Flight Mechanisms Engineer – Separation Systems

Socket.dev; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement savings

Paid time off

10 paid holidays per calendar year

Paid parental leave

Relocation assistance

Lunch in office and stocked kitchen

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. seeks a Mechanisms Engineer to own a critical vehicle subsystem from concept through flight, focusing on mechanisms such as separation systems, landing gear, aero surfaces, or actuators.

This hands‑on role interfaces with propulsion, structures, avionics, GNC, and launch operations to deliver integrated, tested hardware. You'll design for minimum mass, validate with tests, and own qualification campaigns while collaborating on a fast‑paced hardware program in support of

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience designing mechanisms or mechanical systems for flight vehicles or high‑performance hardware.
• Experience taking hardware from concept through build, integration, and test.
• Strong fundamentals in structural mechanics, kinematics, materials, and manufacturing processes.
• Proficiency with CAD (NX, SolidWorks, CATIA, or Creo) and creating engineering drawings to ASME Y14.5 GD&T standards.
• Proficiency with FEA tools (ANSYS, Nastran, or Abaqus) for mechanism load‑path and dynamic problems.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Responsibilities

• Own your mechanism subsystem from concept through design, analysis, test, and flight.
• Drive structural and kinematic design for minimum mass while meeting strength, stiffness, fatigue, and life requirements across ascent, entry, landing, and reuse environments.
• Balance performance, manufacturability, cost, and schedule in every design decision.
• Perform analysis — hand calculations, FEA, tolerance stack‑ups — and validate predictions with test and flight data.
• Define and execute qualification and acceptance test campaigns; author procedures, acceptance criteria, and anomaly dispositions.
• Develop and maintain engineering drawings, models, and release documentation.
• Work directly on the factory floor with manufacturing to iterate quickly and resolve build issues in real time.
• Troubleshoot hardware anomalies, perform root cause analysis, and implement design improvements.
• Support launch operations, post‑flight inspection, and refurbishment planning.

Skills

Mechanisms design

Flight hardware

Structural mechanics

Kinematics

Manufacturing processes

CAD & GD&T

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering or related field

Tools

NX

SolidWorks

CATIA

Creo

ANSYS

Nastran/Abaqus

Job description

Cowboy Space Corp. seeks a Mechanisms Engineer to own a critical vehicle subsystem from concept through flight, focusing on mechanisms such as separation systems, landing gear, aero surfaces, or actuators.

This hands‑on role interfaces with propulsion, structures, avionics, GNC, and launch operations to deliver integrated, tested hardware. You'll design for minimum mass, validate with tests, and own qualification campaigns while collaborating on a fast‑paced hardware program in support of