Lead Mechanical Engineer, Space Products

The Company

Astra's mission is to improve life on Earth from space by creating a healthier and more connected planet. Astra delivered its first commercial payload into Earth orbit in 2021, making it the fastest company in history to reach this milestone, just five years after being founded in 2016. By achieving monthly, weekly, then daily launches, we'll create the infrastructure services our customers need in space to build a healthier and more connected planet. If you're excited by a sense of possibility, the chance to innovate, and make a difference here on Earth, we think you should work here too.

The Team 

The space products engineering team is producing low-cost, reliable, highly efficient, Hall-effect thruster propulsion systems for modern satellites and spacecraft. Our thrusters will be used in Low Earth Orbit, Medium Earth Orbit, Geostationary Orbit, Lunar missions, and beyond. The team includes talented engineers who have designed and launched into orbit over 1,000 satellites over the course of their careers. Comprehensive design, prototype production, qualification, and acceptance tests are conducted within our Alameda, Mountain View and new Sunnyvale facilities. 

The Opportunity 

You will work with an interdisciplinary team of other mechanical engineers, propulsion engineers, machinists, electrical engineers, and technicians to bring designs to life. This position will serve as Mechanical Engineering Lead and overall subject matter expert. New programs come in frequently. You will be a primary contributor on a team that develops new systems/modules and launches them into orbit.

How You'll Fulfill Your Mission

• Technical Leadership

• Lead and manage a team of 4-8 mechanical engineers 

• Serve as mechanical design expert, defining best practices, DFx standards, CAD standards, etc

• Conduct mechanical peer reviews of models and drawings

• Set, implement, and maintain schedules and budgets to ensure project completion

• Mechanical Design

• Design of propulsion modules, structural components, pneumatics, tanks, tubing, harnessing/wiring layout for existing contracts

• New development (clean-sheet design) of next generation in-space propulsion systems and other space products

• Generate 3D models, fully dimensioned drawings, and interface control documents per ASME Y14.5 GD&T standards using Siemens NX CAD tool

• Perform initial structural analyses in NX Simcenter / hand calculations and coordinate with System Analysis team

• Document & update testing procedures, test & analysis results, inspection reports, FMEAs, requirement documents, work instructions, etc. 

• Build & render system layouts for customer evaluation and proposals

• Ensure best practices in our Product Data Management system including design documentation, process documentation, inspection, and quality control

• Deliver efficient designs capable of high-volume production throughput

Why We Value You

• You have 3+ years of technical leadership or engineering management experience
• You have 8+ years of professional experience in mechanical design and analysis using CAD & PLM tools (Siemens NX preferred)
• You have experience with hands-on fabrication, assembly, and/or testing of aerospace hardware
• You have a strong understanding of various manufacturing processes 
• You have strong mechanical engineering fundamentals
• You can critically analyze problems and are excited by new design challenges
• You are self-motivated and have excellent written and verbal communication skills

Desired Multipliers

• You have 5+ years of leadership or management experience
• You have 12+ years of professional experience in mechanical design
• Experience with production tooling or product design in either prototype or volume environments
• Familiarity with space systems
• Experience with electronics packaging
• Experience with high pressure pneumatics/fluid management systems and designs including latch valves, piezo valves, and regulators
• Experience designing high-temperature components
• You have 3+ years of FEA experience (NASTRAN preferred)
• You have experience with thermal and CFD tools (Thermal Desktop and Star-CCM preferred)

ITAR Requirements: This position requires compliance with U.S. Government space technology  trade restrictions, specifically the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and additional regulations governing satellite, launch vehicle, missile, and other related technologies.  All jobs restricted by these regulations will be contingent upon the applicant’s status as a documented U.S. Person or their ability to receive a trade license from the cognizant government agency; in addition to any required company background checks and in compliance with applicable U.S. and California laws.  Similarly, positions requiring the ability to work on government contracts or a security clearance are also contingent upon the applicants ability to receive the appropriate clearance and be allowed to work on U.S. government contracts.

You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply for this position. Here at Astra, we know that diverse perspectives foster the innovation we need to be successful, and we are committed to building a team that encompasses a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.

San Francisco Applicants: Astra will consider applicants with arrest and conviction records (criminal histories) in a manner consistent with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.