Senior Launch Vehicle Design Engineer I

CesiumAstro Inc.; El Segundo (CA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 168,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health/dental/vision

HSA

FSA

Retirement plan

Job summary

CesiumAstro Inc. is seeking a Senior Launch Vehicle Design Engineer I to lead the design, analysis, and development of launch vehicle structures and interfaces.

You will collaborate with mechanical, aerospace, and controls teams to ensure flight-ready systems and rigorous validation through testing. The role requires a strong foundation in systems engineering, hands-on hardware development, and extensive experience with CAD/FEA tools (SolidWorks, NX) and Ansys simulations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 4+ years of industry experience in aerospace design and analysis.
• Proficiency in CAD tools (SolidWorks, NX).
• Strong foundation in systems engineering principles, requirements flowdown, and integration.
• Expertise in Ansys tools: Mechanical, Explicit Dynamics (LS-Dyna), Linear and Nonlinear Eigenvalue Buckling, Harmonic Response, and Random Vibrations.
• Hands-on experience with hardware development, testing, and qualification.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with close attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, analysis, and development of primary and secondary launch vehicle structures, stage interfaces, and payload accommodations.
• Perform static and transient structural and thermal analysis of LV components and systems to ensure mechanical integrity under operational loads.
• Develop and execute test programs, analyze experimental data, and apply findings to optimize designs.
• Prepare CAD models for FEA analysis and manufacturing.
• Generate technical documentation, including reports, specifications, and contributions to PDRs and CDRs.
• Collaborate across mechanical, aerospace, and controls engineering teams to deliver flight-ready systems.
• Mentor junior and senior engineers to build technical understanding and professional development.
• Participate in mission operations, anomaly investigations, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Systems engineering

Analytical problem-solving

Communication skills

Mentoring/leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering

Master’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

NX

Job description

Please Note: To conform with the United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., conditional resident, asylee or refugee (protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

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 Senior Launch Vehicle Design Engineer I to our team. In this role, you will work across multidisciplinary engineering teams to solve complex technical challenges, drive system-level design trades, and ensure mission success through rigorous analysis, testing, and validation.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the design, analysis, and development of primary and secondary launch vehicle structures, stage interfaces, and payload accommodations.
• Perform static and transient structural and thermal analysis of LV components and systems to ensure mechanical integrity under operational loads.
• Develop and execute test programs, analyze experimental data, and apply findings to optimize designs.
• Prepare CAD models for FEA analysis and manufacturing.
• Generate technical documentation, including reports, specifications, and contributions to PDRs and CDRs.
• Collaborate across mechanical, aerospace, and controls engineering teams to deliver flight-ready systems.
• Mentor junior and senior engineers to build technical understanding and professional development.
• Participate in mission operations, anomaly investigations, and continuous improvement initiatives.

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 4+ years of industry experience in aerospace design and analysis.
• Proficiency in CAD tools (SolidWorks, NX).
• Strong foundation in systems engineering principles, requirements flowdown, and integration.
• Expertise in Ansys tools: Mechanical, Explicit Dynamics (LS-Dyna), Linear and Nonlinear Eigenvalue Buckling, Harmonic Response, and Random Vibrations.
• Hands-on experience with hardware development, testing, and qualification.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with close attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• Prior experience with cryogenic systems, liquid rocket systems, and LV components.
• Hands-on experience designing and improving LV hardware.
• Knowledge of manufacturing and technological processes for aerospace parts.
• Familiarity with aerospace safety and reliability practices.
• Experience in a start-up or rapid development environment.
• MATLAB for programming, data analysis, and optimization.

$140,000 - $168,000 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 torace, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.