Senior Spacecraft Mechanical Engineer: Lead Flight Hardware

Nova Solvers; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance-based incentives

Medical/dental/vision coverage

Company 401(k)

Paid time off & holidays

Flexible hybrid work

Professional development

Job summary

Nova Solvers is seeking a Senior Spacecraft Mechanical Engineer to lead design, development, integration, and qualification of spacecraft structures, mechanisms, and flight hardware. You will work across architecture trades through environmental qualification and mission deployment with multidisciplinary teams.

The ideal candidate combines hands-on hardware experience with strong analytical skills and has delivered high-reliability aerospace systems through design, integration, and test.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of spacecraft/aerospace hardware development experience.
• Experience through design, integration, environmental testing, and qualification.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD tools (SolidWorks, Creo, NX).
• Familiarity with GD&T principles and aerospace manufacturing processes.
• Experience with vibration, shock, thermal vacuum, and environmental testing campaigns.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced development environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical design and development of spacecraft, payloads, avionics, and supporting hardware.
• Develop spacecraft structural architectures, packaging concepts, and mechanical layouts.
• Design primary and secondary spacecraft structures, brackets, panels, enclosures, and mounting systems.
• Perform structural, thermal, vibration, and dynamic analyses.
• Generate engineering drawings, CAD models, specifications, and design documentation.
• Support requirements development, system trades, and design reviews.
• Develop mass budgets, structural margins, and hardware performance assessments.
• Design for manufacturability, assembly, integration, and test.
• Support supplier selection, fabrication oversight, and manufacturing readiness activities.
• Develop and oversee qualification and acceptance test programs.
• Coordinate with electrical, systems, software, manufacturing, and mission engineering teams.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to engineering process improvements.

Skills

Mechanical design

Aerospace hardware

GD&T

3D CAD

Vibration testing

Systems collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

SolidWorks

Creo

NX

FEA tools

Job description

Nova Solvers is seeking a Senior Spacecraft Mechanical Engineer to lead design, development, integration, and qualification of spacecraft structures, mechanisms, and flight hardware. You will work across architecture trades through environmental qualification and mission deployment with multidisciplinary teams.

The ideal candidate combines hands-on hardware experience with strong analytical skills and has delivered high-reliability aerospace systems through design, integration, and test.