Lead Space Vehicle Design Architect

The Exploration Company; Georgia; On-site; USD 150,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

The Exploration Company is seeking an experienced Vehicle Design Principal to lead the mechanical design development of next‑generation space vehicles for crewed spaceflight. You will guide architecture, integration, and testing from concept through flight readiness, ensuring safe, reliable, and high‑performance hardware.

As a key technical leader within the Engineering organization, you will shape strategy, mitigate risks, and ensure mechanical systems meet demanding performance, reliability,

Qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical Design, Aerospace Engineering, Engineering Technology, or similar related discipline.
• 10+ years of relevant engineering experience; advanced degrees considered in lieu of experience.
• System mindset with ability to manage complex systems.
• Experience designing, integrating, and testing space systems, vehicles, or subsystems including structure design, manufacturing, integration and test.
• Experience designing structural components.
• Experience with CAD and lifecycle management tools, with 3D harness routing and FEM software.
• Understanding of environmental testing (vibration, shock, acoustic, TVAC).
• Experience with external customers (NASA, AFRL, DARPA, etc.).

Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership and direction for vehicle design efforts.
• Oversee vehicle architecture and integration activities.
• Drive program execution to meet reliability, schedule, and cost targets.
• Lead and develop the design team and capabilities.
• Manage stakeholders, suppliers, and cross-functional interfaces.

Skills

System mindset

CAD software

FEA software

Structure design

Space systems integration

V&V experience

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

B.S. in Mechanical Design / Aerospace Engineering

10+ years engineering experience

Tools

CAD tools

Finite Element Analysis

Lifecycle management tools

3D harness routing

Job description

The Exploration Company is seeking an experienced Vehicle Design Principal to lead the mechanical design development of next‑generation space vehicles for crewed spaceflight. You will guide architecture, integration, and testing from concept through flight readiness, ensuring safe, reliable, and high‑performance hardware.

As a key technical leader within the Engineering organization, you will shape strategy, mitigate risks, and ensure mechanical systems meet demanding performance, reliability,