Mechanical Engineer (Loads and Dynamics)
About the role
Loads and Dynamics Engineer focused on low- and high-frequency loads, vibration, shock, and dynamic environments for Starcloud spacecraft during ground transportation, launch, deployment, and on-orbit operations. Hands-on role spanning analysis, testing, instrumentation, data processing, and model correlation, collaborating across mechanical, mechanisms, structures, thermal, avionics, and integration teams.
Responsibilities
- Resolve spacecraft dynamics problems through analysis, test, and model correlation.
- Develop and maintain finite element models for spacecraft structures, mechanisms, deployable solar arrays, deployable radiators, and related hardware.
- Perform dynamic analyses for launch, transportation, deployment, and on-orbit operational environments.
- Analyze vibration, shock, acoustic, transient, modal, and forcing-function environments.
- Support stress, fatigue, stability, and margin analyses where needed to improve spacecraft reliability.
- Use commercial and in-house tools to perform analysis, and develop new tools where existing methods are insufficient.
- Own dynamic testing from start to finish, including pre-test analysis, test planning, sensor selection, instrumentation, setup, execution, data processing, and post-test reporting.
- Plan and execute vibration, modal, shock, and other environmental tests for spacecraft hardware.
- Process and interpret test data using signal processing techniques.
- Correlate test results with analytical models and update models as needed.
- Define qualification and acceptance test approaches for flight hardware.
- Produce clear test reports, analysis documentation, and recommendations for design improvements.
- Build scripts, analysis pipelines, databases, and internal tools to improve speed and quality of dynamics work.
- Work with design engineers to identify and resolve structural or dynamic risks early in the design cycle.
- Support trades across mass, stiffness, manufacturability, cost, schedule, reliability, and performance.
- Collaborate with manufacturing, integration, and test teams to ensure hardware is designed for efficient build and qualification.
- Contribute to fast design iteration for large lightweight deployable spacecraft structures.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or a related technical discipline.
- 4+ years of experience in dynamics, structural analysis, mechanical testing, or hands-on aerospace hardware development.
- Experience analyzing test data, building hardware, or supporting mechanical qualification of flight or launch vehicle systems.
- Strong analytical fundamentals in vibrations, structural dynamics, mechanics, and frequency-domain analysis.
- Experience with finite element modeling or structural analysis tools.
Skills
Benefits
- Stock options, discretionary bonuses, and other long-term incentives.
- Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage.
- 401(k) retirement plan with company match.
- Short- and long-term disability insurance.
- Life insurance.
- Paid parental leave.
- Generous paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave.
About Starcloud
Data centers in space
(Formerly known as Lumen Orbit) Starcloud is building data centers in space, initially to provide GPU compute to other satellites, and later to address the rapidly growing demand for energy caused by the deployment of AI. Falling launch costs give us access to abundant energy, passive cooling, and the ability to rapidly scale in space. In Partnership with NVIDIA's Inception Program, we are launching our demonstrator satellite in late 2025, which will have 100x more powerful GPUs than have ever been operated in space.
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