Senior Mechanical Engineer, Spacecraft Hardware & Flight

Cowboy Space Corporation; San Carlos (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement savings plan

Paid time off

10 paid holidays per calendar year

Paid parental leave

Relocation assistance if applicable

Daily lunch in the office

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corporation in San Carlos, CA seeks a Senior Mechanical Engineer to design and build flight-ready spacecraft hardware. You will own critical systems from concept through flight, collaborating with propulsion, power, avionics, GNC, and software teams.

You’ll move quickly, iterate often, and take ownership of hardware impacting mission success, with a hands-on role centered on hardware development in a high-performance environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of experience designing mechanical systems for aerospace or high‑performance hardware.
• Experience taking hardware from concept through build and test.
• Strong fundamentals in mechanics, materials, and thermal systems.
• Proficiency with CAD NX/SolidWorks or similar.
• Experience working in fast‑paced, hardware‑focused development environments.

Responsibilities

• Own mechanical design of spacecraft components and assemblies from concept through production.
• Design and develop structures, mechanisms, and thermal solutions for space environments.
• Develop and maintain engineering documentation, drawings, and release processes.
• Perform analysis including FEA, thermal, and tolerance stack-ups to validate designs.
• Drive rapid prototyping, build, and test cycles to accelerate hardware development.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with propulsion, power, avionics, GNC, and software engineering teams.
• Support integration, environmental testing, and launch readiness activities.
• Troubleshoot hardware issues, perform root cause analysis, and implement design improvements.
• Work with suppliers and manufacturers to ensure high‑quality, scalable production.
• Balance performance, manufacturability, cost, and schedule in design decisions.

Skills

Mechanics fundamentals

Materials knowledge

Thermal systems understanding

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

NX (CAD)

SolidWorks

Job description

Cowboy Space Corporation in San Carlos, CA seeks a Senior Mechanical Engineer to design and build flight-ready spacecraft hardware. You will own critical systems from concept through flight, collaborating with propulsion, power, avionics, GNC, and software teams.

You’ll move quickly, iterate often, and take ownership of hardware impacting mission success, with a hands-on role centered on hardware development in a high-performance environment.