Senior Mechanisms Engineer

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related technical discipline

5+ years of experience in a full cycle design engineering role, including CAD, analysis, build and test

Fundamental knowledge of kinematic synthesis, pneumatic/hydraulic actuation, mechatronics and instrumentation

Fundamental knowledge of structures strength, stability and fatigue failure modes

Basic knowledge of manufacturing processes, materials, and surface treatments

Proven track record of technical problem-solving and hands-on hardware build experience

Communication and interpersonal skills to lead discussions on complex technical topics

In order to be successful in this role, you should be someone who is self‑motivated, thrives in ambiguity, and is able to lead his or her own projects to completion

Ideally, you are someone who has come from a fast‑paced environment, having completed difficult projects with extreme ownership while collaborating effectively with other key groups

(Desirable) 7+ years of aerospace experience or an advanced engineering degree

(Desirable) Experience with launch vehicle mechanisms and multi‑body dynamics analysis

(Desirable) Experience in a demanding fast pace development environment

(Desirable) Experience with design engineering tools such as NX, TeamCenter, Ansys or Femap, as well as engineering scripting language such as Python or MATLAB

(Desirable) Hands‑on experience with fabrication/prototyping such as machining, 3D printing, welding, woodworking

What the job involves

The Structures and Mechanisms team is responsible for the full design, build, and test lifecycle of Terran R’s integrated structures and flight mechanisms

Whether you're working on highly iterative mechanisms that move or tight‑margin structures that shouldn’t, you’ll get hands‑on hardware ownership and see the rocket coming to life on the factory floor

Both teams fall under one department, sharing design principles, tools, and an integrated approach that provides a comprehensive view of Terran R

Team members work on multiple parts, not just within a single subsystem, and are empowered to make decisions that directly impact flight hardware

Beyond first flight, you’ll play a critical role in refining for manufacturability and speed

To support our mission of changing the way rockets are built and flown, you will guide the design of Terran R mechanisms such as stage separation, payload deployment, aero control features and landing gear

To be successful, you will be working collaboratively with partner groups such as structures, avionics and fluids; and leverage our additive process and design freedom to design and build better products

The scope of work encompasses a full design cycle, including conceptualization, trade studies, design, analysis, manufacturing and testing of components

Your mission will be to deliver on time and budget

You will be challenged to integrate as many subsystems within our printed primary structure, and support the development of our additive process to make this a reality

To achieve this, you will be working closely with our vehicle design, test and loads teams, as well as our additive and manufacturing teams

Here are some examples of projects you could be working on:

Design and test the Terran R stage separation or fairing deployment system

Innovative conceptualization of the Terran R landing gear or aero surfaces actuation

Definition of design criteria and subsystems requirements

Review of static and dynamic load inputs, material properties & manufacturing process

Conduct trade studies on different mechanism design concepts and present to leadership

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