Sr. Mechanical Engineer

At GalaxEye Space, we are pioneering the next generation of Earth observation solutions with our cutting-edge satellite technology. As a fast-growing space-tech startup, our mission is to revolutionise the way we gather, process, and deliver geospatial intelligence. In this journey, We are seeking aSenior Mechanical Engineer to lead the design, analysis, and validation of structures for phased array antenna systems for a space-borne SAR mission, from concept through flight qualification. The role requires to lead the structures team across both mechanical and thermal disciplines, set the technical direction, own the analysis and design standards, and act as a mentor and technical guide to a team of mid- and junior-level engineers. Join us to become a part of an agile, high-impact team working at the forefront of space innovation.

Responsibilities

Technical leadership

• Lead the structures team across the full mechanical and thermal scope of the SAR antenna: structural, thermal, thermal-structural, and dynamic analysis and design.
• Set and own the analysis approach and standards - modelling conventions, load-case definition, margin philosophy, and what constitutes a defensible result.
• Make and defend the key architecture and design decisions: panel construction, material selection, interface and mounting design, and the thermal/structural trades that shape them.
• Own the structural and thermal integrity of the antenna through the design lifecycle, from concept and hand-calculation studies to detailed FE and test correlation.

Analysis and design oversight

• Review and direct thermal, structural, and coupled thermal-structural analyses - transient TRM burst loads, orbital cyclic thermal environments, CTE-mismatch and bonded-interface problems, modal and dynamic response.
• Ensure FE results are backed by first-order reasoning; challenge model outputs that aren't physical and set the expectation that analysis is validated, not just produced.
• Guide idealisation choices (element selection, rigid vs. flexible bodies, contact and connection modelling) and their implications for both thermal and structural fidelity.
• Own verification strategy - analysis, test, and correlation - and the associated documentation for design reviews.

Leadership and mentorship

• Act as technical mentor and guide to mid- and junior-level thermal and structural engineers - grow their judgement, not just their tool skills.
• Plan and allocate analysis work across the team, balance workload, and hold technical quality.
• Represent the structures discipline in multidisciplinary reviews and interfaces with RF, manufacturing, systems, and the customer.
• Contribute to proposals, planning, and capability-building for the team.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's (Master's or higher preferred) in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related discipline.
• 10+ years of mechanical/structural engineering experience, with substantial spacecraft, aerospace, or defence content.
• Demonstrated breadth across both structural and thermal engineering - not solely one or the other - with the depth to lead and review both.
• Strong track record of ownership: leading the structural/thermal design of hardware from concept through to verification.
• Deep grounding in structural mechanics and heat transfer fundamentals, and the ability to reason from first principles and back up FE with hand calculations.
• Extensive FE experience - Simcenter 3D / Nastran, ANSYS, or equivalent - across structural, thermal, thermal-structural, and dynamic analysis.
• Proven experience mentoring engineers and leading technical teams or work packages.
• Excellent technical communication - able to defend decisions in reviews and explain them to non-specialists.

Benefits

• Opportunity to own the antenna architecture for an advanced spaceborne SAR mission from first principles through flight qualification.
• Work in a multidisciplinary team spanning RF, digital, thermal, mechanical, and systems engineering oncutting-edgespace technology.
• Opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge space missions.
• Collaborative, multidisciplinary engineering environment