Senior Mechanical Engineer

Meet Slingshot

At Slingshot Aerospace, we're on a mission to make space safer and more secure for everyone. Our work directly impacts global security, disaster response, climate monitoring, and the critical infrastructure that connects our world. We're a team of builders, thinkers, and problem-solvers who believe that the next generation of space operations will be powered by better data and smarter software.

We move fast, we're not afraid to fail, and we believe the best ideas can come from anywhere—whether you're in engineering, sales, product, or operations. If you want to work on something that truly matters, with people who care deeply about the impact we're making and help shape the future of an industry that's just getting started, you're in the right place.

Relocation assistance is available for this position.

What You’ll Be Launching

As a senior member of Space Surveillance Research and Development (R&D) technical staff, you will take a lead role advancing Slingshot’s efforts to accelerate the security, safety, and sustainability of space via the development and deployment of next-generation electro-optical space surveillance systems. You will serve as a senior mechanical engineering contributor for Slingshot’s ground-based sensing systems, designing the structures, enclosures, mechanisms, mounts, and optomechanical hardware that allow precision optical systems to operate reliably in some of the most demanding environments on Earth.

This work will include a subset of (i) designing and modifying telescope and sensor enclosures for remote and extreme-environment operation; (ii) developing ruggedized mechanical systems capable of reliable operation in polar and other harsh environments; (iii) designing precision optomechanical structures, mounts, and alignment systems for custom optical assemblies; (iv) developing rigid structures for arrays of optical sensors and telescope assemblies; (v) integrating high-performance mechanical components into electro-optical sensing systems; and (vi) working directly with fabrication partners and field teams to take designs from concept through manufacturing, assembly, deployment, and operation.

This role is intended for a highly practical mechanical engineer who enjoys solving unusual hardware problems and seeing those solutions operate in the real world. The right person will be equally comfortable developing a precision mechanical design in CAD, working through tolerances with a machine shop, troubleshooting an electromechanical mechanism in the lab, and helping a field team understand why a system behaves differently at -50°C than it did in Colorado.

Your Mission (Should You Choose to Accept It)

Execute all position responsibilities in alignment with Slingshot’s core values, mission, and purpose

Serve as a senior mechanical engineering contributor for Slingshot’s ground-based electro-optical space surveillance systems

Design and develop mechanical structures, telescope enclosures, equipment housings, mounts, frames, optical benches, and other hardware for permanent and deployable sensing systems

Lead mechanical design and hardening of systems intended for operation in polar and other extreme environments, accounting for environmental effects such as cold temperatures, wind, snow, ice, moisture, freeze/thaw cycles, marine atmospheric corrosion, and large thermal excursions

Develop approaches for maintaining reliable mechanical operation, alignment, sealing, lubrication, cable management, and serviceability at very low temperatures

Design custom optomechanical hardware including lens mounts, camera mounts, optical tube interfaces, baffles, alignment features, focus mechanisms, and other precision assemblies

Design rigid mounting structures and alignment architectures for stationary arrays of small optical tube assemblies and other multi-sensor configurations

Analyze and control mechanical deflection, vibration, thermal expansion, and tolerance accumulation where they affect optical alignment, pointing, or image quality

Select appropriate materials, finishes, bearings, seals, lubricants, fasteners, motors, gearboxes, and other components for the intended operating environment

Develop mechanical architectures for integrating precision electromechanical and positioning components into high-performance electro-optical sensing systems

Analyze and optimize the dynamic performance of mechanical systems where rapid response, precise positioning, repeatability, structural stiffness, and settling behavior are critical to sensor performance

Work closely with optical, electrical, software, controls, systems, calibration, and field operations engineers to develop integrated sensing systems

Develop mechanical requirements, interface definitions, design trades, and verification approaches in partnership with systems engineering teams

Perform appropriate structural, thermal, tolerance, and dynamic analyses to support mechanical design decisions and verify system performance

Develop fabrication-ready drawings, tolerances, GD&T, bills of material, assembly documentation, and other technical data required to build and maintain hardware

Identify, evaluate, and work directly with machine shops, sheet-metal fabricators, weld shops, enclosure manufacturers, and other suppliers to turn engineering designs into reliable hardware

Build and prototype hardware in-house when doing so is the fastest way to answer an engineering question or retire technical risk

Lead mechanical assembly, integration, troubleshooting, and verification of prototype and production sensing systems

Support environmental and life testing to validate performance across expected temperature, wind, moisture, icing, duty-cycle, and other operating conditions

Support deployment and commissioning of sensing systems at remote sites, including hands-on troubleshooting of mechanical and electromechanical issues

Design for maintainability and field serviceability, recognizing that deployed systems may operate autonomously for long periods and may be expensive or difficult to access

Investigate mechanical failures and performance issues observed in deployed systems and drive corrective actions into future designs

Establish and mature mechanical design practices, component selection standards, drawing practices, and lessons learned for Slingshot’s growing global sensor network

Engage with customers and stakeholders to ensure successful outcomes for their mission-critical needs

Contribute your expertise and ideas to help shape our products and strategies

Prepare technical reports and briefing materials

Represent your team and Slingshot to a broader audience through presentations to customers and stakeholders

Serve as a technical expert and key contributor to Slingshot’s space surveillance technology development

Share subject matter expertise through mentoring and training of other staff

Take point in writing technical sections of proposals for winning new work

Lead technical work on larger team efforts including cross-team initiatives

Ideate and champion internal research & development activities

Perform other duties as assigned (to be less than 10% of the responsibilities listed above)

Pre-flight Checklist

Undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering field

7+ years of relevant experience designing and delivering mechanical hardware for aerospace, optical, scientific, robotics, industrial automation, or other demanding technical applications

Significant experience with 3D CAD and production of fabrication-ready engineering drawings

Demonstrated experience taking mechanical systems from concept through detailed design, fabrication, assembly, test, and field deployment

Experience designing mechanical systems for outdoor, harsh-environment, or extreme-temperature operation

Strong understanding of mec