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Apex manufactures satellite buses (spacecraft platforms) at scale, combining software, vertical integration, and hardware designed for manufacturing. The company serves the rapidly growing commercial space industry by providing spacecraft that enable earth observation, communications, and other critical missions.
As a Senior Mechanical Engineer, you will own the mechanical design and development of spacecraft structures, subsystems, and components from initial concept through qualification, production, integration, and flight. You'll take on significant technical leadership within the spacecraft engineering team, working cross-functionally with electrical, thermal, propulsion, manufacturing, quality, and systems engineering teams to solve complex mechanical challenges and deliver lightweight, reliable, and manufacturable flight hardware.
Key responsibilities include:
- Owning mechanical design and development of spacecraft structures, subsystems, and components from concept through flight
- Developing complex 3D CAD models, assemblies, and detailed engineering drawings for flight hardware
- Performing structural analysis using FEA and hand calculations to validate designs against launch and on-orbit environments
- Driving design trades and optimizing hardware for mass, structural performance, manufacturability, cost, and schedule
- Defining material, manufacturing process, and finish selections for spaceflight hardware
- Creating and releasing production-ready drawings using GD&T and applicable engineering standards
- Partnering closely with cross-functional teams to drive spacecraft-level integration
- Working directly with manufacturing and technicians to support hardware builds, resolve issues, and rapidly iterate designs
- Leading mechanical hardware through assembly, integration, qualification, and environmental testing (static load, vibration, shock, thermal vacuum)
- Analyzing test results and hardware failures to determine root cause and drive corrective design changes
- Leading design reviews and communicating technical decisions, risks, and tradeoffs to engineering stakeholders
- Mentoring junior engineers and contributing to improvements in mechanical design practices, tools, and processes
The role is based in Playa Vista (Los Angeles) with an emphasis on in-person collaboration and a fast-paced hardware development environment.
REQUIREMENTS:
- U.S. Person status required due to access to export-controlled data
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field
- 7+ years of professional experience in mechanical design and hardware development, preferably in aerospace, spacecraft, launch vehicles, or other complex hardware environments
- Demonstrated experience owning complex mechanical hardware from concept through design, manufacturing, assembly, and test
- Strong proficiency in 3D CAD and engineering drawings; NX experience preferred
- Strong understanding of structural mechanics, FEA, and hand calculations
- Strong knowledge of GD&T and engineering drawing standards
- Experience designing for aerospace manufacturing processes and materials (machined, sheet metal, composite, additively manufactured components)
- Experience supporting hardware through environmental qualification and acceptance testing
- Strong engineering judgment and ability to independently solve ambiguous, complex technical problems
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, highly collaborative hardware development environment
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience designing spacecraft structures, mechanisms, payload hardware, or other spaceflight mechanical systems
- Experience with vibration, shock, static load, and thermal vacuum testing
- Experience with spacecraft AIT (Assembly, Integration, and Test) and resolving hardware issues on the production floor
- Experience leading design reviews and providing technical mentorship
- Familiarity with ASME, ASTM, NASA, or other relevant aerospace standards
