Senior Mechanical Engineer at Astranis Space Technologies

Astranis is on a mission to bridge the digital divide by connecting the four billion people worldwide who currently lack internet access. We're doing this by building the next generation of smaller, more cost-effective spacecraft to bring the world online.

As a team, we’ve launched two satellites into orbit, signed ten commercial deals worth over $1 billion in revenue, raised over $500 million from top global investors, and recruited a team of over 300 world-class engineers. We all work out of our (legendary) San Francisco office, which was once used to build ships during the World Wars.

Our satellites, which operate from geostationary orbit (GEO), weigh only 400 kg and utilize a proprietary software-defined radio payload. Each satellite can connect over two million people, and we’re very excited for the impact we’ll soon have in the Philippines, Peru, Mexico, and more!

Backed by substantial funding and a passionate, collaborative team, we offer a rewarding work environment where you'll learn and make a significant impact, no matter where you are in your career.

Apply and join us on our journey towards global connectivity!

Senior Mechanical Engineer

As an Astranis Senior Mechanical Engineer you will own the complete lifecycle of various subsystems on our spacecraft. Whether it is incremental improvements or the introduction of a new system, you will work together with the various other teams at Astranis to make them a reality.

In addition to being a significant individual on your own, you will mentor and train junior mechanical engineers on such projects. You must have a strong problem-solving background, hands-on testing skills, and preferably some experience with spacecraft and/or aerospace engineering.

Role

• Complete ownership of product outcomes for spaceflight hardware
• Develop requirements for subsystems and components including loads, interfaces, and functional requirements
• Perform mechanical design and analysis of complex assemblies to satisfy launch and on-orbit requirements
• Develop and define design best practices for future programs
• Manage system level schedule and integration requirements for your subsystems while working together with the Assembly, Integration, and Test team to enable a smooth build process
• Assist in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring additional teammates to our rapidly-growing team.

Requirements

• B.S. or M.S in mechanical, aerospace engineering or equivalent
• 4 - 15+ years of mechanical design or equivalent experience
• Strong CAD design (Solidworks) and Finite Element analysis (Femap, Ansys) skills
• Experience with GD&T and designing for manufacturability
• Demonstrated ability to personally design, evaluate, and procure complex mechanical assemblies with 30-40 components in aerospace or similar
• A passion for hardware development, including working in a fast-paced environment with hands-on design and development
• A motivated leader who has experience mentoring and supporting junior engineers
• Don't meet them all? Not a problem. Please apply even if you do not meet all these criteria.

Bonus

• Experience with defining vibration environments and running mechanical testing on spacecraft and spacecraft components
• Experience running a development program while delegating to a small team
• Experience in synthesizing requirements and flowing them down to sub-scale verification builds and testing

What we offer:

All our positions offer a compensation package that includes equity and robust benefits.

Base pay is a single component of Astranis's total rewards package, which may also include equity in the form of incentive stock options, high quality company-subsidized healthcare, disability and life insurance benefits, flexible PTO, 401(K) retirement, and free on-site catered meals.

Astranis pay ranges are informed and defined through professional-grade salary surveys and compensation data sources. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, and the level and scope of the position.

$140,000 - $185,000 USD

U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required

(To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3))

Our mission and our products are meant to connect the world and everyone in it, regardless of gender, race, creed, or any other distinction. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we encourage all people to join our team and bring their unique perspective to help make us stronger.

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Please answer 2 of the 4 below questions. *

How would you go about deciding whether to use a metallic or a composite structure for a spacecraft?

In what scenario using Von Mises stress would not be appropriate? How else could you judge whether the part would fail or not?

Describe a time that a design or project did not work, and how you resolved the situation.

How would you find and verify the center of gravity of a spacecraft?

I understand that Astranis is an in-person company, and I am willing to work onsite 5 days a week at our HQ in San Francisco. *

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