Spacecraft Lead AI&T Engineer

Proteus Space, Inc.; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401k matching

Paid vacation

Parental leave

Dental care

Job summary

Proteus Space, Inc. in Los Angeles is recruiting a Spacecraft Lead AI&T Engineer to lead the design, assembly, and testing of structural spacecraft components.

The role requires hands-on leadership, experience with spaceflight hardware, CAD, GD&T, and collaboration across engineering teams. You will mentor junior engineers, develop mechanical assemblies, ensure regulatory compliance, and maintain project schedules while delivering reliable, high-performance spacecraft structures.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering is required.
• 5+ years of experience leading assembly and integration of space flight hardware.
• 5+ years in aerospace or related field delivering high-quality spacecraft structures.
• Proficiency in CAD and GD&T specifications, fastener torque values, and material finishes.

Responsibilities

• Lead spacecraft mechanical assembly integration and testing, including MGSE and EGSE coordination.
• Lead the design and development team for primary and secondary spacecraft structures.
• Develop CAD models and engineering drawings with surface finish and GD&T specs.
• Develop mechanical assembly procedures.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's or advanced degree in mechanical/aerospace engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

NX

Job description

Proteus Space is a Los Angeles-based spacecraft technology company established to capitalize on a rapidly evolving space landscape and the urgent need to deliver resilient orbital capabilities to maintain and increase our national science and security interests. We combine serious space flight experience with an open minded, first-principles approach, leveraging advanced computational design and Industry 4.0 practices to deliver custom spacecraft and mission solutions with industry leading speed, precision, and reliability. We seek to enable every payload and mission with a fully custom, purpose-built spacecraft bus, designed and delivered using Proteus, our patent-pending, automated computational design platform, with industry leading reliability.

Role Description

We are seeking a Spacecraft Lead AI&T Engineer to join our spacecraft team. This is a full-time, in office role for an experienced professional with a proven track record of hands-on work across multiple areas of spacecraft mechanical engineering. In this role, you will lead the design, development, assembly, and testing of structural assemblies and systems for our spacecraft builds.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead spacecraft mechanical assembly integration and testing, including MGSE design, EGSE coordination, environmental test planning and execution, and cleanroom maintenance.
• Lead the design and development team for the primary and secondary spacecraft structures, including geometry and material selection.
• Lead the development of CAD models and engineering drawings, including surface finish and GD&T specifications.
• Develop mechanical assembly procedures.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate structural subsystems with other spacecraft subsystems.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
• Document design processes, test results, and system performance.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior engineers, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or similar field.
• Experience leading the assembly and integration of space flight hardware
• 5+ years of core mechanical engineering discipline experience in aerospace or related fields
• 5+ years of practical experience delivering high-quality results in the design, assembly, and testing of spacecraft structures.
• Demonstrated expertise in structural design, harness routing, and systems-level mechanical engineering.
• Proficiency in CAD software such as Solidworks, NX, etc.
• Experience specifying and analyzing fastener torque values and material finishes (e.g. anodizing).
• Experience with the NASA GEVS standard.
• Experience working in clean room environments and adhering to ESD protocols.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including mentoring junior engineers and driving innovation in engineering processes.
• Strong ability to collaborate effectively in a dynamic environment while maintaining a positive and professional attitude.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.

Desired Qualifications

• End to end program leadership experience with rapid on-orbit tech demo missions.
• Understanding of EMC/EMI testing and design considerations for spacecraft.
• Advanced degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• Extensive experience in spacecraft design, with a deep understanding of spacecraft systems and subsystems.
• Experience with launch integration, including coordination with launch service providers.
• Proficiency in programming (e.g., Python, C++, or MATLAB) and space system / mission modeling.

Salary Range:$130,000 - $170,000 per year. Final compensation is based on experience, education and qualifications.

Proteus Space offers comprehensive benefits including paid medical healthcare for employees, flexible vacation policy, sick days, 401k matching option, pregnancy leave, family leave, holiday pay, military service leave, dental care, vision care and other benefits.

Proteus is committed to providing equal employment opportunities regardless of an applicant’s age, disability, sex, race, religion, gender, national origin, veteran status or any other legally protected characteristic. The Company will provide reasonable accommodations to an applicant with a disability or religious belief in or to enable the applicant to apply for the position.