Principal Mechanical Engineer

As a Principal Mechanical Engineer at Loft Federal, you will own our hardware development from conceptual design through production ensuring strict adherence with design criteria. You will lead our mechanical team in design iterations, structural and thermal analyses, manufacturing and support our integration and testing efforts to ensure the resilience of our space hardware. Additionally, your technical leadership will help the team manage technical deliverables, schedules, and operations. You will provide mentorship to our more junior mechanical engineers, and foster collaboration with the rest of our engineering team for seamless mission execution.

Mission Objectives

• Rapidly iterate on designs and analysis to inform high level systems trades and steer overall product direction. 
• Oversee detailed structural and thermal analysis to engineer robust space hardware.
• Provide comprehensive support for environmental and performance testing on hardware,  validating analyses, and ensuring compliance with design criteria.
• Ownership of technical deliverables as well as schedules, supply chain, and operations.
• Act as the primary mechanical point of contact for suppliers, customers, and subcontractors, ensuring seamless communication and collaboration.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and synergy across all aspects of the project.

Mission Mandates

• Active DoD Secret clearance is required.
• The ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance is required.
• Preference will be given to candidates with a DoD or Intelligence Community Top Secret background investigation with at least 3 years of eligibility remaining or CE status; and SCI eligibility with current experience in SCI programs, other control systems, and/or Special Access Programs.

Mission Credentials

• A Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a directly related field.
• Over 12 years of extensive experience in mechanical design, manufacturing, and testing with end-to-end satellite program experience.
• Background in small satellite assembly, integration, and test campaigns with an emphasis on manufacturing and Assembly Integration and Test (AI&T).
• Proficiency with CAD software, with SolidWorks preferred.
• Leadership experience within engineering teams. 
• Strong mechanical aptitude to address a variety of technical challenges complex in nature. 
• Proven track record of successful hardware ownership on a spacecraft, subsystem, or payloads.
• Experience in structural and thermal design and analysis, encompassing both manual calculations and Finite Element Models (FEM). 
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate effectively in customer meetings.
• Experience in force-limited vibration testing or developing analytical notched profiles.
• Proficiency in selecting materials, manufacturing methods, and surface treatments for mechanical components.
• Experience in designing avionics enclosures for PCBAs.
• Experience in harness routing.