ACARA Jobs
Spacecraft Mechanisms Engineer (salaried direct)
Apply- ID: 558873
- Posted: 4/6/2026
- Location: Leander, TX
- Category: Pro - Engineering
- Job Type: Direct Placement
- Duration: Direct Placement
Description
Acara Solutions has been providing aerospace and other advanced manufacturing firms across the U.S. with our engineering and professional staffing services for close to 70 years. Our space client just north of Austin, TX is looking for a spacecraft design engineer that has considerable experience working on spacecraft mechanisms. This is a direct salaried position with full benefits. They are flexible with the salary DOE. They will consider Level II, III and IV ($170K - $185K for level IV). Relo assistance. They are also open to a candidate that prefers to work as a W-2 contractor.
They are looking for candidates that have experience designing spacecraft with strong knowledge of outer space environments. Aerospace mechanism experience - full lifecycle product design.
- Develop state-of-the-art mechanical separation and interfacing systems throughout the product life cycle. You will be part of a highly skilled, dynamic team that will involve you in all aspects of analysis, design, fabrication, and testing.
- Participate in the entire hardware lifecycle for a variety of moving mechanical assemblies and structures.
- Develop and scrub requirements
- Support configuration development and trade studies.
- Conceptual design/analysis
- Perform first-order strength and sizing calculations for your responsible mechanisms.
- Generate CAD, manufacturing drawings, specifications, and other documentation.
- Production Implementation
- Hardware development and qualification test definition
- Demonstrate compliance with NASA, Space Force, or other similar launch jurisdiction standards
- Collaborate with the team to develop and improve processes related to the above responsibilities.
Job Requirements
Required Skills / Qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering
- Minimum 5 years of experience in aerospace mechanism engineering (or similar industry), including strong design and integration skills using 3-D CAD software (ideally Siemens NX), including full lifecycle product design. This includes actual spacecraft design.
- Minimum 4 years of experience with industry FEA/FEM tools like Nastran, ANSYS, FEMAP, etc.
- Minimum 3 years of experience in designing and analyzing composite and metallic structures.
This is an ITAR facility - U.S. Persons Required (Green Card ok).
Preferred Skills / Qualifications:
- Master's Degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering with 5 years of experience.
- Working knowledge of composite manufacturing methods, material selection, and testing.
- Experience developing physical tests to validate analysis and evaluate assumptions
- Familiarity with aerospace standard structural analysis methods (Bruhn, Niu, Roark, Shigley's, etc.)
- Previous experience in launch vehicle or spacecraft mechanisms.
- Working knowledge of at least one computer/scripting language at the professional or hobbyist level.
- Excellent collaboration and communication skills, along with a positive attitude, are critical.
- Good understanding of first principles from a variety of engineering disciplines (mechanical, structural dynamics, materials, fluids/thermodynamics, electrical)
After you apply, you may receive a call or message from our AI Talent Scout about this role or other opportunities that match your skills and preferences. AI agent role is to help speed up your hiring process by answering questions, confirming basic information, and identifying whether there's a mutual fit.
The call or chat may be recorded so that our recruiting team can review it - they make all final hiring decisions, while AI agent simply helps move you forward faster. The best part? They are available 24/7, so you can connect whenever it's convenient for you.
Aleron companies (Acara Solutions, Aleron Shared Resources, Broadleaf Results, Lume Strategies, TalentRise, Viaduct) are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Race/Color/Gender/Religion/National Origin/Disability/Veteran.
Applicants for this position must be legally authorized to work in the United States. This position does not meet the employment requirements for individuals with F-1 OPT STEM work authorization status.