Cowboy Space
Senior Mechanisms Engineer
$152K–$220K
San Carlos, California · On-site · Senior · Full-time · Posted Sep 15, 2026
- Experience
- 5+ years required; 8+ years preferred.
- Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field; Master’s degree preferred.
- Visa sponsorship
- Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
About the job
Owns end-to-end development and flight qualification of precision gimbal mechanisms for laser communications payloads.
What you'll do
- Design and analyze gimbal assemblies, define performance requirements, and coordinate interfaces with optical and controls teams.
- Specify and procure precision components; manage suppliers, acceptance testing, integration, and verification.
- Develop and execute qualification testing, including functional, life, vibration, shock, and thermal-vacuum tests.
What they ask for
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
- 5+ years designing and developing precision mechanisms for flight hardware in aerospace or defense programs.
- Experience designing gimbal mechanisms for laser communications, optical payloads, or antenna pointing systems, and owning end-to-end mechanism development.
- Proficiency in 3D CAD (NX, Solidworks, or equivalent), engineering drawing/GD&T, mechanism analysis, and hands-on flight mechanism testing.
Nice to have
- Master’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
- Familiarity with fast steering mirrors, space mechanism lubrication, closed-loop gimbal control, life and wear testing, or cleanroom flight hardware qualification.
Pay
USD 152,000 - 220,000 annually (base salary)
Tools
NX, Solidworks, GD&T
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative