Space Hardware Engineer: End-to-End Mechanical Lead

Frontdoor Defense; Burlingame (CA); On-site; USD 132,000 - 178,000; Full time

Job summary

Xona is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to lead end-to-end hardware design, build, and test for space-grade components in Burlingame, CA. You’ll own spacecraft components and assemblies from concept through verification, collaborating with senior engineers on complex architectures and high-risk decisions.

You will design flight hardware and GSE, perform calculations and FEA, build prototypes, and support testing and production readiness.

Qualifications

• Required: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering or related field.
• 3+ years of professional mechanical hardware development experience with ownership of components or assemblies.
• Experience taking hardware through design, fabrication, assembly and testing; explain decisions and results.
• Strong fundamentals: load paths, joints, materials, GD&T, tolerance analysis.
• Proficient in 3D CAD and drawings using SolidWorks or equivalent; controlled release experience.
• Ability to substantiate designs with calculations and working knowledge of structural FEA.

Responsibilities

• Own assigned components and assemblies from requirements through design, build, verification and production support.
• Design flight hardware and mechanical GSE; create CAD drawings, BOMs, interfaces with GD&T and tolerance analysis.
• Evaluate design options for strength, packaging, manufacturability, cost, schedule; participate in design reviews.
• Perform first-principles calculations and structural FEA; verify loads, margins, and thermal interfaces.
• Build and evaluate prototypes; develop fixtures and test setups; use results to improve designs.
• Support assembly, integration, and qualification including TVAC test support and issue review.
• Coordinate interfaces across mechanical, thermal, electrical, payload, and I&T teams; communicate risks early.

Skills

Independent ownership

Problem solving

Communication

Mechanical fundamentals

Structural analysis

GD&T

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering or related

Tools

SolidWorks

FEA (finite element analysis)

Job description

Xona is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to lead end-to-end hardware design, build, and test for space-grade components in Burlingame, CA. You’ll own spacecraft components and assemblies from concept through verification, collaborating with senior engineers on complex architectures and high-risk decisions.

You will design flight hardware and GSE, perform calculations and FEA, build prototypes, and support testing and production readiness.