Spacecraft Mechanical Engineer

Position Title: Spacecraft Mechanical Engineer Position Description: Protingent has an exciting direct hire opportunity for a Spacecraft Mechanical Engineer with our client in Los Angeles, CA.

Job Responsibilities

• Execute the mechanical design and development team for primary and secondary spacecraft structures, including geometry and material selection.
• Design parts for manufacturing, incorporating Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) practices.
• Develop CAD models and engineering drawings, and complete part inspections of received parts for accuracy.
• Execute spacecraft mechanical assembly integration and testing, including MGSE design, torquing and staking bolts, performing interference and fit checks, and maintaining cleanroom organization.
• Develop mechanical assembly procedures.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate structural subsystems with other spacecraft subsystems.
• Own hardware through the entire project lifecycle, including part reception, inspection, integration, to spacecraft bus packing, shipping, and testing.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
• Document design processes, test results, and system performance.
• Provide technical mechanical engineering guidance to fellow engineers, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation.

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or similar field.
• 5+ years of core mechanical engineering discipline experience in aerospace or related fields.
• Experience with hands‑on assembly and integration of space flight hardware Experience with designing spacecraft primary and secondary structural elements.
• Proficiency in CAD software such as NX, Solidworks, etc.
• Proficiency in generating engineering drawings and GD&T.
• Demonstrated expertise in structural design, harness routing, and systems‑level mechanical engineering.

Desired Job Qualifications

• Experience with spacecraft AI&T in clean room environments and adhering to ESD protocols.
• Proficiency with finite element method analysis packages such as Simcenter, Abaqus, Altair/Optistruct, etc.
• Experience with the design, specification, and testing of spacecraft deployable systems and mechanisms
• Experience executing and leading spacecraft vibration test campaigns

Job Details

• Job Type: Direct Hire
• Location: Los Angeles, CA
• Salary Range: $130K-170K
• ITAR obligations are associated with this role, U.S. citizenship, U.S. legal permanent resident status, or protected person status under 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a) (1), (3) is required.

About Protingent

Protingent is anAward-Winningprovider of top-tier Engineering and IT talent, trusted by companies at the forefront of innovation — fromSoftwareandAerospacetoAI, Clean Tech, Medical Devices, and Connected Technologies.We’re passionate about making a positive impact by connecting exceptional talent with meaningful opportunities and helping our clients build the future.