Mechanical Engineer

Hydrosat Inc.; Carlsbad (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee stock options

Health insurance

401(k) match

Unlimited PTO

Holiday pay

Parental leave

Mental health support

Commuter stipend

Cell phone stipend

Company discount program

Job summary

Hydrosat Inc. in Carlsbad, CA is seeking a seasoned Mechanical Engineer to join our hardware development team. You will design, analyze, build, and test mechanical systems for space payloads with a strong emphasis on on-orbit thermal performance.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in space hardware, hands-on fabrication experience, and proficiency with SolidWorks/Creo and thermal analysis tools. You will collaborate across systems, electrical, optical, and spacecraft teams to deliver flight-ready

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering and 5+ years in space systems or related hardware.
• Proficiency in mechanical CAD tools (e.g. SolidWorks, Creo) and space thermal analysis tools (e.g. Thermal Desktop or equivalent).
• Demonstrated experience modeling on-orbit thermal environments, including solar, albedo, Earth infrared, eclipse, and internal heat loads.
• Hands-on experience with hardware fabrication, assembly, integration, and space environmental testing, including thermal-vacuum and vibration.
• Familiarity with industry standards such as ASME Y14.5, GSCF-STD-7000, NASA-STD-5001B, among others

Responsibilities

• Develop and refine mechanical requirements for space payloads and flight hardware
• Lead mechanical design effort and use thermal analysis to guide material selection, interfaces, and thermal control design
• Develop and maintain on-orbit thermal models, assess hot and cold mission cases, and define thermal control features and operating limits
• Perform hands-on prototype fabrication, assembly, integration, and testing of flight hardware
• Collaborate with systems, electrical, optical, and spacecraft engineering teams to ensure integrated design performance
• Prepare mechanical drawings and manage configuration control of released designs
• Conduct trade studies and present design review materials to internal and external stakeholders
• Plan and conduct environmental testing, correlate thermal models with test data, and support transition to manufacturing

Skills

Mechanical design

Thermal analysis

SolidWorks/ Creo

Space hardware testing

ASME Y14.5

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Creo

Thermal Desktop

Job description

Hydrosat is a space and data analytics company building a new Earth observation constellation and software platform to unlock the power of thermal infrared imagery. Our mission is to deliver high-resolution thermal insights that help governments, defense agencies, agribusinesses, and other decision-makers better manage water, agriculture, climate resilience, and critical infrastructure.

With operations in the United States and Luxembourg, Hydrosat combines cutting-edge satellite technology, geospatial analytics, and applied science to turn raw Earth observation data into actionable intelligence. Our U.S. team plays a central role in government and defense market development, commercial growth, and delivering scalable solutions for federal, civil, and commercial customers. We are looking for bright, ambitious, and collaborative people who want to help transform how space-based data is used in the real world.

Hydrosat is seeking a seasoned Mechanical Engineer to join our hardware development team. This role focuses on the design, analysis, build, and test of mechanical systems for space-based payloads and other flight hardware, with a strong emphasis towards on-orbit thermal performance. The ideal candidate will have deep experience in mechanical design for space applications, practical capability with on-orbit thermal analysis, and a passion for taking hardware from concept through fabrication, assembly, and flight qualification.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and refine mechanical requirements for space payloads and flight hardware

• Lead mechanical design effort and use thermal analysis to guide material selection, interfaces, and thermal control design

• Develop and maintain on-orbit thermal models, assess hot and cold mission cases, and define thermal control features and operating limits

• Perform hands-on prototype fabrication, assembly, integration, and testing of flight hardware

• Collaborate with systems, electrical, optical, and spacecraft engineering teams to ensure integrated design performance

• Prepare mechanical drawings and manage configuration control of released designs

• Conduct trade studies and present design review materials to internal and external stakeholders

• Plan and conduct environmental testing, correlate thermal models with test data, and support transition to manufacturing

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering and 5+ years of experience in space systems or related hardware

• Proficiency in mechanical CAD tools (e.g. SolidWorks, Creo, etc.) and space thermal analysis tools (e.g. Thermal Desktop or equivalent)

• Demonstrated experience modeling on-orbit thermal environments, including solar, albedo, Earth infrared, eclipse, and internal heat loads

• Hands-on experience with hardware fabrication, assembly, integration, and space environmental testing, including thermal-vacuum and vibration

• Familiarity with industry standards such as ASME Y14.5, GSCF-STD-7000, NASA-STD-5001B, among others

Benefits

• Employee stock options

• Health insurance: Medical, Vision, Dental - Hydrosat covers 100% of employee premiums, 50% for dependents

  • Mental Health Support

  • Claims Concierge Service

• 401(k) with 100% match up to 4%, vested from day one

• Flexible, unlimited PTO

• 16 paid company holidays

• Maternity, Paternity & Parental Leave - up to 12 weeks fully paid

• Mental health support, including free therapy sessions

• Commuter and cell phone stipends

• Company Discount Program

Federal Contract Eligibility Requirement

Due to the nature of the work and applicable U.S. federal government contract requirements, this position is limited to individuals who are U.S. citizens. This requirement is mandated by the federal government and is not a discretionary employment policy. Proof of eligibility will be required as a condition of employment, consistent with applicable law.