Mechanical Design Manager - Nova Stage 1 Aft

At Stoke, we believe a thriving space economy will enable a vibrant, sustainable, and equitable future here on Earth. That is why we’re building Nova, our fully and rapidly reusable launch vehicle. Designed for daily flight, Nova tackles the core challenges of space transportation by reducing cost, increasing availability, and improving reliability. By radically lowering launch costs and increasing flight cadence, we’re helping create a truly scalable space industry.

Our team is mission-driven, collaborative, and empowered to take ownership of their work. If you want to work alongside some of the most dedicated and talented people on Earth, we’d love to have you join us.

Description

In the role of Mechanical Design Manager for Stage 1 Aft End, you will lead a team of engineers through the design, development, integration, and test of critical structural and mechanical systems. You will provide technical leadership for primary structure, and secondary structure design/analysis, while also owning the build and integration of aft end fluids and avionics systems. These systems include cryogenic propellant management, high pressure gas systems, thrust vector control, etc. for a high performance and fully reusable vehicle.

This role requires a structural/mechanical mindset with the ability to design and build complex mechanical and fluid systems. Your team will be composed of Responsible Engineers for significant sub-systems on our vehicles and requires owning hardware projects from requirements definition, through development, design, analysis, build, test, integration onto the vehicle, and flight. We are a small and motivated team, and you will need to work across disciplines with engineers and technicians to get the job done. You will have the opportunity to help build and test your own hardware so be ready to pick up a wrench and stand side by side with our fabrication team. This role will also provide mentorship to our younger team members and interns.

Responsibilities

Own the technical roadmap for aft end structural and mechanical design on current and future vehicles

Lead the execution of structures and mechanical designs from concept through release, build, testing, and vehicle-level operations

Provide technical leadership for primary structure, and secondary structure design and analysis

Define and optimize structural load paths for the aft end of the vehicle

Oversee integration of fluids systems hardware with primary vehicle structures

Create lasting technical standards and guides for space vehicle structural and mechanical design

Hire, grow, and mentor a team of mechanical and structures design engineers

Provide technical coaching in areas such as structures, strength of materials, design for manufacturing, and space vehicle design and qualification

Determine appropriate level of work for problems (from hand calcs to multi-physics finite element solutions) and guide team execution accordingly

Maintain a culture of integrity, reliability, and fast iteration

Qualifications

5+ years of experience in aerospace structures and mechanical design, including design, build, and test of space vehicle systems

2+ years of experience leading a team of engineers

Designed, built and tested structures that have flown

Bachelor's degree in mechanical, aerospace engineering, or similar

Exceptional command of fundamentals in structural design, including statics, dynamics, strength of materials, and design for manufacturing

Demonstrated proficiency with CAD software (NX preferred) and analysis software (ANSYS preferred), with multiple examples of both

Experience with technical mentoring and developing junior engineers

Project management experience including developing resource-loaded schedules

Hands-on experience performing fabrication and assembly of components

Proficiency in relevant software tools (NX, ANSYS, Python, Matlab, Excel, or equivalent)

Familiarity with launch vehicle design (cryogenic propellant familiarity preferred)

Excellent written and verbal communication

Willing to relocate to Seattle, WA

Benefits

Equity – We know that our employees are the reason we succeed. To give everyone a stake in our future, we are pleased to offer equity in the form of stock options to all regular, full-time employees.

Comprehensive benefits program including subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance

Company-paid life and disability insurance

401(k) plan with employer match

4 weeks’ Paid Time Off

Holidays – 10 days (including an end-of-year closure)

Paid Family/Parental Leave

On-site gym or monthly wellness stipend (depending on location)

Dog friendly offices!

Compensation

Target Levels:

Level 3 Range: $129,150 - $193,620

Level 4 Range: $151,305 - $252,105

Our job posts are intentionally written to attract a wide variety of experience levels, and we make decisions about the right fit on a per-candidate basis.

Your actual level and base salary will be decided based on your specific experience and skill level.

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ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S. (i.e., current Green Card holder), or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Equal Opportunity

The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including with respect to disability and veteran status. It is committed to compliance with all equal opportunity laws, including the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and Title VII. It does not discriminate on the basis of nationality, race, citizenship, immigration status, or any other protected class when it comes to employment practices, including hiring.

Employment at the Company is contingent upon satisfactory completion of reference and background checks, and on your ability to prove your identity and authorization to work in the U.S. for the Company. Employees must comply with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services employment verification requirements, and, therefore, they must complete an Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 at the start of employment and re-verify authorization to work periodically.

Separate from this I-9 process, as noted above, this position entails access to certain technology and technical data that is restricted under U.S. export control laws and regulations. Employment or continued employment may be conditioned on your legal authorization to work with or have access to export control materials as necessary to perform your job.

Candidate Rights & Accommodations

If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete the application or participate in the interview process, please contact [email protected] . Requests will be handled in accordance with applicable laws. Please do not include medical or other confidential information in your initial request.

For more information about your rights, please refer to the "Know Your Rights" notice here .

E-Verify

Stoke Space uses E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires.

For more information on the right to work, please refer to the poster here .