Mechanical Engineer - IRL

Responsibilities

• Drive the detailed mechanical design of vacuum system components and assemblies, including pumps, valves, tubing, and heat exchangers, through all lifecycle phases and demonstrate extreme ownership.
• Develop and design mechanical systems to scale from laboratory testing to production.
• Conduct analysis for sizing components including hand calcs and FEA.
• Apply an understanding of electro-mechanical principles to integrate sensors, instrumentation, controls, and power distribution seamlessly with vacuum hardware.
• Lead design reviews as system and subsystem designs are established and refined.
• Oversee the procurement, assembly, and integration of mechanical and vacuum system hardware.
• Develop and execute test plans to verify and validate system performance from the component level through to fully integrated system tests.
• Serve as a key design expert, collaborating with other subsystem teams to ensure seamless hardware integration and meet all mission requirements.

Required Qualifications

• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related technical subject area.
• 3+ years of experience in the design of electro-mechanical systems using a CAD software design package (e.g. Solidworks, NX, CATIA, or Creo) and Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T).
• Direct experience designing and troubleshooting hardware for high vacuum systems.
• Recent, practical hands-on experience with hardware assembly, integration, and testing.
• Familiarity with common manufacturing methods (machining, welding, hand and power tools, etc.).
• Ability to operate effectively with minimal direction, maintaining a high attention to detail and aspiration for technical excellence, and have a demonstrated track record of resourcefulness and success from previous work.

Desired Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D.in Mechanical Engineering, or related technical subject area.
• Direct experience designing or operating ultra-high vacuum chambers.
• Proficiency with FEA software (e.g., ANSYS Mechanical, NASTRAN, Abaqus) and fluid analysis tools.
• Experience programming or configuring control systems (LabVIEW, Python) for vacuum automation.
• Functional knowledge of electrical systems, data acquisition (DAQ), sensor integration, and wiring schematics to ensure cohesive electro-mechanical design.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, short and long-term disability, and other benefits
• Paid Time Off: Flexible PTO policy with paid company holidays