Director of Engineering: Deployables (micro-satellites)
About The Position
Space Kinetic is a dual use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations – one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible, attritable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo, we are focused on creating something entirely different – an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on. Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures – where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small number of) primary payloads attached to the bus – and unlock a "one-to-many" system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster. This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
- 8+ years of experience developing complex aerospace or high-performance mechanical systems.
- Demonstrated experience designing precision mechanical assemblies.
- Experience taking hardware from concept through qualification or production.
- Proficiency with 3D CAD software such as Siemens NX, Creo, SolidWorks, or CATIA.
- Strong understanding of GD&T, tolerance stack-up analysis, and Design for Manufacturing (DFM).
- Experience with structural mechanics, materials selection, and mechanical design principles.
- Excellent communication and technical leadership skills.
- Ability and willingness to obtain a security clearance.
Nice To Haves
- Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
- Experience developing spacecraft or launching vehicle hardware.
- Experience supporting environmental qualification testing including vibration, shock, thermal vacuum, acoustic, and deployment testing.
- Familiarity with FEA tools such as ANSYS, Abaqus, or Nastran.
- Experience with prototype fabrication, machining, composites, sheet metal, and additive manufacturing.
- Experience supporting production and manufacturing scale-up.
- Experience supporting government, national security, NASA, or commercial spaceflight programs.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, autonomously driven, and demanding startup environment.
- Passion for advancing the commercial and National Security space industry.
Responsibilities
- Lead the design and development of Whirlwind-compatible deployable micro-satellites from concept through flight.
- Lead technical design reviews and provide technical guidance across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
- Mentor engineers while establishing technical direction for deployable systems development.
- Design a ruggedized micro-satellite capable of surviving high G-loading Whirlwind operational environment.
- Perform engineering trade studies balancing performance, reliability, mass, manufacturability, cost, and schedule.
- Generate detailed mechanical designs, production drawings, tolerance analyses, and engineering documentation.
- Perform structural, thermal, and mechanical analyses to verify design performance.
- Build prototypes, engineering development units, qualification hardware, and flight hardware.
- Plan and execute functional, deployment, vibration, shock, thermal vacuum, thermal cycle, and life-cycle testing.
- Investigate hardware failures, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions.
- Work directly with manufacturing to improve producibility and resolve fabrication or assembly issues.
- Collaborate with suppliers to develop critical components and support supplier qualification.
Benefits
- Equity-Based Compensation
- Highly Competitive PTO and Holiday Calendar
- Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
- Unique Performance-Based Bonus Structure
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
