Mechanical Engineering Manager

EVONA; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

EVONA seeks an Engineering Manager for Mechanical Radar Systems in Southern California. You will build and lead the US mechanical/thermal team, defining architecture and interfaces while aligning with bus providers and cross‑functional groups in a growing space program.

The role emphasizes a systems‑level perspective, early leadership, and the ability to scale for a director‑level position as the organization expands.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of mechanical engineering experience on space flight hardware.
• Experience defining structural interfaces between payloads and buses.
• Experience leading engineers with task ownership, mentoring and performance.
• Passive thermal design experience.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead the mechanical and thermal team: hiring plans, onboarding, mentoring, performance and career development
• Own the design of deployables and mechanisms, from architecture and trade studies through qualification and flight acceptance
• Lead the mechanical design of a new modular payload, including its geometry, low-profile packaging and interfaces to multiple third-party buses
• Work closely with bus providers on structural interfaces, mechanical ICDs, adapters and integration
• Plan and run environmental test campaigns (TVAC, vibration, shock and deployment testing) and own the data review and disposition

Skills

Mechanical engineering

Leadership

Interfaces

Thermal design

CAD tools

Bachelor's degree

Systems-thinking

TS/SCI clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Creo

CATIA

Job description

Engineering Manager – Mechanical Radar Systems

Southern California | On-site | Full-time | $200,000 Gross per annum + Benefits

A VC-backed space company that builds and operates its own constellation of Earth observation satellites, with proven flight heritage. Its US engineering organisation is in an early build-out phase, developing next-generation radar payloads and complete space vehicles for US government and allied customers. New programmes kick off in early 2027, and the company is hiring its first discipline managers now to shape how the US team is built.

This is a founding leadership hire. You'll be the first mechanical and thermal manager in the US team, responsible for building the function from the ground up: the people, the hiring plan, the design standards and the way the team works.

Technically, you'll lead a significant architectural change. The payload is being separated from the spacecraft bus for the first time, so it needs to work as a compact, low-profile module that can integrate with several different bus providers.

Proven heritage designs will also need re-baselining to US standards, and mechanical redesign is expected throughout.

This role suits a systems thinker who wants to grow into a director-level position as the organisation scales.

What you'll do

• Build and lead the mechanical and thermal team: hiring plans, onboarding, mentoring, performance and career development
• Own the design of deployables and mechanisms, from architecture and trade studies through qualification and flight acceptance
• Lead the mechanical design of a new modular payload, including its geometry, low-profile packaging and interfaces to multiple third-party buses
• Work closely with bus providers on structural interfaces, mechanical ICDs, adapters and integration
• Solve harnessing challenges across programmes, including routing, hinge crossings, tie-downs and integration into the build
• Re-baseline heritage designs to US standards and requirements
• Make sure designs close against launch loads, vibration, shock, acoustic and thermal environments with margin
• Own passive thermal design for the payload and vehicle
• Plan and run environmental test campaigns (TVAC, vibration, shock and deployment testing) and own the data review and disposition
• Own MGSE and support AIT through the build
• Set the team's engineering standards and processes, covering CAD and configuration control, analysis practices and test readiness
• Partner with chief engineers and the RF, avionics, flight software and AIT teams on cross-subsystem decisions

What you'll bring

• 10+ years of mechanical engineering experience on space flight hardware
• Experience defining structural and mechanical interfaces between payloads and buses, or with external bus providers
• Experience leading engineers, as a manager or technical lead, with ownership of tasking, mentoring and performance
• Passive thermal design experience
• Strong CAD skills in SolidWorks, Creo, CATIA or similar
• A bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering
• A systems-level, long-term view: you can balance speed with reliability and build processes that scale
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance

Nice to have

• Spacecraft harness design, routing or integration experience
• Experience in both traditional aerospace primes and new-space companies
• Lightweight composite structures and advanced materials
• Design for manufacture and aerospace machining
• FEA experience in NASTRAN, ANSYS or similar
• An active clearance

This is a rare chance to join as a founding manager and build a function from the ground up, with a clear path to director as the US organisation grows. You'll get real design ownership of a first-of-its-kind payload architecture, backed by flight-proven technology and an operational constellation, all in service of US and allied national security missions.