Engineering Manager, Mechanisms

Denver, COfull timeOn Site

Apply on Employer Site

senior

$155k–$230k

H1B: no

Trueanomalyinc Engineering Manager, Mechanisms leads a team designing and developing motor-driven actuation systems for orbital platforms at True Anomaly. This role manages technical direction, team growth, and end-to-end mechanisms development lifecycle.

Responsibilities

Own the technical direction for spacecraft mechanism systems, including precision gimbals, motor-driven actuators, and associated control electronics
Lead, mentor, and grow a team of mechanisms engineers, including a dedicated motor control engineer, to develop fully vertically integrated actuation solutions
Oversee end-to-end mechanisms development lifecycle: requirements definition, mechanical and motor control design, analysis, procurement, integration, and test
Lead the design and development of precision pointing, tracking, and articulation systems for on-orbit payload and antenna applications
Partner closely with the GNC team to develop and validate bearing determination, stabilization, and closed-loop pointing control
Develop and maintain mechanism performance budgets, including pointing accuracy, torque margin, lifetime, and disturbance analyses
Ensure mechanism designs meet mission requirements for reliability, thermal performance, radiation tolerance, and SWaP constraints
Manage schedules, budgets, staffing, and technical risk across multiple mechanism development programs
Collaborate with avionics, systems engineering, software, and test teams to ensure seamless spacecraft integration
Drive compliance with applicable aerospace standards and lead design reviews with internal stakeholders and customers
Communicate product development status and issues with leadership and stakeholders

Qualification

Experience working in a fast-paced

Required

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field (Master's preferred)
10+ years of professional experience in spacecraft mechanisms design, development, and test
Demonstrated experience with motor-driven actuation systems, including brushless DC motors, stepper motors, and associated drive electronics
Experience with precision pointing or tracking mechanisms such as gimbals, beam steering systems, or antenna pointing systems
Strong understanding of mechanism performance analysis including kinematics, structural dynamics, bearing life, and disturbance modeling
Familiarity with GNC interface requirements for stabilized pointing and tracking applications
Demonstrated ability to lead engineering teams and deliver complex hardware on schedule

Preferred

Experience with space-qualified mechanisms, including lubrication, materials selection, and life testing for vacuum and thermal environments
Experience with solar array drive assemblies (SADA), solar array drive electronics (SADE), deployment mechanisms, reaction wheels, or other spacecraft momentum and articulation systems
Experience with motor control firmware development and closed-loop servo system design
Knowledge of spacecraft structural analysis tools (NASTRAN, ANSYS, or similar) and mechanism simulation environments
Experience with 1G test stand design or other gravity off-load test approaches for validating on-orbit mechanism behavior
Familiarity with MIL-SPEC and NASA standards applicable to spacecraft mechanisms (e.g., GSFC-STD-7000, MIL-STD-810)
Experience working in a fast-paced, startup environment or a similarly dynamic setting