What You'll Do- Lead and grow the Mechanical Engineering organization spanning robotics, bus design, arrays and other space mechanisms.
- Own execution across multiple spacecraft mechanical development efforts.
- Establish engineering standards and best practices.
- Mentor engineers across all experience levels.
- Drive architecture and major technical decisions.
- Balance schedule, cost, manufacturability, and technical risk.
- Coordinate closely with Systems, Electrical, Software, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Test.
- Lead design reviews and technical risk assessments.
- Build a culture of ownership, craftsmanship, and continuous improvement.
- Support integration, qualification, environmental testing, and flight readiness.
- Remove roadblocks for engineering teams while maintaining accountability.
What We're Looking For Required - 8+ years of mechanical engineering experience in aerospace or complex hardware development.
- 3-5+ years leading engineering teams.
- Extensive spacecraft or aerospace structural/mechanical design experience.
- Strong CAD and GD&T expertise.
- Deep understanding of manufacturing and assembly processes.
- Experience leading qualification and environmental testing.
- Strong mechanical fundamentals and systems engineering intuition.
- Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering efforts.
- Experience making high-consequence engineering decisions and tradeoffs.
Your Ideal Background Preferred - Flight hardware ownership from concept through launch.
- Startup or rapid-development environment.
- Experience managing multiple simultaneous programs.
- Experience hiring and developing engineering talent.
- Familiarity with propulsion systems, thermal systems, avionics integration, optics, or deployable structures.
- Familiarity with robotics designed for a space environment.
- Experience establishing engineering processes and design standards.
- Experience designing and implementing space mechanisms.
- Experience designing for launch environments and qualification.
Additional Requirements: Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed.
Compensation and Benefits: Your base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. The anticipated salary range for this role is $139,000 - $225,000 annually.
Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at Katalyst. You will also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of the Employee Stock Option and Equity Plan, as well as a relocation bonus and other discretionary bonuses. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, and unlimited Paid Time Off.
