Senior Mechanical Engineer

AnySignal; Rapid City (SD); On-site; USD 170,000 - 205,000; Full time

Job summary

AnySignal is developing the next generation of RF products for space and defense missions. We seek a Senior Mechanical Engineer to own the mechanical design of space radios, including housings, thermal paths, and structures to survive launch and operate in orbit.

You will lead end-to-end enclosure design, perform thermal and structural analyses, drive environmental qualification campaigns, ensure DFM readiness, and mentor the growing hardware team as the senior mechanical voice.

Qualifications

• Minimum 6+ years in mechanical design for flight hardware.
• Expert CAD with GD&T to ASME Y14.5.
• Thermal design for vacuum environments with test correlation.
• Structural analysis (random vibration and shock).
• Own at least one environmental qualification campaign.
• Strong DFM instincts for precision machining and sheet metal.
• Able to lead with incomplete requirements and communicate with cross‑functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Own mechanical design of space radio enclosures end to end.
• Design the thermal path and run vacuum thermal analyses.
• Perform static, modal, and random vibration FEA and ensure margins of safety.
• Plan and run environmental qualification campaigns.
• Select materials suitable for space environments and ensure contamination control.
• Produce manufacturing‑ready drawings with GD&T and work with vendors on DFM/QA.
• Collaborate with RF and PCB engineers on SWaP trades and interfaces.
• Own mechanical interface control documents with customers and integrators.
• Lead design reviews and enforce documentation standards.
• Establish CAD/drawing standards and mentor junior engineers.

Skills

Mechanical design

Flight hardware experience

CAD design

Thermal analysis

FEA

DFM for machining

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder communication

Tools

SolidWorks

NX/Creo

GD&T

Thermal software

Job description

AnySignal is developing the next generation of RF products and services for some of the most demanding space and defense missions. We’re building a flexible, high-performance platform that’s easy to deploy, monitor, and scale, enabling customers to bring advanced radio technologies to life faster than ever before.

The Role

We're hiring a Senior Mechanical Engineer to own the mechanical design of our space radios — the housings, thermal paths, and structures that let high-performance RF hardware survive launch and operate reliably on orbit.

This is a hands‑on design role first. You will personally own enclosure designs from concept through drawings, fabrication, and qualification, and you will be the person who signs off on whether a structure will hold and a part will stay within temperature. Mechanical design at AnySignal is currently distributed across a small hardware team; you will be the senior technical voice for the discipline, set how mechanical work gets done here, and shape the team as it grows around you.

What You’ll Do

• Own mechanical design of space radio enclosures and chassis end to end: concept, CAD, detailed drawings, fabrication, assembly, and qualification.
• Design the thermal path — conduction, interface materials, heat straps and radiators — and run hot- and cold-case analysis for vacuum operation, then correlate your models against test data.
• Perform structural analysis including static, modal, and random vibration FEA; own margins of safety, fastener and joint analysis, and mass and CG budgets.
• Plan and run environmental qualification campaigns — vibration, shock, thermal vacuum, thermal cycling — including test plans, fixture design, and time on the floor at the test house.
• Select materials and processes appropriate to the space environment: alloys and finishes, low‑outgassing materials, venting, contamination control, and galvanic compatibility.
• Produce manufacturing‑ready drawing packages with GD&T to ASME Y14.5, and work directly with machine shops and contract manufacturers on DFM, quoting, and first‑article inspection.
• Partner with RF and PCB engineers on SWaP trades, board mounting and standoffs, connector and waveguide placement, shielding, and grounding.
• Own mechanical interface control documents with customers, bus providers, and integrators.
• Lead mechanical content at design reviews and hold the line on documentation and configuration control.
• Establish the mechanical engineering practice: CAD and drawing standards, PDM structure, review cadence, and analysis conventions — then mentor engineers into them and help us hire well as the team grows.

Required Skills

• 6+ years of mechanical design experience, including hardware that has flown or been qualified for flight.
• Expert‑level CAD (SolidWorks preferred; NX or Creo equivalent) and detailed drawings with GD&T to ASME Y14.5.
• Demonstrated ownership of thermal design for vacuum environments, including analysis and correlation to thermal vacuum test results.
• Structural analysis and FEA experience covering random vibration and shock, with the judgment to know when analysis is sufficient and when to test.
• Direct, hands‑on ownership of at least one environmental qualification campaign from test plan through report.
• Strong DFM instincts for precision machining and sheet metal, with a track record of working shops effectively.
• Comfortable being the only mechanical engineer in the room: able to make defensible calls on incomplete requirements and explain them to electrical, RF, and program stakeholders.

Desired Skills

• Mechanical design specifically for RF payloads or space radios (shielding, gasketing, EMI containment, waveguide and connector interfaces.)
• Proficiency with thermal tools such as Thermal Desktop, Ansys Icepak, or FloTHERM.
• Familiarity with radiation environments and shielding mass trades.
• Experience with smallsat form factors, ESPA‑class payloads, or common bus mechanical interfaces.
• Hands‑on integration and test experience: builds, harnessing, torque control, and mechanical I&T.
• Prior technical leadership or mentorship of other mechanical engineers, formal or informal.

Compensation

The estimated base salary range for this role is $170,000 – $205,000 per year, plus equity. This range reflects our good‑faith estimate for this position at the time of posting. The final base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including the candidate's qualifications, relevant experience, skills, and market considerations. In addition to base salary, total compensation includes an equity grant and our full benefits package (Medical, Dental, Vision), HSA's and 401K program.

Additional Information

In order to comply with the space technology export rules of the U.S. Government, such as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), it is necessary to be a U.S. citizen, a lawful U.S. permanent resident, a protected individual as specified by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or possess eligibility to secure the necessary authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. For additional information on ITAR, please seek further details.

AnySignal is committed to building an inclusive and accessible workplace where all employees feel respected, supported, and able to contribute fully. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, including women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and members of underrepresented communities.

Should you have a need for accommodation, AnySignal will endeavor to meet your accommodation needs. At any stage of the recruitment and selection process you may make your needs for accommodation known through contacting our team, in confidence, by email to: [e-mail]