Sr. Mechanical Engineer

TRL11 is seeking a hands-on Senior Mechanical Engineer to own the mechanical development of space avionics and electro-optical imaging systems from initial requirements through production and product sustainment.

This role will have broad responsibility across the full product lifecycle, including requirements definition and verification, mechanical architecture, detailed design, drawing release, supplier selection, manufacturing engineering, environmental testing, and ongoing product support. The Senior Mechanical Engineer will work closely with cross-functional teams and customers to deliver reliable hardware for demanding space environments.

The ideal candidate is a strong individual contributor who is comfortable making technical decisions, working directly with vendors, technicians, and customers, and remaining accountable for a product after the initial design is released.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the mechanical development and sustainment of space avionics and electro-optical products.
• Translate system, optical, thermal, structural, environmental, and manufacturing needs into mechanical requirements.
• Develop mechanical architectures, concepts, detailed designs, drawings, and release packages.
• Design enclosures, optical assemblies, structural components, thermal interfaces, and precision electromechanical assemblies.
• Perform tolerance analysis, material selection, fastener selection, interface definition, and design-for-manufacturing reviews.
• Support prototype builds, first-article inspection, assembly development, troubleshooting, and design iteration.
• Identify and source initial components and manufacturing partners.
• Evaluate and qualify machine shops, fabrication vendors, coating suppliers, and other external manufacturers.
• Develop manufacturing processes, assembly instructions, tooling, inspection requirements, and acceptance criteria.
• Plan and execute system verification testing, including imaging performance and environmental testing.
• Investigate production and field issues, lead root-cause analysis, and implement corrective actions.
• Maintain released designs through configuration changes, obsolescence, cost reduction, and reliability improvements.
• Provide technical mentorship and support the continued development of TRL11’s mechanical engineering practices.

Requirements

Basic

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of relevant mechanical product-development experience.
• Experience owning complex hardware through design, release, manufacturing, test, and sustainment.
• Strong proficiency in 3D CAD, engineering drawings, GD&T, tolerance analysis, and configuration-controlled design release with tools such as Onshape, Solidworks, or similar.