Mechanical Design Engineer – Space Exploration Projects

MRI Technologies•Houston, TX

3d•Onsite

About The Position

MRI Technologies has an exciting opportunity for a Mechanical Design Engineer – Space Exploration Projects on the JETS II contract at NASA Johnson Space Center. In this role, you will support the design, analysis, and development of mechanical hardware that contributes to NASA's human spaceflight missions, working alongside NASA customers, subsystem teams, and cross-disciplinary engineering groups to deliver reliable mechanical solutions for crewed and uncrewed vehicles supporting the Artemis Program and future deep space exploration. A typical day involves developing and maintaining 3D CAD models and engineering drawings for spacecraft components, subsystems, and integrated vehicle configurations, and performing the design evaluations needed to confirm they meet mission requirements. In the morning you may be modeling parts and assemblies in PTC Creo, applying GD&T to drawings per ASME Y14.5, or running dimensional tolerance analyses that account for thermal effects across mission environments - ascent, cruise, lunar orbit, surface operations, and off-nominal scenarios. In the afternoon you could be performing hand calculations and structural or thermal analyses to confirm fit, function, strength, and thermal response, coordinating with machine shop and rapid prototyping resources, reviewing NASA and vendor mechanical designs for technical accuracy, or presenting your design work to NASA customers in a design review. The work is intellectually challenging, mission-critical, and directly tied to enabling safe human exploration beyond Earth orbit.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering from an accredited institution.
Minimum of 2–5 years of experience in the field or a related area.
Experience designing parts and assemblies using 3D CAD modeling software (e.g., PTC Creo, Pro/Engineer, SolidWorks, NX, or similar).
Strong understanding of mechanical design principles for aerospace hardware, including materials selection, fasteners, joints, and manufacturability.
Experience producing engineering drawings conforming to ASME Y14.5 and applying Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T).
Experience performing dimensional tolerance analyses, including thermal effects, on parts and assemblies.
Experience supporting designs with hand calculations and structural and thermal analyses for fit, function, strength, and thermal response.
Familiarity with machine shop processes and rapid prototyping methods such as 3D printing.
Experience documenting design work and preparing technical drawings and reports for internal stakeholders and customers.
Excellent oral, written, and presentation communication skills, with the ability to coordinate across multiple technical disciplines.
Ability to organize and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines and schedules with limited supervision.
Ability to work in a team environment consisting of NASA civil servants and contractor employees.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office products.
Proof of U.S. Citizenship or U.S. Permanent Residency.
Ability to complete a U.S. government background investigation.

Nice To Haves

Typically 5–10 years of relevant engineering experience.
Proficiency with PTC Creo or Pro/Engineer (and related extensions such as Cabling, Piping, Sheetmetal, and Simulation) is strongly preferred.
Prior NASA (especially JSC) or aerospace development and manufacturing experience.
Experience designing NASA flight hardware and producing drawings for NASA/JSC.
Familiarity with the JSC Engineering Drawing System Manual (JPR 8500) and JSC Fabrication Tolerances and Practices (SKZ36103755).
Experience with mechanisms or robotics design for spacecraft, payloads, or surface systems.
Experience supporting hardware verification and validation activities, including test planning, structural and thermal testing, data analysis, and model correlation.
Familiarity with the Engineering Life Cycle and requirements verification processes.
Familiarity with NASA JSC organizations, processes, and procedures.
Experience participating in design reviews, technical interchange meetings, and anomaly investigations.
Demonstrated leadership in fostering collaboration, mentoring junior engineers, driving clear technical direction, and contributing to a culture of accountability and high-quality engineering.

Responsibilities

Developing and maintaining 3D CAD models and engineering drawings for spacecraft components, subsystems, and integrated vehicle configurations.
Performing design evaluations to confirm they meet mission requirements.
Modeling parts and assemblies in PTC Creo.
Applying GD&T to drawings per ASME Y14.5.
Running dimensional tolerance analyses that account for thermal effects across mission environments.
Performing hand calculations and structural or thermal analyses to confirm fit, function, strength, and thermal response.
Coordinating with machine shop and rapid prototyping resources.
Reviewing NASA and vendor mechanical designs for technical accuracy.
Presenting design work to NASA customers in a design review.