Senior Principal Mechanical Engineer – Space Systems

Position Title: Senior Mechanical Engineer – Space Systems

Work Location: Albuquerque, NM

• Clearance Requirement: Active Top-Secret security clearance is required. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a clearance.
• Employment Type: Full-time

About Us: BlackVe, Inc. is a mission-first, dynamic, and innovative national security-focused company focused on emerging space and advanced technologies dedicated to pushing the boundaries of engineering excellence in support of our government customers.

Job Description

BlackVe is seeking an experienced Senior Principal Mechanical Engineer to support the design, analysis, integration, and testing of spacecraft and space-related hardware. This position will lead complex mechanical and structural engineering activities throughout the product lifecycle, from requirements definition and preliminary design through fabrication, integration, qualification, and delivery.

The ideal candidate brings strong expertise in spacecraft structural design, structural analysis, mechanical design, materials selection, thermal analysis, moving mechanical assemblies, and environmental testing. This individual will work closely with systems, electrical, manufacturing, quality, and program teams to develop reliable, high-performance solutions that meet demanding mission requirements.

This is a fully on-site position based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Key Responsibilities And Essential Job Functions

Structural Analysis

• Perform detailed static, modal, vibration, and thermal analyses of spacecraft structures, fasteners, sub-systems, components, and moving mechanical assemblies.
• Conduct finite element analysis to evaluate stress, stiffness, deformation, vibration response, thermal effects, and structural margins.
• Assess on-orbit hardware performance and launch survivability under random vibration, static loads, and thermally-induced loading conditions.
• Document analysis methods, assumptions, results, margins of safety, and reduction models for launch vehicle payload data packages.
• Oversee the work product quality of other mechanical engineers.

Mechanical Design and Integration

• Lead the design and integration of spacecraft mechanical subsystems, structures, mechanisms, and associated hardware.
• Develop designs that satisfy performance, mass, envelope, manufacturability, reliability, and mission requirements.
• Create and review engineering drawings, CAD models, interface definitions, bills of materials, and configuration-controlled documentation.
• Ensure mechanical designs are compatible with electrical, thermal, optical, propulsion, and other spacecraft systems.
• Support design reviews, including preliminary design reviews, critical design reviews, test readiness reviews, and production readiness reviews.
• Identify technical risks and recommend practical mitigation strategies.

Requirements Interpretation and Verification

• Translate customer, system, and mission requirements into clear mechanical and structural engineering specifications.
• Develop verification approaches and ensure requirements are traceable through analysis, inspection, demonstration, or testing.
• Evaluate proposed design changes for technical, schedule, cost, and system-level impacts.
• Prepare and maintain verification documentation, compliance evidence, and engineering rationale.
• Support customer discussions and technical reviews related to mechanical performance and verification.

Material and Process Selection

• Evaluate and recommend materials for structural and mechanical components based on strength, stiffness, fatigue life, thermal performance, durability, mass, manufacturability, and environmental compatibility.
• Consider space-environment factors such as vacuum, thermal cycling, radiation, contamination, corrosion, and outgassing.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and quality teams to define appropriate fabrication, finishing, inspection, and assembly processes.
• Support material review boards, nonconformance investigations, and disposition of mechanical hardware issues.

Test Planning and Execution

• Develop qualifications, acceptance, and development test plans for spacecraft structures and mechanical hardware.
• Define test objectives, instrumentation, configurations, procedures, success criteria, and data requirements.
• Oversee vibration, shock, thermal, structural load, and other environmental testing.
• Analyze test data and correlate results with analytical models.
• Investigate anomalies, identify root causes, and recommend corrective actions.
• Prepare test reports and present results to internal teams, customers, and program leadership.

Technical Leadership and Collaboration

• Provide technical direction and mentorship to mechanical engineers, designers, and technicians.
• Coordinate engineering activities with systems engineering, manufacturing, integration and test, quality, supply chain, and program management.
• Work directly with suppliers and external partners to resolve technical and manufacturing issues.
• Support proposal development, technical estimates, schedules, trade studies, and program planning.
• Promote disciplined engineering practices, configuration control, documentation, and continuous improvement.
• Balance technical rigor with program cost and schedule requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• At least eight years of relevant mechanical, structural, aerospace, or space-systems engineering experience; an advanced degree may substitute for a portion of the experience.
• Experience designing full spacecraft systems and seeing those designs through manufacturing, launch, and operations
• Experience performing static, modal, launch vibration, and radiation thermal analyses.
• Proficiency with finite element analysis tools such as ANSYS, NASTRAN, Abaqus, or comparable software. ANSYS is preferred.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD and mechanical design tools such as Creo, SolidWorks, CATIA, or comparable software. SolidWorks is preferred.
• Independently develops engineering drawings, properly performing GD&T
• Experience planning and supporting modal, vibration, shock, thermal, and static loads testing.
• Ability to interpret technical requirements and develop documented verification approaches.
• Strong technical writing, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to lead engineering activities and collaborate across multidisciplinary teams.
• Active Top Secret security clearance.
• Ability to work full-time on-site in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Active Top Secret or TS/SCI security clearance.
• Experience supporting spacecraft development, satellite production, payload integration, and launch integration.
• Experience with composite structures in aerospace applications.
• Familiarity with NASA, Department of Defense, or other government space-system standards and requirements.
• Experience correlating analytical models with environmental test results.
• Familiarity with engineering automation tools, configuration management, and engineering change-control systems.
• Demonstrated experience and success as a technical lead, supervising other engineers with responsibility for quality of their work product

Work Environment

• Work is performed primarily in office, laboratory, clean-room, and manufacturing environments.
• The position may require occasional travel to customers, supplier, or testing locations.
• Some activities may require working outside normal business hours to support critical integration or test events.
• The employee must be able to work safely around spacecraft hardware, laboratory equipment, and manufacturing operations.

Location and Travel Requirements:

• This position is based in Albuquerque, NM, with occasional travel to other company locations or partner facilities as needed.

Why Join Us

• Mission first-Always. We prioritize delivering results that directly support space and intelligence community programs and national security objectives.
• We operate as one team, grounded in trust, accountability, and open collaboration, where individuals actively support one another to achieve shared mission success.
• Work on high-impact programs across space, ISR, and advanced technology domains supporting DoD and IC customers.
• Ownership-driven culture is founded in teamwork where every employee is an owner, with equity participation and a direct stake in our success.
• Competitive compensation and benefits package, including flexible time off; 401(k) with company contribution
• Constant opportunities for program and professional impact.

ITAR / EAR Requirements

This position may include access to technology and/or data that is subject to U.S. export controls pursuant to ITAR and EAR. To comply with federal export controls, all persons hired must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee or asylee as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(A)(3), or must otherwise be eligible to obtain the required authorization from the U.S. Department of State and/or U.S. Department of Commerce as applicable.

How To Apply

Please submit your resume and brief cover letter outlining your qualifications and interest on the form below. If there are any issues with applying or inquiries, please email to [email protected].

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