Senior Mechanical Engineer, Spacecraft Hardware & Thermal

Cowboy Space Corp.; San Carlos, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 125,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement 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 Corp. in San Carlos, CA is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead the mechanical design of spacecraft components from concept to production.

You will own hardware across structures, mechanisms, thermal systems, and packaging, delivering flight-ready, high-performance solutions. You will collaborate with propulsion, power, avionics, GNC, and software teams to prototype rapidly, validate designs through testing, and drive improvements balancing performance, manufacturability,

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 (e.g., 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

Mechanical design

Thermal systems

Materials fundamentals

FEA analysis

CAD

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Tools

NX CAD

SolidWorks

FEA tools

Job description

Cowboy Space Corp. in San Carlos, CA is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead the mechanical design of spacecraft components from concept to production.

You will own hardware across structures, mechanisms, thermal systems, and packaging, delivering flight-ready, high-performance solutions. You will collaborate with propulsion, power, avionics, GNC, and software teams to prototype rapidly, validate designs through testing, and drive improvements balancing performance, manufacturability,