Mechanical Engineer, Tooling and MGSE (Senior - Staff)

YOUR MISSION

We are seeking a Mechanical Engineer, Tooling and MGSE (Senior - Staff) to serve as technical authority and team leader for tooling and ground support equipment across our Space Systems programs. The title and scope will be calibrated to your depth of experience — at the senior end you will operate as a highly autonomous individual contributor; at the staff and lead end you will own program tooling strategy, lead a team, define standards, and serve as the primary interface with program leadership and government stakeholders. Specific level will be determined based on candidate experience.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as technical authority for spacecraft tooling and MGSE — from requirements definition through design, fabrication, qualification, configuration control, and sustained production support.
• Lead design of complex tooling including precision assembly fixtures, spacecraft lifting and handling systems, gravity offload equipment, optical handling fixtures, transportation/environmental containers, and STE/ATP fixtures.
• Define tooling engineering strategies, standards, and best practices; champion DFM/DFMA adoption and drive continuous improvement across the tooling lifecycle.
• Lead or manage a team of tooling engineers and designers: assign work, perform design checker duties, manage deliverable quality, and support career development.
• Own the full vendor relationship lifecycle: SOW/RFQ development, source selection, fabrication oversight, technical disposition of non-conformances, and supplier performance management.
• Chair or co-chair tooling PDR/CDR; present tooling status, risk, and schedule posture to program management, customers, and government stakeholders.
• Define and enforce cleanroom tooling protocols; collaborate with facilities to maintain cleanroom certification and AI&T readiness.
• Lead root cause investigations on complex tooling anomalies; drive systemic CAPA across the portfolio.
• Own configuration control discipline across the complete tooling data package: models, drawings, BOMs, work instructions, and proof test records.
• Develop and maintain tooling schedules and budgets; provide accurate EAC inputs and proactively surface cost and schedule risks.
• Represent tooling/MGSE at spacecraft hardware PDR/CDR; provide producibility and toolability guidance to design engineering teams.
• Ensure compliance with ASME BTH-1, NASA SP-8077, JSC-65289, ASME Y14.5, ASME Y14.100, and applicable MIL-STDs across all team deliverables.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related STEM field. Graduate degree strongly preferred for staff and lead roles.
• Minimum 8 years of professional experience in tooling, MGSE, or manufacturing engineering within aerospace or defense. Staff and lead roles typically require 12+ years with demonstrated team leadership.
• Expert proficiency in 3D CAD (CREO, NX, or CATIA V5) and PLM/PDM (Windchill, Teamcenter).
• Expert application of GD&T (ASME Y14.5) and advanced tolerance analysis; qualified to serve as technical checker for team and vendor designs.
• Proven record of managing complex tooling programs from concept through sustained production.
• Strong vendor management: SOW development, source selection, performance management, and disposition of non-conformances.
• Demonstrated leadership: mentoring engineers, driving team performance, and influencing cross-functional partners.
• Executive-level communication skills; experienced presenting to senior leadership, customers, and government stakeholders.
• U.S. citizenship or equivalent ITAR eligibility; active Secret clearance required. TS/SCI eligibility preferred.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Extensive direct experience with spacecraft, satellite, or launch vehicle tooling and MGSE in a cleanroom AI&T environment.
• Experience with optical instrument handling, precision alignment fixtures, and passive gravity offload systems for deployable structures.
• Structural analysis expertise (ANSYS, FEMAP/NASTRAN) qualifying lifting equipment to ASME BTH-1 and NASA SP-8077.
• Experience managing a tooling portfolio spanning 20+ active designs across concurrent programs.
• Demonstrated expertise designing large structural weldments for aerospace GSE and tooling — welded steel frames, lifting structures, integration stands, and handling bases — with proficiency in weld joint design, weld symbol specification per AWS A2.4, pre- and post-weld distortion control, material selection for weldability, and vendor qualification of weld procedure specifications (WPS) and welder certifications.
• Prior experience as configuration control authority for a major program's tooling design data package.
• Prior experience or familiarity with launch site complications.
• Active Secret or TS/SCI clearance.

COMPENSATION

• Base Salary:
  • Denver: $130,000 - $220,000
  • Long Beach: $135,000 - $230,000

• Equity + Benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, HRA/HSA options, PTO and paid holidays, 401K, Parental Leave

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, location, and experience.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Work Location—Successful candidates will be located near Denver or Long Beach.
• Work environment—the work environment; temperature, noise level, inside or outside, or other factors that will affect the person's working conditions while performing the job.
• Physical demands—the physical demands of the job, including bending, sitting, lifting and driving.

This position will be open until it is successfully filled. To submit your application, please follow the directions below. #LI-Onsite