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Senior Mechanical Engineer: Optical Payloads, Space

Anduril· AFS : Space Engineering : Space Mechanical
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Costa Mesa, CA$166k - $220kFull-timePosted 7mo ago

About the role

Senior mechanical engineer focused on opto-mechanical design and mission-critical hardware for space payloads, supporting Space Domain Awareness, Space Control, and Space Mission operations.

Responsibilities

  • Create opto-mechanical designs of space payloads ranging from small cameras to large telescopes
  • Act as Responsible Engineer: conduct analyses, visit vendors and test sites, define and execute test plans, and manage subsystem interfaces
  • Run finite element models and hand calculations to predict stresses in mechanical and optical components
  • Contribute to STOP analyses to evaluate structural and thermal effects on optical performance
  • Conduct hand calculations and run higher order thermal analyses to evaluate survival and operational on-orbit temperatures including solar loading effects through apertures and optics
  • Design alignment features and conduct tolerance stack-ups enabling sub-arcsecond payload pointing and stability over large temperature ranges
  • Own hardware design from concept to launch, intelligently pacing design maturity with a holistic program view
  • Use first principles for every decision and continuously simplify designs
  • Communicate pros/cons of system architectures with respect to mechanical design and packaging considerations
  • Lead subsystem design reviews and provide clear status updates on timelines and technical progress
  • Build prototypes, analyze failures, and transition successful designs to flight hardware and low-rate production
  • Create excellent technical documentation (presentations, test plans/reports, procedures, drawings, specifications, etc.)
  • Mentor junior engineers

Qualifications

  • BS or higher degree in engineering or hard science
  • Ability to obtain and hold U.S. Top Secret security clearance
  • 5+ years of mechanical design experience and demonstrated track record of success
  • Experience with exotic opto-mechanical materials (composites, titanium, beryllium, Invar, Zerodur, etc.)
  • Experience with tolerance stack-ups, mechanical alignments, kinematic mounting, and qualification test campaigns
  • CAD proficiency and ability to create engineering drawings meeting industry standards (GD&T)
  • Hands-on fabrication and assembly skills with hand tools, mill, lathe, etc.
  • Strong fundamentals in optics, heat transfer, statics, solid mechanics, and materials
  • Excellent attention to detail, highly motivated, self-starting, and autonomous
  • Organized with ability to define scope and requirements for ambiguous problems
  • Experience with high-reliability design, athermalization, and vibration/shock resistance

Skills

Required:opto-mechanical designfinite element analysisthermal analysistolerance analysisGD&Tprototype build and test

Benefits

  • US Salary Range $166,000—$220,000 USD
  • Highly competitive equity grants
  • top-tier benefits for full-time employees
Last updated Sep 2, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Anduril

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