Engineering Manager, Mechanisms

True Anomaly, Inc.; Denver, Long Beach (CO, CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

PTO and holidays

Lunch & snacks in office

401(k) retirement plan

Equity participation

Job summary

True Anomaly is seeking an innovative Mechanisms Engineering Manager to lead a small, agile team responsible for the design, development, integration, and testing of precision, motor-driven actuation systems for orbital platforms. Reporting to the VP of Components and Payloads, this role encompasses hands‑on technical leadership alongside people management, program planning, and product delivery.

The team's portfolio spans precision pointing and tracking systems, solar array drive assemblies

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering (Master's preferred).
• 10+ years in spacecraft mechanisms design, development, and test.
• Experience with motor-driven actuation systems and control electronics.
• Lead engineering teams and deliver complex hardware on schedule.

Responsibilities

• Own technical direction for spacecraft mechanism systems and actuators.
• Lead and grow a mechanisms engineering team including a motor control engineer.
• Oversee end-to-end development lifecycle from requirements to test.
• Collaborate with GNC, avionics, and systems teams for integration.
• Manage schedules, budgets, risks, and design reviews with stakeholders.

Skills

Mechanisms engineering

Motor control

Team leadership

Gimbals & actuators

System integration

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Master's preferred

Tools

NASTRAN

ANSYS

Motor drive electronics

Job description

Space is a warfighting domain. True Anomaly seeks those with the talent and ambition to build the technology that secures it.

OUR MISSION

True Anomaly delivers decisive capabilities for space superiority. We build autonomous spacecraft, advanced payloads, mission software, and space-based interceptors — enabling the U.S. and its Allies to secure the space environment and counter threats from the ultimate high ground.

OUR VALUES

• Be the offset.We create asymmetric advantages with creativity and ingenuity.
• What would it take?We challenge assumptions to deliver ambitious results.
• It’s the people. Our team is our competitive advantage and we are better together.

BENEFITS & PERKS *

• Best-in-class healthcare: 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents, with HSA/HRA options
• Generous time off: Flexible Time Off (FTO) for exempt employees, accrued PTO of up to 25 days for non-exempt employees, plus 12 paid holidays; Parental Leave; Sick Leave
• Fuel for your day: Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks for in-office employees
• And more: 401(k) retirement plan, fitness reimbursement, and Dog Fridays
• Equity participation: Equity is included as part of our total compensation package, giving you an opportunity to share in the company’s success.

*Do not apply to fixed term and temporary roles

YOUR MISSION

True Anomaly is seeking an innovative Mechanisms Engineering Manager to lead a small, agile team responsible for the design, development, integration, and testing of precision, affordable, motor-driven actuation systems for orbital platforms. Reporting to the VP of Components and Payloads, this role encompasses hands‑on technical leadership alongside people management, program planning, and product delivery. The team's portfolio spans precision pointing and tracking systems, solar array drive assemblies (SADA), solar array drive electronics (SADE), deployment mechanisms, reaction wheels, solar array release mechanisms, optical focusing systems, CubeSat dispensers, and 1G test stands. The successful candidate will have deep expertise in spacecraft mechanisms and motor-driven systems, and the drive to vertically integrate in‑house solutions that deliver real mission advantage.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own the technical direction for spacecraft mechanism systems, including precision gimbals, motor‑driven actuators, and associated control electronics
• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of mechanisms engineers, including a dedicated motor control engineer, to develop fully vertically integrated actuation solutions
• Oversee end-to-end mechanisms development lifecycle: requirements definition, mechanical and motor control design, analysis, procurement, integration, and test
• Lead the design and development of precision pointing, tracking, and articulation systems for on‑orbit payload and antenna applications
• Partner closely with the GNC team to develop and validate bearing determination, stabilization, and closed‑loop pointing control
• Develop and maintain mechanism performance budgets, including pointing accuracy, torque margin, lifetime, and disturbance analyses
• Ensure mechanism designs meet mission requirements for reliability, thermal performance, radiation tolerance, and SWaP constraints
• Manage schedules, budgets, staffing, and technical risk across multiple mechanism development programs
• Collaborate with avionics, systems engineering, software, and test teams to ensure seamless spacecraft integration
• Drive compliance with applicable aerospace standards and lead design reviews with internal stakeholders and customers
• Communicate product development status and issues with leadership and stakeholders

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field (Master's preferred)
• 10+ years of professional experience in spacecraft mechanisms design, development, and test
• Demonstrated experience with motor‑driven actuation systems, including brushless DC motors, stepper motors, and associated drive electronics
• Experience with precision pointing or tracking mechanisms such as gimbals, beam steering systems, or antenna pointing systems
• Strong understanding of mechanism performance analysis including kinematics, structural dynamics, bearing life, and disturbance modeling
• Familiarity with GNC interface requirements for stabilized pointing and tracking applications
• Demonstrated ability to lead engineering teams and deliver complex hardware on schedule

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Experience with space‑qualified mechanisms, including lubrication, materials selection, and life testing for vacuum and thermal environments
• Experience with solar array drive assemblies (SADA), solar array drive electronics (SADE), deployment mechanisms, reaction wheels, or other spacecraft momentum and articulation systems
• Experience with motor control firmware development and closed‑loop servo system design
• Knowledge of spacecraft structural analysis tools (NASTRAN, ANSYS, or similar) and mechanism simulation environments
• Experience with 1G test stand design or other gravity off‑load test approaches for validating on‑orbit mechanism behavior
• Familiarity with MIL‑SPEC and NASA standards applicable to spacecraft mechanisms (e.g. GSFC-STD-7000, MIL-STD-810)
• Experience working in a fast‑paced, startup environment or a similarly dynamic setting

COMPENSATION

• Equity + Benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, HRA/HSA options, PTO and paid holidays, 401K, Parental Leave

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job‑related knowledge and skills, education, location, and experience.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to maintain or obtain TS//SCI clearance
• Work Location—this role will be onsite at either our Centennial, CO or Long Beach, CA locations, with travel to other sites as needed.
• Work environment—the work environment; temperature, noise level, inside or outside, or other factors that will affect the person's working conditions while performing the job.
• Physical demands—the physical demands of the job, including bending, sitting, lifting and driving.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

True Anomaly is committed to equal employment opportunity on any basis protected by applicable state and federal laws. If you have a disability or additional need that requires accommodation, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in True Anomaly’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A \"disabled veteran\" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A \"recently separated veteran\" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An \"active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran\" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An \"Armed forces service medal veteran\" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.