Senior Mechanical Engineer – Space-Based Interceptors (Equity)

True Anomaly, Inc.; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 135,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Flexible PTO

Lunch provision

401(k) plan

Fitness reimbursement

Dog Fridays

Equity opportunity

Job summary

True Anomaly, Inc. is seeking a senior Mechanical Engineer to design flight hardware for space-based interceptors and hypersonic systems. You will own the mechanical architecture, drive system-level requirements, and lead cross-functional teams through design reviews and qualification campaigns.

You will apply GD&T, CAD leadership, and TPS experience to deliver robust hardware capable of withstanding extreme conditions. Work near Denver with a strong emphasis on mentorship and program leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• 7–15+ years of professional experience in mechanical design, with the majority spent on Space Based Interceptors, hypersonic vehicle, or high-performance flight system programs.
• Demonstrated expertise in flight vehicle structural design for high-dynamic-pressure, thermally coupled, and high-g flight environments.
• Extensive hands-on experience with guidance and seeker packaging architecture, including precision optical or RF sensor integration, alignment and retention design, vibration isolation, and EMI management within kill vehicle or interceptor envelopes.
• Deep experience with TPS design and high-temperature materials, including ablative, ceramic, and composite systems, and ownership of TPS qualification approaches for hypersonic or re-entry applications.
• Proven experience leading mechanical integration of propulsion subsystems, including solid rocket motor interfaces, DACS packaging, and TVC structural design, with full cross-discipline coordination responsibility.
• Expert-level proficiency in NX (Siemens) and/or SolidWorks, including complex multi-subsystem vehicle assemblies, configuration management, and CAD team leadership.
• Mastery of GD&T principles, with experience defining and enforcing drawing and model standards across a program or organization.
• Proven track record of leading flight vehicle hardware programs from concept through test or flight certification, including full ownership of technical risk and schedule.
• Experience chairing or leading formal vehicle design reviews at the subsystem or full vehicle level.
• Strong familiarity with relevant defense and aerospace standards (MIL-SPEC, MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-1540, AIAA S-110) and their application to design, analysis, and test.
• Experience with configuration management, MES, and PLM tools (e.g., TeamCenter, Windchill) at a program leadership level.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical topics to executive, program, and customer audiences.

Responsibilities

• Serve as technical authority and subject matter expert in Space Based Interceptors and hypersonic vehicle mechanical design, providing engineering leadership across interceptor, kill vehicle, and hypersonic flight vehicle programs.
• Own and drive the full mechanical architecture of flight vehicle structures and systems — from system-level requirements definition and concept development through qualification, flight certification, and lessons learned capture.
• Define structural design philosophy, sizing criteria, and margins of safety for flight vehicle primary and secondary structures across high-dynamic-pressure, high-g maneuver, and thermally coupled hypersonic flight environments.
• Lead the design and development of guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) hardware and seeker packaging architectures, establishing integration standards for precision optical and RF sensor assemblies within highly constrained kill vehicle and interceptor envelopes.
• Own the thermal protection system (TPS) design strategy for hypersonic and re-entry flight vehicles, including material selection, panel and tile integration architecture, aeroheating-driven structural trades, and qualification approach for ablative, ceramic, and composite TPS systems.
• Lead mechanical integration of propulsion subsystems, including solid rocket motor structural interfaces, divert and attitude control system (DACS) packaging, nozzle and TVC structural design, and cross-discipline coordination with propulsion engineers to ensure system-level compliance.
• Define and maintain vehicle-level mechanical interface control documents (ICDs), mass properties reports, and configuration baselines across program milestones.
• Chair and lead formal vehicle design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, FRR) and drive closure of technical risks, RFIs, and subsystem interface actions across the engineering team.
• Establish and enforce GD&T standards, drawing conventions, and CAD model management practices across the mechanical engineering team.
• Collaborate with systems engineering, aerodynamics, thermal, GN&C, and propulsion teams to derive and flow down mechanical requirements, perform requirements verification, and support IV&V activities.
• Develop and approve structural and environmental qualification and acceptance test plans, witness testing, and resolve anomalies and non-conformances against program requirements.
• Leverage spacecraft and space environment design expertise — including precision mechanisms, electronics packaging, and launch load structural design — to inform cross-domain solutions and bring asymmetric technical advantage to Space Based Interceptors and hypersonic programs.
• Provide technical mentorship and career development guidance to junior and mid-level mechanical engineers, building team capability and domain expertise in Space Based Interceptors and hypersonic systems.
• Partner with program management and business development to support proposal efforts, schedule and resource planning, and new program captures in Space Based Interceptors and hypersonic domains.

Skills

Flight vehicle structural design

Guidance and seeker packaging

TPS design

GD&T

NX/SolidWorks CAD

Lead design reviews

Cross-discipline coordination

System-level requirements

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

NX (Siemens)

SolidWorks

CAD management

TeamCenter/Windchill

Job description

True Anomaly, Inc. is seeking a senior Mechanical Engineer to design flight hardware for space-based interceptors and hypersonic systems. You will own the mechanical architecture, drive system-level requirements, and lead cross-functional teams through design reviews and qualification campaigns.

You will apply GD&T, CAD leadership, and TPS experience to deliver robust hardware capable of withstanding extreme conditions. Work near Denver with a strong emphasis on mentorship and program leadership.