Principal Mechanical Engineer, Space Special Programs

About the role

We are looking for a Principal Mechanical Engineer to join our rapidly growing team in Chantilly, VA.

In this role, you will be responsible for the full cycle design for spacecraft and associated systems including deriving requirements, 3D CAD, modelling (structural, thermal, dynamic, etc), materials selection, supervision of fabrication, initial assembly, test, debug and integration with the system.

The designs include deployment mechanisms for spacecraft and subsystems (such as antennas, solar panels, etc), as well as boxes, structures, pressure vessels, and the like. All of these components require rigorous testing including vibration, shock, thermal vacuum, thermal, etc and must be developed to work with very tight tolerances, since the space vehicles themselves are fairly small.

Your engineering team as a whole must span the capabilities of structural, thermal, and dynamic analysis, structure design for spacecraft, spacecraft dispensers, and other components, 3D CAD for all of these designs, design for fabrication and manufacture, as well as building prototypes, flight articles, and taking them through full qualification or acceptance test campaigns.

You are expected to be an individual contributor as well as the team lead. Additionally, you will be responsible for helping develop the system mechanical designs, techniques, and standards, and, as the expert mechanical engineer, for mentoring and growing your team.

Required Qualifications

• 15+ years of professional experience in hardware product development, at least 5 designing space flight hardware
• Basic understanding of PCB Layout requirements to meet space flight mechanical, and manufacturing requirements
• Experience in ground-up system design and any 3-D CAD
• Hands-on assembly, prototyping, testing, and performance characterization of mechanisms designed for 0g but in a 1g environment.
• Experience designing and building very small mechanisms, components, and systems.
• Familiarity with launch environments, testing for launch environments, range safety, and system integration efforts
• Demonstrated creativity and “out of the box thinking” for spacecraft mechanisms with an eye toward simplicity and reliability
• Understanding of NASA-GEVS (or equivalent) and firm understanding and experience with all facets of spaceflight environmental testing
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work effectively with others
• Ability to work within our company and team culture
• Demonstrated High ownership and autonomy across the entire cradle-to-grave lifecycle of a spacecraft or space system mechanical subsystem.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen and able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Top Secret security clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing, integrating, and flying Cubesat spacecraft meant to operate in LEO through GEO environments
• 1+ years of exlperience working in a classified environment
• US Salary Range $220,000—$292,000 USD
• Benefits The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations.
• Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package.
• Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:
• At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you’re supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next.