Lead Mechanical AIT Engineer – Spacecraft Testing

ICEYE; United States; Hybrid; USD 48,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

ICEYE seeks a Mechanical R&D Test Lead to own end‑to‑end mechanical AIT for a new generation of optical spacecraft. The role combines hands‑on testing with people leadership, driving qualification campaigns, MGSE development, and cross‑functional feedback to design teams across the spacecraft program.

The candidate will manage vibration tests, integration, and model validation while collaborating with the Engineering Manager for Optical Systems. Hybrid work is offered with global opportunities.

Qualifications

• Experience leading people or a senior, people‑oriented technical background with a genuine interest in moving into people leadership.
• Hands‑on experience with mechanical AIT and test campaigns, comfortable doing the work yourself, not only directing it.
• Experience organizing work across a team and taking ownership of a process end to end.
• A can‑do attitude and a hands‑on engineering mindset, able to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Comfortable working under pressure and tight timelines during test campaigns.
• Experience with vibration testing and mechanical validation of hardware, and designing MGSE for satellite testing.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical AIT team, organizing its work and owning the end‑to‑end mechanical AIT process for new spacecraft and subsystems.
• Oversee qualification and acceptance vibration test campaigns for new satellites and subsystems, and the satellite‑level qualification mass models used to run them.
• Own the design, build, and upkeep of the Mechanical Ground Support Equipment (MGSE) the team relies on for testing and integration.
• Lead flight model integration for the new spacecraft generation, ensuring AIT procedures are created and properly handed over to the production team.
• Represent the team's testing and integration findings back to the design engineering groups, from early concept through late prototyping, and drive the resulting design changes.

Skills

People leadership

Hands-on mechanical AIT

Test campaign management

Team coordination

Pressure tolerance

Tools

Finite element analysis (FEA)

Job description

ICEYE seeks a Mechanical R&D Test Lead to own end‑to‑end mechanical AIT for a new generation of optical spacecraft. The role combines hands‑on testing with people leadership, driving qualification campaigns, MGSE development, and cross‑functional feedback to design teams across the spacecraft program.

The candidate will manage vibration tests, integration, and model validation while collaborating with the Engineering Manager for Optical Systems. Hybrid work is offered with global opportunities.