Principal Mechanisms Design Engineer - TeraWave

Responsibilities

• Lead the architectural design and development of precision gimbal assemblies and pointing mechanisms for space-based optical communications terminals
• Define and own mechanism-level performance requirements, error budgets, and design margins across structural, thermal, and dynamic domains
• Drive design trades for gimbal configurations balancing mass, volume, stiffness, pointing accuracy, and on-orbit lifetime
• Develop and maintain mechanism design standards, analysis workflows, and documentation to support incremental hardware build and test
• Provide technical guidance to engineering teams on mechanism integration, harness routing, and interface control
• Mentor junior and mid-level mechanical engineers in mechanisms design principles, analysis methods, and space qualification practices
• Support production transition through design-for-manufacturability improvements, tolerance analysis, and supplier development

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related technical field
• 15+ years of experience in precision mechanisms design for space or aerospace applications
• Demonstrated experience designing, analyzing, manufacturing, and qualifying gimbal assemblies or multi-axis pointing mechanisms for space environments
• Proficiency in 3D CAD software (e.g., Creo, NX, SolidWorks) and finite element analysis tools (e.g., ANSYS, NASTRAN, Comsol)
• Experience with mechanism kinematics, dynamics, and structural analysis
• Knowledge of space qualification testing including vibration, shock, thermal vacuum, and life testing
• Experience with bearing systems, drive trains, and precision actuators for space mechanisms
• Strong understanding of GD&T, tolerance stack-up analysis, and interface control documentation
• Knowledge of Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) principles