Hands-on Spacecraft Mechanisms Engineer - Flight Hardware

Approach Venture; Golden (CO); On-site; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Comprehensive medical/dental/vision

Paid parental leave

3 weeks of paid vacation

10+ paid holidays

Job summary

Approach Venture in Golden, CO is seeking a Spacecraft Mechanisms Engineer to own critical flight hardware from launch through on-orbit operations. This hands-on role takes mechanisms from concept through design, qualification, production, and flight in a small, fast-paced team.

You will design launch restraints, deployment and docking hardware, perform FEA and GD&T, and collaborate across mechanical, GNC, avionics, software, and manufacturing to bring hardware from build to orbit.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or related technical discipline.
• 4+ years of experience designing aerospace or space hardware.
• Experience taking flight hardware through design, build, test, and qualification.
• Strong fundamentals in mechanical design and interface development.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD and detailed mechanical design, GD&T, and drawings.
• Experience with structural FEA for aerospace hardware.
• Experience with preloaded joints and load-path analysis.
• Hands-on testing in vibration, deployment, or environmental testing.
• Familiarity with launch loads and space environment requirements.
• Ability to work across analysis, CAD, hardware assembly, and testing.

Responsibilities

• Own spacecraft mechanisms from initial architecture through flight qualification and production.
• Design launch restraint, hold-down, release, deployment, docking, and mating hardware.
• Develop preload paths, mechanical interfaces, and structural load paths into spacecraft structure.
• Design mechanisms for reliable operation across launch, vacuum, thermal, shock, vibration, and on-orbit environments.
• Develop docking interfaces with capture envelopes and tolerances.
• Select and integrate actuators, release devices, bearings, and other hardware.
• Perform tolerance analysis, joint analysis, and real-time troubleshooting.
• Develop 3D CAD, drawings, GD&T, and manufacturing documentation.
• Collaborate with GNC, avionics, software, and test engineers on spacecraft-level decisions.
• Own hardware through build, integration, environmental qualification, and flight.

Skills

3D CAD

FEA analysis

GD&T

Launch hardware design

Vibration testing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Onshape

NX

Creo

SolidWorks

Nastran/Femap

ANSYS

Abaqus

Python

Job description

Approach Venture in Golden, CO is seeking a Spacecraft Mechanisms Engineer to own critical flight hardware from launch through on-orbit operations. This hands-on role takes mechanisms from concept through design, qualification, production, and flight in a small, fast-paced team.

You will design launch restraints, deployment and docking hardware, perform FEA and GD&T, and collaborate across mechanical, GNC, avionics, software, and manufacturing to bring hardware from build to orbit.