Mechanical Engineer

About the role

You will own the mechanical design and qualification of flight avionics packaging and integration for Nova, translating complex system requirements into robust hardware solutions. This role demands ownership of the full hardware lifecycle, from initial concept exploration through detailed design, analysis, manufacturing support, and final integration testing. You will be responsible for ensuring that avionics systems survive the extreme environments of launch and reentry while meeting demanding schedule targets. Collaboration with cross-functional teams will be central, as you work to align mechanical solutions with production realities and structural performance goals. You will actively seek and apply state-of-the-art methods to solve difficult packaging and integration challenges. Success in this position requires self-direction, rapid learning, and the ability to maintain focus in a fast-moving startup environment. You will contribute directly to reducing launch costs and increasing flight cadence by making avionics hardware more reliable and scalable.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Design, manufacture, and test packaging for flight avionics, electronics, and electro-mechanical actuators to ensure mission reliability.
• Design, manufacture, analyze, and integrate launch vehicle harness routing and secondary structure, ensuring these systems are structurally capable of surviving vehicle load cases and creating detailed CAD models and drawings.
• Perform thermal, structural, and tolerance analysis for electro-mechanical assemblies using both hand calculations and FEA to validate performance before hardware build.
• Conduct failure analysis of components as it relates to thermal, loads, vibration, and shock to identify root causes and drive corrective actions.
• Interface with machine shops and production teams to integrate design for manufacturing best practices and produce hardware needed for qualification and flight.
• Own the hardware delivery timeline and success through inception, design, assembly, test, and integration, coordinating dependencies and resolving risks proactively.
• Lead design reviews both internally and externally, communicating technical decisions clearly to diverse stakeholders.
• Drive continuous improvement efforts to increase throughput and reduce cost to meet the launch target without compromising safety or quality.
• Collaborate with avionics, structures, and production teams to align mechanical solutions with evolving program priorities.
• Evaluate, select, and implement state-of-the-art solutions for difficult packaging and integration problems.
• Maintain rigorous documentation of designs, analyses, and decisions to support traceability and future iterations.
• Support testing campaigns, including test planning, instrumentation, and data interpretation to validate design assumptions.
• Contribute to the definition and evolution of company standards for avionics development and integration.
• Mentor or guide junior team members as needed to elevate the overall capability of the mechanical engineering team.

Requirements

• Hold a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field, or demonstrate equivalent practical experience through a combination of education and work history.
• Possess 3+ years of professional experience in mechanical or electromechanical design and analysis, with relevant internship and significant student-project experience counting toward this requirement.
• Demonstrate proficiency with parametric 3D CAD and 2D drawing creation to communicate designs clearly and accurately.
• Show documented experience taking hardware from concept through design, analysis, manufacturing, and test, highlighting tangible outcomes and lessons learned.
• Apply working knowledge of structural and thermal analysis fundamentals using hand calculations and/or FEA to size components and predict behavior.
• Exhibit a solid understanding and application of GD&T per ASME Y14.5 to ensure parts are manufacturable and inspectable.
• Maintain a strong understanding of machining, sheet metal fabrication, and additive manufacturing processes and their design implications.
• Adhere to strict attention to detail and follow rigorous engineering practices to avoid errors that could impact flight hardware.
• Communicate effectively in written and verbal form, producing clear reports and presenting technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Work independently with self-directed focus, managing time and tasks in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Collaborate respectfully and productively within a multidisciplinary team distributed across roles and expertise.
• Be prepared to learn on the fly and adapt to new tools, processes, and evolving requirements as the startup scales.
• Commit to maintaining safety and quality standards in all engineering activities and decisions.
• Align with the mission-driven culture that values ownership, transparency, and continuous improvement.

Nice to have

• Hands-on experience with NX (or comparable CAD) and Ansys (or comparable FEA) for advanced analysis and simulation.
• Structural, modal, and tolerance-stack analysis of electromechanical assemblies to validate fit and function.
• Ability to perform thermal analysis for avionics and electronics components under extreme conditions.
• Experience designing electronics and component packaging for extreme environments including thermal, vibration, shock, and vacuum.
• Knowledge of harness routing and secondary structure design to manage cables and connectors efficiently.
• Collaboration with PCB designers; exposure to PCB layout and packaging constraints to coordinate electrical and mechanical interfaces.
• Exposure to low-volume / high-mix production design and the associated tradeoffs between customization and manufacturability.
• Experience with vibration, shock, thermal, and fatigue testing of electromechanical assemblies to qualify hardware for flight.
• Familiarity with developing and executing qualification and acceptance test campaigns to verify compliance with requirements.
• Self-motivated and highly organized mindset with excellent written and verbal communication and rigorous attention to detail.

Practical notes

• The position is located in Kent, Washington, which may require commuting or relocation considerations.
• Visa sponsorship information is not included in the source; candidates should inquire with the hiring team if needed.
• Application deadlines are not mentioned in the source; interested candidates should check the original posting for timely submission guidance.