Mechanical Engineering Manager Hardware

Front Door Defense; Westminster (CO); On-site; USD 158,000 - 189,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life

Disability and retirement plans

Job summary

CesiumAstro in Westminster, Colorado, seeks a Mechanical Engineering Manager to lead and scale the mechanical engineering organization across multiple programs, delivering aerospace hardware end-to-end. This role provides people leadership and technical direction, establishing robust processes and guiding product roadmap decisions.

The successful candidate will build a high-performing team, oversee system-level requirements, design reviews, and cross-functional collaboration with systems,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• 7-9 years of experience in mechanical design and analysis for aerospace or space systems with 1-3 years of engineering management experience.
• Deep expertise in mechanical design and analysis for aerospace/space applications.
• Experience with electronics packaging at PCBA and system levels.
• Strong understanding of structural, thermal, and dynamic analysis.
• Knowledge of environmental testing and qualification standards for space hardware.
• Familiarity with aerospace materials and manufacturing processes (CNC, composites, additive manufacturing).
• Understanding of system integration, launch constraints.
• Proficiency with CAD and PDM tools (SolidWorks, SolidWorks PDM).
• Experience with simulation tools (ANSYS Mechanical, SolidWorks Simulation).
• Effective communication skills to convey complex technical concepts.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical architecture development, trade studies, and key design decisions aligned with product roadmaps.
• Oversee system-level requirements definition, validation, and interface management.
• Guide teams through the full development lifecycle from concept to qualification.
• Provide technical oversight for high-risk or high-visibility programs.
• Lead and participate in design reviews with customers and executives.
• Define and continuously improve mechanical engineering processes and standards.
• Ensure documentation standards across programs are maintained.
• Allocate and prioritize engineering resources to meet schedules and budgets.
• Collaborate with systems engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and program management.

Skills

Mechanical design

Leadership

Aerospace experience

System integration

Technical leadership

Manufacturing coordination

Cost and schedule management

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

SolidWorks PDM

ANSYS Mechanical

SolidWorks Simulation

Job description

Mechanical Engineering Manager

Lead and scale the mechanical engineering team to deliver aerospace hardware end-to-end

Location: Westminster, Colorado

Compensation: $158,000 - 189,000 USD / year

About The Role

Mechanical Engineering Manager

At CesiumAstro, we are developers and pioneers of out-of-the-box communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and other space and airborne platforms. We take pride in our dynamic and cross-functional work environment, which allows us to learn, develop, and engage across our organization. If you are looking for hands-on, interactive, and autonomous work, CesiumAstro is the place for you. We are actively seeking passionate, collaborative, energetic, and forward-thinking individuals to join our team.

We are seeking a Mechanical Engineering Manager to lead our mechanical engineering organization, providing both people leadership and technical direction across multiple programs. This role is responsible for building and scaling a high-performing team, establishing robust engineering processes, and ensuring the successful execution of program deliverables.

As a key member of the engineering leadership team, this individual will drive strategic initiatives, support business growth, and influence product roadmap decisions. In addition to developing engineering talent, the Manager will serve as a senior technical authority, leading complex mechanical system and hardware development across the full product lifecycle—from concept through in-orbit support for aerospace and space applications.

Job Requirements and Minimum Qualifications

• Lead, mentor, and scale a team of mechanical engineers, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Define team structure, roles, and responsibilities to support business objectives and program needs.
• Set clear performance expectations; provide coaching, feedback, and formal performance evaluations.
• Drive employee engagement, retention, and career development initiatives.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition to recruit top engineering talent.
• Promote an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performance team environment.
• Serve as the mechanical engineering authority across multiple programs, ensuring technical excellence and consistency.
• Lead mechanical architecture development, trade studies, and key design decisions aligned with product roadmaps.
• Oversee system-level requirements definition, validation, and interface management.
• Guide teams through the full development lifecycle: concept, design, analysis, manufacturing, integration, testing, and qualification.
• Provide technical oversight for high-risk or high-visibility programs, ensuring milestone success.
• Lead and participate in internal and external design reviews, including presentations to customers and executive leadership.
• Define, implement, and continuously improve mechanical engineering processes, including design standards, analysis methodologies, and verification/validation frameworks.
• Establish and maintain technical documentation standards across programs.
• Ensure effective allocation and prioritization of engineering resources.
• Drive accountability for schedule, cost, quality, and technical performance.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with systems engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and program management teams.
• Interface with customers, suppliers, and partners to support program execution.
• Contribute to product roadmap development through mechanical technology strategy and innovation.
• Support proposal efforts, including technical solutioning, resource planning, and cost estimation.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement, cost reduction, and operational efficiency.
• Help shape long-term strategy for mechanical engineering capabilities and capacity.

Job Requirements and Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• 7-9 years of experience in mechanical design and analysis for aerospace or space systems with a minimum of 1-3 years of engineering management experience.
• Deep expertise in mechanical design and analysis for aerospace/space applications.
• Experience with electronics packaging at PCBA and system levels.
• Strong understanding of structural, thermal, and dynamic analysis.
• Knowledge of environmental testing and qualification standards for space hardware.
• Familiarity with aerospace materials and manufacturing processes (e.g., CNC machining, composites, additive manufacturing).
• Understanding of system integration, AI&T, and launch constraints.
• Proven ability to lead technical trade studies and make architecture-level decisions.
• Experience developing and implementing engineering processes and best practices.
• Proficiency with CAD and PDM tools (e.g., SolidWorks, SolidWorks PDM or equivalent)
• Experience with simulation tools (e.g., ANSYS Mechanical, SolidWorks Simulation, or similar FEA tools)
• Effective communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts.

$158,000 - $189,000 a year

CesiumAstro considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, education/training, and key skills. Full-time employment offers include company stock options and a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability and retirement plans.

CesiumAstro is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.