or eligible for required authorizations.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end TCA hardware lifecycle from requirements through manufacturing to flight qualification.
• Lead mechanical design optimized for manufacturability with physics-based analysis.
• Implement advanced manufacturing: additive, precision CNC, EDM, and specialized joining.
• Design tooling, fixtures, and work-holding for rapid development and production.
• Develop and qualify manufacturing process parameters for new materials/geometries.
• Plan hotfire tests, analyze results, and drive rapid redesign balancing performance and constraints.
• Release production-ready models, drawings, specs, and release docs.
• Collaborate with machinists and technicians on the shop floor to close gaps between design and build.

Skills

DFM/DFA emphasis

3D CAD proficiency

ASME Y14.5 GD&T

Engineering drawings

Thermodynamics

Fluid dynamics

Structural mechanics

Hands-on fabrication

Shop floor experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical/Manufacturing/Aerospace Engineering

Master’s degree in engineering (preferred)

Tools

NX/SolidWorks/CATIA/Creo

Ansys Mechanical/Fluent/Thermal Desktop

5-axis CNC tools

Job description

Cowboy Space Corp. in Kent, WA is seeking a TCA Mechanical Design Engineer Level 1 to own hardware lifecycles from concept to flight.

You will work with propulsion, structures, and shop operations to deliver manufacturable designs using additive, CNC, and precision joining technologies. The role emphasizes hands-on fabrication, tooling design, and rapid design-build-test cycles, with opportunities to influence a growing hardware-focused startup.