Spacecraft Structures Engineer (Bus Structures and Packaging)

Rendezvous Robotics•Golden, CO

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Rendezvous Robotics is solving the problem of spacecraft size constraints by developing electromagnetic self-assembling tiles, enabling larger and more powerful spacecraft. We are seeking a Mid to Senior Level Spacecraft Structures Engineer to manage the design, analysis, and packaging of satellite bus and tile primary structures. This role involves taking flight structures from concept through qualification, production, and on-orbit operation, encompassing structural design, component enclosures, thermal conduction paths, detailed layout, and supporting structural and thermal analysis. The engineer will collaborate with various teams including systems, electrical, avionics, software, manufacturing, test, and external suppliers and fabricators. This is a full-time, on-site position located in Golden, Colorado.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or a related field; advanced degree is a plus.
4+ years of spacecraft or satellite structural and mechanical design experience.
Demonstrated experience designing spaceflight hardware that has flown.
Experience owning a flight structure or subsystem from concept through qualification test.
Experience mounting components to primary structure, including responsibility for the dynamic environment of the mounted hardware.
Thermal-mechanical design experience, including conduction path design, doublers, heat pipe integration, thermal interface materials, and CTE-driven failure modes.
Proficiency with structural finite element analysis (FEA) for modal, quasi-static, and random vibration analysis.
Strong first-principles approach to structural design, analysis, and test, including hand calculations to size hardware and check FEA results.
Strong command of 3D CAD, detailed drawings, tolerance stack-ups, and GD&T (ASME Y14.5).
Solid understanding of spaceflight materials, hardware, fabrication techniques, and design for manufacturability.
Strong ability to communicate across engineering disciplines to make program-critical decisions.
Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Nice To Haves

Experience with electronics packaging and enclosure design for space flight, including chassis and covers, connector selection, PCB mounting, grounding, and bonding.
Familiarity with grounding and EMI considerations for electronics mounting.
Experience with solar array substrates, cell mounting, or bonding.
Experience with honeycomb sandwich panel design for flight, including facesheet and core selection, potted insert design and location, edge close-outs, doublers, and load paths.
Experience with insert pull-out and core crush testing, coupon programs, or bonded joint qualification.
Experience with thermal analysis tools (e.g., Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, Sherlock, or a comparable node-based solver).
Familiarity with NASA verification standards, including NASA-STD-5020 and the General Environmental Verification Standard (GEVS), and/or SMC-S-016.
Working knowledge of launch and on-orbit load and thermal environments, material behavior, and margin of safety reporting.
Proficiency with Onshape (SolidWorks, NX, or Creo also valued).
Experience with industry-standard FEA tools (e.g., Nastran/Femap, ANSYS, Abaqus).
Proficiency with Python or MATLAB for analysis and data processing.
Experience with design lifecycle and configuration management systems.
Hands-on R&D background, including prototyping, testing, and iterating on novel mechanical concepts.
Experience in a startup or fast-iteration hardware environment.

Responsibilities

Own spacecraft primary and secondary structure from concept through detailed design, qualification, production, and on-orbit operation, including requirements definition, detailed CAD modeling, tolerance stack-ups, and design reviews.
Design component mounting and local stiffening, including mounting patterns, fastener and insert schemes, and the dynamic response of mounted hardware.
Design conduction paths and thermal interfaces, including doublers, thermal interface materials, heat pipe integration, and component placement.
Design solar cell mechanical mounting, including substrate preparation, bonding, CTE compatibility, and coverglass handling.
Execute detailed structural layout and packaging, balancing structural, thermal, power, and avionics requirements.
Perform component and assembly level structural analysis, including modal, quasi-static, and random vibration.
Define harness routing and accommodation.
Engage suppliers and fabricators, support fabrication processes, and produce and check detailed drawings with geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T).
Support prototype builds and oversee structural verification and validation, including environmental and vibration testing.
Support vibroacoustic and detailed thermal analysis, and incorporate the results into the design.