Mechanical Engineer | Solar Array Deployable Structures

Responsibilities

• Own the design of the deployable structure’s mechanism from concept through flight, including actuation, deployment sequencing, latching and locking at full extension, and stowage and launch restraint.
• Design and analyze the deployment kinematics, actuation, synchronization, and end-of-travel latching, and quantify deployment reliability, force/torque margin, and jam resistance.
• Design mechanism details—bearings, guides, drives, dampers, and release devices—with attention to tribology, space-rated lubrication, and repeatable, low-shock deployment.
• Perform structural analysis of the deployed and stowed structure—deployed stiffness and fundamental frequency, buckling and stability, strength, and thermal distortion—and design to meet stiffness and pointing requirements.
• Design the interfaces to the solar array and its supporting hardware, balancing structural stiffness against operational loads and dynamics.
• Develop and execute deployment, life/cycle, structural static/modal, vibration, thermal-vacuum, and qualification/acceptance test programs to verify flight-worthiness.
• Drive design-for-manufacturing of long, precision structural elements—tolerances, straightness, and repeatability—and work with suppliers to ensure high-quality, scalable production.
• Author and maintain drawings, interface control documents, analysis reports, test procedures, and release/configuration records.
• Diagnose and resolve mechanism and structural anomalies during integration and test, applying root-cause analysis and implementing corrective actions.
• Partner with structures, GN&C, power, avionics, propulsion, and software teams to ensure the array integrates seamlessly within the overall spacecraft architecture, including low-frequency flexible-body dynamics.
• Embrace a fast-paced development environment, driving quick design cycles, hardware builds, and test campaigns to accelerate the program schedule.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field
• 3+ years of experience designing and analyzing deployable mechanisms and/or precision mechanical hardware in aerospace or other high-performance environments
• Strong mechanism fundamentals: kinematics, actuation, springs and stored energy, motors and drives, bearings, latches, tribology, and deployment reliability
• Solid structural fundamentals: stiffness, buckling and stability, strength, and structural dynamics of slender or lightweight structures
• Hands-on experience building and testing mechanisms, including deployment testing
• Experience taking hardware from concept through build and test, with hands-on integration and test experience
• Proficiency with CAD (e.g., NX, SolidWorks, or similar)
• Experience working in fast-paced, hardware-focused development environments