Senior Mechanical IPT Lead, Space Optical Payloads

General Atomics; Acton (MA); On-site; USD 128,000 - 229,000; Full time

Job summary

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) in Acton, MA is seeking a Senior Level Mechanical IPT Lead to provide design and programmatic leadership for spaceborne opto-mechanical payloads. You will oversee mechanical design activities and coordinate with cross-disciplinary teams to ensure on-schedule, compliant hardware delivery.

The role emphasizes hands-on design, packaging, analysis, and customer-facing responsibilities, with travel as needed and a focus on high-performance space

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in engineering; 15+ years with bachelor, 13+ with master, or 10+ with PhD, or equivalent experience.
• Ability to perform basic mechanical analyses including static, dynamic structural and thermal.
• Ability to read drawings and assess tolerances.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Security Clearance (secret/SCI).

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage mechanical design team activities including design, drafting, thermal and structural analysis.
• Report progress against schedule and resources in a program office setting.
• Coordinate with systems, optical, electrical and manufacturing teams to drive design/build.
• Maintain documentation and drive procurement activities with CM, QA, and purchasing.
• Develop design review packages for internal and external audiences.
• Support customer and supplier interactions; occasional travel may be required.
• Plan and support environmental testing of hardware (vibration, shock, thermal).
• Perform root cause analyses on hardware failures and implement corrective actions.
• Handle multiple assignments across teams concurrently.

Skills

Mechanical analysis

Drawing interpretation

Cross-functional coordination

Security clearance eligibility

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in engineering

Tools

SolidWorks 3D CAD Modeling

Job description

Job Summary

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) designs and manufactures first-of-a-kind electromagnetic and electric power generation systems. GA-EMS' expanding portfolio of specialized products and integrated system solutions support critical fleet, space systems and satellites, missile defense, power and energy, and process and monitoring applications for defense, industrial, and commercial customers worldwide.

Job Summary

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) designs and manufactures first-of-a-kind electromagnetic and electric power generation systems. GA-EMS' expanding portfolio of specialized products and integrated system solutions support critical fleet, space systems and satellites, missile defense, power and energy, and process and monitoring applications for defense, industrial, and commercial customers worldwide.
We are hiring a Senior Level Mechanical IPT Lead to join our team in Acton, MA to provide design and programmatic leadership relating to the development and production of advanced spaceborne electro-optical sensor payloads.
This individual will provide leadership and contribute to developing cutting-edge, high-performance space-based opto-mechanical hardware designs. The primary role for this position entails driving both lower level detailed opto-mechanical and higher system level packaging design activities in a combined engineering and program/customer facing role.
This opportunity affords the chance to operate as part of a highly skilled, collaborative and supportive project team that produces best in class, rigorously engineered, high-performance space based optical sensor payloads. The successful candidate will demonstrate a clear dedication to taking ownership of his or her work, a drive to understand and complete tasking and be absolutely committed to making the team and project succeed.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and manage mechanical design team activities, including design and drafting, thermal and structural analysis.
• Operate in a program office and customer facing role reporting on progress against schedule and resource needs.
• Coordinate with other engineering disciplines (systems, optical, electrical, and manufacturing) to facilitate information flow that is required to drive product design and build activities.
• Interact with configuration management, quality assurance and purchasing disciplines to maintain documentation products and drive material procurement.
• Track and understand design requirements and apply sound engineering principles and oversight to meet project requirements.
• Generate and present design review packages for internal and external audiences.
• Support customer and supplier interactions as required.
• Occasional travel may be required.
• Develop creative conceptual designs for new products and proposal efforts.
• Help plan and support the environmental testing of hardware including vibration, shock, thermal and others as required.
• Perform root cause assessments on hardware failures. Identify potential solutions and orchestrate team efforts to develop, implement and validate proposed solutions.
• Able to work on multiple assignments and with multiple teams simultaneously.
• Other duties as assigned.

We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.

Job Qualifications

• Typically requires a bachelors degree, masters degree or PhD in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution and progressive engineering experience as follows; fifteen or more years of experience with a bachelors degree, thirteen or more years of experience with a masters degree, or ten or more years with a PhD. May substitute equivalent engineering experience in lieu of education
• Ability to perform basic mechanical analyses including static and dynamic structural and thermal.
• Ability to support design and development of hardware to ensure requirements compliance.
• Strong mechanical aptitude, excelling in problem solving and troubleshooting.
• Ability to read mechanical drawings and perform tolerance assessments.
• Strong communication, people and organizational skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Security Clearance is required
• Secret and/or SCI DoD security clearance.

Preferred Skills and Credentials

• Opto-mechanical and electro-optic hardware design experience is highly desirable.
• Finite element modeling skills including thermal, structural, and transient shock.
• Design for extreme shock, vibration, and thermal environments.
• SolidWorks 3D CAD Modeling

Job Type: Full-Time Salary
Salary range: 128,130 - 229,358