Darwin Recruitment
Staff Mechanical Spacecraft Engineer
Darwin Recruitment, San Francisco, California, United States, 94199
Staff Mechanical Engineer – Space Propulsion (Hall Effect Thrusters)
Location:
Alameda, San Francisco Job Type:
Full-Time | On Site | Senior/Staff Level
About the Role We’re hiring a
Staff Mechanical Engineer
to lead the mechanical design, analysis, and production readiness of next-generation
Hall Effect Thrusters . This role owns the mechanical architecture for high-reliability space hardware that must survive launch, operate for years in orbit, and be manufacturable at scale.
Key Responsibilities
Own structural, thermal, and mechanical design of Hall effect thruster components.
Define mechanical layout, tolerances, and producibility standards.
Lead material selection for ceramics, high-temp alloys, and plasma-facing components.
Drive DFM/DFA and improve manufacturability for higher-volume production.
Perform structural, thermal, vibration, and modal analyses.
Support environmental and qualification testing (TVAC, vibe, shock, life tests).
Collaborate with plasma physics, propulsion, electrical, systems, and production teams.
Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and design review support.
Required Qualifications
5+ years designing aerospace or high-reliability flight hardware.
Strong structural & thermal design background for extreme environments.
Experience taking hardware from prototype to production.
Proficiency with CAD/FEA tools (SolidWorks, NX, Creo, ANSYS).
Hands-on experience with flight qualification testing.
Familiar with NASA/ESA/ECSS/MIL-STD standards.
Degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
Preferred Experience
Hall effect or ion propulsion systems.
Ceramic or high-temperature material design.
Scaling propulsion hardware into manufacturing.
Advanced manufacturing (AM, brazing, coatings).
Prior mechanical lead on flight hardware.
Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.
Sebastian Prins
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Alameda, San Francisco Job Type:
Full-Time | On Site | Senior/Staff Level
About the Role We’re hiring a
Staff Mechanical Engineer
to lead the mechanical design, analysis, and production readiness of next-generation
Hall Effect Thrusters . This role owns the mechanical architecture for high-reliability space hardware that must survive launch, operate for years in orbit, and be manufacturable at scale.
Key Responsibilities
Own structural, thermal, and mechanical design of Hall effect thruster components.
Define mechanical layout, tolerances, and producibility standards.
Lead material selection for ceramics, high-temp alloys, and plasma-facing components.
Drive DFM/DFA and improve manufacturability for higher-volume production.
Perform structural, thermal, vibration, and modal analyses.
Support environmental and qualification testing (TVAC, vibe, shock, life tests).
Collaborate with plasma physics, propulsion, electrical, systems, and production teams.
Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and design review support.
Required Qualifications
5+ years designing aerospace or high-reliability flight hardware.
Strong structural & thermal design background for extreme environments.
Experience taking hardware from prototype to production.
Proficiency with CAD/FEA tools (SolidWorks, NX, Creo, ANSYS).
Hands-on experience with flight qualification testing.
Familiar with NASA/ESA/ECSS/MIL-STD standards.
Degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
Preferred Experience
Hall effect or ion propulsion systems.
Ceramic or high-temperature material design.
Scaling propulsion hardware into manufacturing.
Advanced manufacturing (AM, brazing, coatings).
Prior mechanical lead on flight hardware.
Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.
Sebastian Prins
#J-18808-Ljbffr