Senior Mechanical Systems Engineer - Spaceflight Hardware

Jet Propulsion Laboratory; United States; On-site; USD 170,000 - 216,000; Full time

Job summary

Jet Propulsion Laboratory seeks a senior Mechanical Systems Engineer to lead hardware development for spacecraft payloads and instruments. You will drive system architecture, requirements, and verification strategies across all mission phases, delivering high-confidence designs and critical technical decisions.

You'll mentor engineers, guide multidisciplinary teams, and present progress to management. This role requires active TS clearance and U.S.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience translating mission needs into system architectures and requirements.
• Ability to lead reviews and set technical direction for spaceflight hardware.
• Demonstrated project planning, scheduling, and multi-team leadership capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical hardware development for payloads, instruments, and spacecraft across all mission phases.
• Approve requirements, interfaces, and V&V plans to ensure technical integrity.
• Generate and maintain engineering documentation, data packages, and design artifacts.
• Direct complex trade studies and drive major technical decisions with mission impact.

Skills

Mechanical systems

Leadership

Requirements management

CAD modeling

V&V planning

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

NX

SolidWorks

Teamcenter

Job description

Jet Propulsion Laboratory seeks a senior Mechanical Systems Engineer to lead hardware development for spacecraft payloads and instruments. You will drive system architecture, requirements, and verification strategies across all mission phases, delivering high-confidence designs and critical technical decisions.

You'll mentor engineers, guide multidisciplinary teams, and present progress to management. This role requires active TS clearance and U.S.