CesiumAstro

Mechanical Engineering Manager

CesiumAstro$158K — $189K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical Engineering or related field
  • 7-9 years of mechanical design and analysis experience in aerospace/space systems
  • 1-3 years of experience in engineering management
  • Proficient in CAD and PDM tools such as SolidWorks
  • Expertise in structural, thermal, and dynamic analysis for aerospace applications
  • Familiar with environmental testing and qualification standards for space hardware
  • Strong understanding of mechanical design processes, materials, and manufacturing techniques.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and mentor a team of mechanical engineers, fostering a culture of innovation
  • Define team roles and structure to align with business needs
  • Establish performance expectations; conduct coaching and evaluations
  • Oversee mechanical architecture development and key design decisions
  • Guide teams through product lifecycle from concept to support
  • Ensure technical excellence across multiple programs
  • Collaborate across departments to support engineering objectives.

Benefits

  • Company stock options
  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
  • Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
  • Life and disability insurance
  • Retirement plans with company contributions.
Full Job Description
We are seeking a Mechanical Engineering Manager to lead our mechanical engineering organization, providing both people leadership and technical direction across multiple programs. This role is responsible for building and scaling a high-performing team, establishing robust engineering processes, and ensuring the successful execution of program deliverables.

As a key member of the engineering leadership team, this individual will drive strategic initiatives, support business growth, and influence product roadmap decisions. In addition to developing engineering talent, the Manager will serve as a senior technical authority, leading complex mechanical system and hardware development across the full product lifecycle-from concept through in-orbit support-for aerospace and space applications.

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

  • Lead, mentor, and scale a team of mechanical engineers, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
  • Define team structure, roles, and responsibilities to support business objectives and program needs.
  • Set clear performance expectations; provide coaching, feedback, and formal performance evaluations.
  • Drive employee engagement, retention, and career development initiatives.
  • Partner with Talent Acquisition to recruit top engineering talent.
  • Promote an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performance team environment.
  • Serve as the mechanical engineering authority across multiple programs, ensuring technical excellence and consistency.
  • Lead mechanical architecture development, trade studies, and key design decisions aligned with product roadmaps.
  • Oversee system-level requirements definition, validation, and interface management.
  • Guide teams through the full development lifecycle: concept, design, analysis, manufacturing, integration, testing, and qualification.
  • Provide technical oversight for high-risk or high-visibility programs, ensuring milestone success.
  • Lead and participate in internal and external design reviews, including presentations to customers and executive leadership.
  • Define, implement, and continuously improve mechanical engineering processes, including design standards, analysis methodologies, and verification/validation frameworks.
  • Establish and maintain technical documentation standards across programs.
  • Ensure effective allocation and prioritization of engineering resources.
  • Drive accountability for schedule, cost, quality, and technical performance.
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with systems engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and program management teams.
  • Interface with customers, suppliers, and partners to support program execution.
  • Contribute to product roadmap development through mechanical technology strategy and innovation.
  • Support proposal efforts, including technical solutioning, resource planning, and cost estimation.
  • Identify opportunities for process improvement, cost reduction, and operational efficiency.
  • Help shape long-term strategy for mechanical engineering capabilities and capacity.


JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
  • 7-9 years of experience in mechanical design and analysis for aerospace or space systems with a minimum of 1-3 years of engineering management experience.
  • Deep expertise in mechanical design and analysis for aerospace/space applications.
  • Experience with electronics packaging at PCBA and system levels.
  • Strong understanding of structural, thermal, and dynamic analysis.
  • Knowledge of environmental testing and qualification standards for space hardware.
  • Familiarity with aerospace materials and manufacturing processes (e.g., CNC machining, composites, additive manufacturing).
  • Understanding of system integration, AI&T, and launch constraints.
  • Proven ability to lead technical trade studies and make architecture-level decisions.
  • Experience developing and implementing engineering processes and best practices.
  • Proficiency with CAD and PDM tools (e.g., SolidWorks, SolidWorks PDM or equivalent)
  • Experience with simulation tools (e.g., ANSYS Mechanical, SolidWorks Simulation, or similar FEA tools)
  • Effective communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts.


$158,000 - $189,000 a year

CesiumAstro considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, education/training, and key skills. Full-time employment offers include company stock options and a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability and retirement plans.

About CesiumAstro

CesiumAstro is a technology company that provides advanced communications systems for satellite and space-based applications. The company's systems use advanced software-defined radio technology to provide high-bandwidth, low-latency communications for a variety of applications, including remote sensing, earth observation, and satellite communications. CesiumAstro's systems are designed to be highly modular and scalable, allowing them to be easily integrated into a wide range of satellite and space-based platforms. The company was founded in 2017 and is based in Austin, Texas.
Learn more about CesiumAstro
Size
100 employees
Industry
Net Income
-$1 million
Founded
2017
5 Year Trend
+80%
Revenue
$5 million

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