Senior Gimbal Mechanisms Engineer for Space Lasers

Cowboy Space Corporation; San Carlos (CA); On-site; USD 152,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement savings plan

Paid time off

10 paid holidays per calendar year

Paid parental leave

Relocation assistance if applicable

Daily lunch in the office and a fully

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. in the United States is seeking a Senior Mechanisms Engineer to own the full development lifecycle of gimbal mechanisms for laser communications payloads, spanning concept through flight qualification.

The role requires hands-on experience with high-reliability space systems, from design and analysis to procurement and hardware execution. You will collaborate with optical, laser, controls, and systems engineers to deliver flight-ready gimbals that meet stringent performance

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of experience designing and developing precision mechanisms for flight hardware in aerospace or defense programs.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD (NX, Solidworks, or equivalent) and engineering drawing/GD&T.
• Experience with mechanism analysis including kinematics, stiffness, torque margin, and bearing life calculations.
• Hands-on experience with flight mechanism integration, alignment, and functional testing in a lab environment.
• Familiarity with precision components including angular contact bearings, brushless DC motors, and optical encoders.
• Experience taking flight mechanisms through environmental qualification (vibration, shock, thermal-vacuum).

Responsibilities

• Own the full development lifecycle of gimbal mechanisms for laser communications payloads, from concept through flight qualification.
• Design precision gimbal assemblies, including bearings, flexures, motors, encoders, and structural members.
• Perform mechanism-level analysis including kinematics, stiffness, backlash, torque margin, thermal expansion, and bearing life modeling.
• Define mechanism performance requirements and interface specifications in coordination with optical and controls teams.
• Specify and procure precision components including bearings, motors, encoders, and custom machined parts; own supplier relationships and acceptance testing.
• Develop and execute integration and verification procedures for flight hardware.
• Define and execute qualification test plans including functional testing, life testing, vibration, shock, and thermal-vacuum.
• Develop and maintain mechanism drawings, GD&T specifications, assembly procedures, and test reports.
• Collaborate with controls engineers to support mechanism characterization and closed-loop performance validation.
• Participate in design reviews and contribute to system-level pointing and tracking trade studies.

Skills

End-to-end mechanism development

Flight hardware integration

System-level collaboration

Lab testing and verification

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field

Master's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

NX

Solidworks

GD&T

Job description

Cowboy Space Corp. in the United States is seeking a Senior Mechanisms Engineer to own the full development lifecycle of gimbal mechanisms for laser communications payloads, spanning concept through flight qualification.

The role requires hands-on experience with high-reliability space systems, from design and analysis to procurement and hardware execution. You will collaborate with optical, laser, controls, and systems engineers to deliver flight-ready gimbals that meet stringent performance