Aerospace, Defense, Space Exploration, Manufacturing

Technical Staff, Mechanical Systems

RemoteRemoteFull TimeStaff$193,000–$256,000 /yrPosted 27 days agoVisa sponsorship available

Is this role right for you?

Upload your resume and get a skill-by-skill breakdown — see exactly where you match, where you're close, and what to highlight. Not a mystery percentage.

Get a tailored resume highlighting what this role needs.

Required skills

Aerospace structures
Mechanical design
Kinematics
Material selection
Structural analysis methods
Engineering drawings
Aerospace manufacturing methods
FEA analysis
Test data interpretation
Technical leadership

Nice to have

Systems engineering
Requirements verification
Test
Technical roadmaps
Hypersonic vehicle development
Flight testing

Role summary

Stratolaunch seeks a subject matter expert in Mechanical Systems for its Technical Staff in Engineering. This role provides company-level technical leadership, focusing on solving execution problems and developing future solutions. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in aerospace structures, mechanical design, kinematics, material selection, structural analysis, engineering drawings, manufacturing methods, FEA, and test data interpretation. Responsibilities include technical leadership, mentorship, design review, creating technical standards, leading problem-solving teams, developing capability roadmaps, and supporting R&D and business development efforts. Requires extensive experience in aerospace mechanical systems and demonstrated technical leadership.

Stratolaunch accelerates the development of next-generation aerospace and defense technologies through reusable hypersonic flight testing. Our autonomous, air-launched Talon-A vehicles provide access to operationally realistic flight environments at speeds exceeding Mach 5, delivering critical data that helps customers validate system performance and advance technologies toward deployment. Our team brings together expertise in engineering, manufacturing, and flight operations to solve complex challenges and advance capabilities essential to national security.

Stratolaunch is seeking a subject matter expert in Mechanical Systems to join the Technical Staff in Engineering. Members of the Technical Staff at Stratolaunch are the company’s foremost functional area experts, providing company-level technical leadership as they solve today’s execution problems and develop innovative solutions for the future. The successful candidate will have demonstrated technical leadership capability and a track record applying deep technical expertise in aerospace structures, mechanical design, kinematics, material selection, structural analysis methods, as well as familiarity with engineering drawings, aerospace manufacturing methods, FEA analysis, and test data interpretation to solve practical engineering problems.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide company-level technical discipline leadership in technical review, technical mentorship, mechanical problem solving, and conceptual design

Provide formal and casual collaborative review at all stages of mechanical design for new and ongoing mechanical design activities

Provide mentorship at multiple levels across the mechanical design group with a focus on junior colleagues

Enable world class engineering through the creation of technical standards, best practices, and common tool chains in domain(s) of expertise

Support program execution by leading teams through and/or participating in high-impact problem solutions (e.g. Failure Review Boards, RCCA, Tiger Teams)

Develop and maintain engineering capability roadmaps and lead the realization of those capabilities

Propose and lead Internal Research and Development projects to generate intellectual property and enable future business success

Support white papers, proposals, and other front end of the business efforts

Support recruiting and hiring activities

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential responsibility satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required Qualifications:

In-depth experience in the following:

Aerospace structures

Mechanical design

Kinematics

Material selection methods

Engineering drawings and documentation

Structural analysis methods

Aerospace manufacturing methods

Test planning and test data interpretation

Demonstrated ability as a technical leader

Demonstrated ability applying technical expertise to solve high-impact problems

Excellent verbal and written communication skills: Capable of conveying complex technical information to diverse audiences

Familiarity with relevant industry and military standards and regulatory specifications

Experience proposing and leading IRAD projects

Ability to interact with customers and/or external stakeholders

Demonstrated experience applying analytical and critical thinking skills to solve multi-disciplinary, open-ended engineering problems

Ability to work independently in a dynamic environment to achieve business goals

US Citizen with the ability to obtain a DOW security clearance

Required Computer Skills:

MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)

CAD tools such as NX, SolidWorks, CATIA, Creo, or Fusion

Preferred Qualifications:

Working knowledge of systems engineering principles and best practices, especially relating to requirements verification through test

Experience owning and implementing technical roadmaps

Experience supporting hypersonic vehicle development programs culminating in flight testing

Active DOW security clearance

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Technical Staff ($193,000-$256,000): Bachelor’s degree, Master’s or Doctoral degree (graduate degree preferred) in related discipline from an accredited institution and 15+ years relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and experience

Special remarks regarding work environment, if applicable

Position based in Mojave, CA. Consideration for hybrid (partial remote/on-site work) work arrangements for well-qualified candidates may be provided.

9/80 schedule

Base salary and leveling are established on a case-by-case basis. We consider several factors to ensure a competitive offer, including your location, educational background, and a comprehensive assessment of the skills and experience demonstrated during your interviews.Benefits and our location(s):

Healthcare (medical, dental, vision, prescription drugs)

Paid Maternity and Parental Leave

50% company match per contributed dollar into 401(k) savings plan, up to $11,500

Tuition reimbursement

This position may involve the operation of company vehicles as part of assigned duties.

Mojave Air & Spaceport is located just outside of Lancaster/Palmdale and is only 95 miles north of Los Angeles. The area offers both affordability and central access to a variety of California's best attractions and landmarks.

Not much for the outdoors and prefer the city life? You’re within a half day’s drive or less of Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, and San Francisco where you can find a variety of live entertainment, museums, tours, and historical sight-seeing. Theme parks are in abundance, with Six Flags Magic Mountain, Disneyland, and Knotts Berry Farm ready to meet the needs of rollercoaster thrill seekers.

Food and drink fanatics are in a haven of delectable choices. Wine aficionados will also find easy access to some of the state’s best vino in Paso Robles, Santa Ynez, and even more locally in Tehachapi and Agua Dulce. Beer fanatics will find some of the best West Coast IPAs at Bravery and Lucky Luke’s in Lancaster. Any food option you crave is covered, and we always recommend the authentic and fresh Mexican food that you won’t find anywhere else in the United States.

Stratolaunch is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity at our company. We encourage people from all walks of life to apply, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. Our management team does not tolerate discrimination or harassment at any point during our employees’ and applicants’ time with us, especially with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities, and general treatment during employment. For purposes of transparency, U.S. Citizenship may be required for some positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law :

https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf

Ready to apply?

You'll be redirected to Stratolaunch's application page.