Senior Mechanical Designer - Spacecraft & Mechanisms

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California; On-site; USD 160,000 - 191,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision plans

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Flexible scheduling

Job summary

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, seeks a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to design and analyze spacecraft hardware and MGSE. You will create complex CAD models, manage critical assemblies, and lead design reviews in a collaborative engineering environment.

The role requires extensive spaceflight experience, NX mastery, and proven leadership from concept through production, including GD&T and detailed drawings. Temporary position up to 36 months.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical discipline.
• Extensive experience in spaceflight or complex environments.
• Ability to lead complex mechanical design efforts and design reviews.
• Proven track record approving drawings, models, and analyses.
• Strong communication and CAD tool fluency (NX required; CATIA/Creo).
• Experience with ASME Y14.100/2017 drawings and GD&T Y14.5/2018.

Responsibilities

• Perform as a Mechanical Design Engineer on spacecraft, instruments, or MGSE.
• Create complex CAD models, manage assemblies, and produce drawings.
• Lead design concepts, tolerancing, and interface definitions.
• Oversee engineering documentation and subsystem architecture.
• Present designs at reviews and coordinate with space science teams.

Skills

NX CAD

CATIA

Creo

GD&T

Engineering drawings

Leadership

Spaceflight experience

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

NX

SolidWorks

Teamcenter

PDM

Job description

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, seeks a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to design and analyze spacecraft hardware and MGSE. You will create complex CAD models, manage critical assemblies, and lead design reviews in a collaborative engineering environment.

The role requires extensive spaceflight experience, NX mastery, and proven leadership from concept through production, including GD&T and detailed drawings. Temporary position up to 36 months.