Senior Mechanical Engineer, Electronics Packaging & RF Components

Astranis; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 145,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity package

Healthcare

Disability and life insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Flexible PTO

On-site catered meals

Job summary

Astranis is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer focused on electronics packaging and RF components. Design, analyze, test, and validate space-grade enclosures and RF housings across the hardware lifecycle—from requirements to environmental testing.

Collaborate with RF, Electrical, and Systems teams to define mechanical constraints, interfaces, and manufacturability. Own enclosure architecture, thermal management, and EMI/EMC performance for launch-ready hardware.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S in mechanical or aerospace engineering.
• 5+ years in mechanical design with electronics packaging or enclosure design.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD tools (SolidWorks, NX, or Creo).
• Strong fundamentals in mechanical, structural design, and thermal management for PCBAs and enclosures.
• Experience with RF isolation techniques and EMI/EMC mitigation in mechanical enclosures.
• GD&T, tolerance analysis, engineering drawings, and design for manufacturability.
• Hands-on hardware prototyping, thermal interface materials, precision machining, and assembly processes.

Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, build, and test space-grade electronics enclosures, RF housings, and PCBA mounts.
• Implement RF isolation and EMI shielding techniques, including gasketing, cavity design, and interface controls.
• Collaborate with RF, Electrical, and Systems teams to develop mechanical constraints, connector interfaces, signal integrity, and environmental loads.
• Integrate electronics units into spacecraft design, developing procedures to optimize assembly, wire routing, and thermal interface material application.

Skills

Mechanical design

RF packaging

Electronic enclosure design

3D CAD

Thermal management

GD&T

DFM (design for manufacturability)

Prototype hardware

EMI/EMC mitigation

RF isolation

Education

B.S./M.S in mechanical or aerospace engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

NX

Creo

Job description

Senior Mechanical Engineer, Electronics Packaging & RF Components

Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe – large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military.

With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts. Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization.

Astranis has raised over $1.2 billion from some of the world’s best investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Baillie Gifford, Blackrock, Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, and Snowpoint, and employs a team of 500 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.

As an Astranis Mechanical Engineer focused on Electronics Packaging and RF Components, you will design, analyze, build, and test enclosures for critical spacecraft electronics and RF components. You will contribute across the complete hardware lifecycle—from requirements definition and concept development through detailed design, supplier coordination, assembly, and environmental testing.

Working at the intersection of mechanical, thermal, electrical, and RF engineering, you will solve challenging problems involving EMI/EMC isolation, high-power-density thermal management, and survivability in the launch environment. You will own the enclosure’s physical architecture, interfaces, manufacturability, and environmental robustness while partnering closely with RF and electrical engineers to verify electromagnetic and electrical performance.

This role requires strong problem-solving skills, sound mechanical judgment, hands‑on hardware experience, and enthusiasm for developing novel design solutions.

Role

• Design, analyze, build, and test space-grade electronics enclosures, RF housings, and PCBA mounts.
• Implement effective RF isolation and EMI shielding techniques, including gasketing, cavity design, and precision machining interface controls.
• Collaborate closely with RF, Electrical, and Systems engineering teams to develop requirements for mechanical constraints, connector interfaces, signal integrity, and environmental loads.
• Integrate electronics units into the spacecraft design, developing procedures to optimize assembly, wire routing, and thermal interface material application.

Requirements

• B.S. or M.S in mechanical, aerospace engineering or equivalent
• 5+ years of experience in mechanical design with a focus on electronics packaging, RF packaging, or enclosure design.
• Proficiency in mechanical 3D CAD (e.g., SolidWorks, NX, or Creo).
• Strong fundamentals in mechanical design, structural design, and thermal management for printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) and their enclosures.
• Practical knowledge of RF isolation techniques and EMI/EMC mitigation strategies in mechanical enclosures.
• Experience with GD&T, tolerance analysis, engineering drawings, and design for manufacturability.
• Hands‑on experience with hardware prototyping, thermal interface materials, precision machining, and assembly processes.

Bonus

• Experience designing high-frequency (Ku-Band or higher) RF/microwave enclosures, waveguides, or filter housings.
• Experience with mechanical and/or thermal FEA (e.g., ANSYS, Femap/NX Nastran, Thermal Desktop).
• Experience designing electronics enclosures for radiation and vacuum environments.
• Experience designing hardware to withstand severe launch vibration, shock, and thermal cycling environments.
• Hands‑on experience with environmental testing (TVAC, vibration/shaker tables, thermal chambers, and EMI/EMC chambers).
• Experience designing chip and wire RF housings for integrated antenna feed systems.

What we offer

All our positions offer a compensation package that includes equity and robust benefits.

• significant equity package via incentive stock options
• high-quality company-subsidized healthcare
• disability and life insurance
• 401(k) retirement planning
• flexible PTO
• free on-site catered meals

$145,000 - $195,000 USD

U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required

(To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3))

Our mission and products are built for everyone, regardless of gender, race, creed, or background. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we invite all people to join our team and bring their unique perspectives to make us stronger.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Astranis’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.