Principal Mechanical Engineer, Cargo Systems

Gravitics, Inc•Denver, CO

1d•$190,000 - $235,000

About The Position

Gravitics is seeking an exceptional mechanical engineer to own the top-level mechanical design, CAD configuration, and physical integration of a clean-sheet cargo vehicle. This role involves developing and maintaining the integrated vehicle CAD model, establishing the mechanical configuration, and ensuring that all subsystems integrate into a coherent and manufacturable vehicle. It is a highly cross-functional position central to the vehicle design process, requiring collaboration with subsystem engineers to define interfaces, manage packaging trades, resolve integration conflicts, and guide the vehicle through its lifecycle from concept to flight operations.

Requirements

14+ years of industry experience in mechanical, aerospace, or a related engineering discipline.
Demonstrated ownership of complex mechanical systems or vehicle-level integration efforts.
Expert-level proficiency with 3D CAD and large assembly management using NX, SolidWorks, CATIA, Creo, or similar tools.
Experience developing and maintaining top-level vehicle, aircraft, spacecraft, or other complex mechanical assemblies.
Strong understanding of mechanical packaging, interfaces, tolerance management, assembly architecture, and configuration control.
Ability to develop integrated vehicle layouts while balancing competing structural, thermal, electrical, operational, manufacturing, and subsystem requirements.
Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals and working knowledge of primary structures, secondary structures, mechanisms, pressure systems, and other vehicle hardware.
Knowledge of vehicle environments including acceleration, vibration, shock, pressure, and thermal loading and an understanding of how these environments influence mechanical design.
Strong understanding and application of engineering drawing practices, GD&T, and ASME Y14.5.
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional technical discussions and drive interface and integration issues to closure.
Ability to clearly communicate complex technical concepts and configuration decisions to subsystem engineers, program leadership, manufacturing teams, and customers.
Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related technical field.

Nice To Haves

Ownership of the top-level CAD model or mechanical configuration for a spacecraft, launch vehicle, aircraft, or similarly complex system.
Experience taking a clean-sheet vehicle from conceptual configuration through detailed design, manufacturing, integration, test, and operations.
Experience establishing CAD architecture and configuration-management practices for a new vehicle program.
Experience with spacecraft cargo or payload accommodation, including internal and external cargo interfaces.
Experience performing vehicle-level packaging and configuration trades across multiple engineering disciplines.
Experience with vehicle mass properties, including component location management, center-of-gravity trades, and configuration-dependent mass properties.
Experience defining and managing mechanical Interface Control Documents (ICDs), interface geometry, keep-out zones, and subsystem envelopes.
Experience integrating harnessing, fluid lines, avionics, thermal hardware, and other distributed systems within a constrained vehicle envelope.
Experience with design-for-assembly, vehicle integration sequencing, ground support equipment, transportation, lifting, and handling.
Experience supporting spacecraft or launch vehicle integration and test activities through flight.

Responsibilities

Own and maintain the top-level integrated CAD model and mechanical configuration of a clean-sheet cargo vehicle.
Develop vehicle-level layouts and packaging concepts that satisfy mission, structural, cargo, subsystem, manufacturing, integration, and operational requirements.
Establish and maintain the vehicle CAD architecture, including assembly structure, coordinate systems, interface geometry, envelopes, keep-out zones, and other configuration-critical features.
Lead vehicle-level mechanical integration across primary and secondary structures, cargo, avionics, thermal systems, propulsion, mechanisms, harnessing, fluid systems, and other vehicle subsystems.
Work with subsystem responsible engineers to define and manage mechanical interfaces and ensure their designs integrate into the overall vehicle configuration.
Lead packaging and configuration trades involving vehicle geometry, cargo volume, mass properties, accessibility, serviceability, assembly sequence, subsystem routing, and structural load paths.
Identify integration conflicts early and drive cross-functional teams to resolution.
Own vehicle-level clearance and interference management and ensure the integrated configuration remains internally consistent as designs mature.
Drive configuration maturity from conceptual layouts through preliminary and critical design, released hardware, vehicle assembly, and integration.
Support vehicle mass properties development by maintaining accurate configuration, component location, and orientation within the integrated model.
Ensure the vehicle configuration accounts for manufacturing, assembly, integration, test, transportation, ground handling, and operational constraints.
Develop and maintain interface definition products and other documentation necessary to communicate and control the vehicle's mechanical configuration.
Support design reviews by clearly communicating vehicle configuration, major trades, integration risks, open interfaces, and design maturity to engineering teams and leadership.
Create detailed mechanical designs and drawings where needed, applying sound engineering fundamentals, GD&T, and tolerance analysis.
Work directly with manufacturing, integration, and test teams to resolve vehicle-level issues as hardware moves from CAD into reality.
Serve as the technical authority for the integrated mechanical configuration of the vehicle, from initial concept through mission operations.