Spacecraft Structures Engineer: Flight Hardware & Packaging (Equity)

Rendezvous Robotics; Golden (CO); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical, vision, dental

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Parental leave

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

Job summary

Rendezvous Robotics in Golden, CO seeks a Spacecraft Structures Engineer to own the design, analysis, and packaging of satellite bus structures and mounting hardware. You will take flight structures from concept through qualification, production, and on-orbit operation, coordinating with systems, electrical, and manufacturing teams.

The role requires hands-on CAD and GD&T work, FEA-driven validation, and strong thermo-mechanical design and materials knowledge.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or related field (advanced degree a plus).
• 4+ years of spacecraft structural and mechanical design experience.
• Demonstrated experience designing spaceflight hardware that has flown.
• Experience owning a flight structure or subsystem from concept through qualification test.
• Experience mounting components to primary structure with attention to dynamic environment.
• Thermal-mechanical design experience including conduction paths, doublers, heat pipe integration, and CTE considerations.
• Proficiency with structural finite element analysis (FEA) for modal, quasi-static, and random vibration.
• Strong 3D CAD, drawings, tolerance stack-ups, and GD&T (ASME Y14.5).
• Solid understanding of spaceflight materials, fabrication techniques, and design for manufacturability.
• Strong ability to communicate across engineering disciplines for program decisions.

Responsibilities

• Own spacecraft primary and secondary structure from concept to production and on-orbit operation, including requirements, CAD, tolerances, and reviews.
• Design component mounting and local stiffening, mounting patterns, fasteners, and dynamic response.
• Design conduction paths and thermal interfaces, including doublers, TIMs, heat pipes, and placement.
• Design solar cell mounting, substrate prep, bonding, CTE compatibility, and coverglass handling.
• Execute detailed layout and packaging balancing structural, thermal, power, and avionics needs.
• Perform component and assembly level structural analysis including modal and vibration analyses.
• Define harness routing and accommodation.
• Engage suppliers/fabricators and produce/verify GD&T-driven drawings.
• Support prototype builds and verification tests, including environmental and vib tests.
• Incorporate vibroacoustic and thermal analysis results into the design.

Skills

FEA analysis

CAD & GD&T

Thermal design

Structure design

Cross-functional comms

Python / MATLAB

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Nastran

ANSYS

Abaqus

Thermal Desktop

Job description

Rendezvous Robotics in Golden, CO seeks a Spacecraft Structures Engineer to own the design, analysis, and packaging of satellite bus structures and mounting hardware. You will take flight structures from concept through qualification, production, and on-orbit operation, coordinating with systems, electrical, and manufacturing teams.

The role requires hands-on CAD and GD&T work, FEA-driven validation, and strong thermo-mechanical design and materials knowledge.