Spacecraft Mechanisms Build Engineer

The role

This person will support the development, integration, scaling, and qualification of spacecraft electromechanical hardware. They will focus on long-life rotating assemblies and electrically driven mechanism systems.

What you will do

• Support the build, integration, and qualification of spacecraft electromechanical hardware and long-life rotating assemblies.
• Develop and execute component-level and system-level test campaigns for motor-driven spacecraft hardware and mechanisms.
• Support manufacturing scaling efforts for actuator systems and precision electromechanical components.
• Design and implement test setups, fixtures, instrumentation, and validation approaches for rotating assemblies and actuator hardware.
• Work closely with controls, avionics, and software teams to integrate and validate motor drive systems and mechanism telemetry interfaces.
• Support implementation and testing of Hall effect sensors, rotary encoders, resolvers, microswitches, potentiometers, and other electromechanical feedback devices.
• Troubleshoot hardware and system-level issues across motors, mechanisms, sensors, controls interfaces, and electrical integration.
• Support environmental testing including vibration, thermal vacuum, shock, lifetime, and functional performance testing.
• Develop manufacturing and test procedures, work instructions, assembly documentation, and production validation processes.
• Drive root cause investigations and corrective actions during development, qualification, and production activities.

Required qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, or related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience building, integrating, testing, or qualifying electromechanical systems or rotating hardware.
• Experience delivering and testing flight hardware or high-reliability electromechanical systems.
• Strong understanding of electric motor-driven systems, rotating assemblies, actuator hardware, and electromechanical integration.
• Experience working with motor feedback and telemetry systems including Hall effect sensors, rotary encoders, resolvers, microswitches, and potentiometers.
• Hands-on experience with hardware bring-up, integration, troubleshooting, and test execution.
• Strong mechanical and electrical troubleshooting skills with the ability to debug complex hardware systems.
• Experience developing or supporting manufacturing and test processes for precision hardware.
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced development and production environments with high ownership and autonomy.

Nice to have

• Experience with spacecraft mechanisms, deployables, robotics systems, landing legs, grid fins, or other motor-driven aerospace hardware.
• Familiarity with motor drivers, actuator controls systems, or embedded hardware integration.
• Experience supporting long-life or high-cycle rotating assemblies.
• Familiarity with environmental qualification testing and spacecraft hardware standards.
• Experience supporting production scaling or manufacturing development for flight hardware.

Benefits

• Equity in Apex
• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision for you and your dependents
• $100k life insurance at no cost
• Starting at 15 days vacation, growing to 20+ days annually
• 10 paid holidays
• 100% match on first 3% and 50% on next 2% of 401(k)
• 8 weeks paid parental leave
• Childcare reimbursement up to $350/day for work-related travel
• Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks
• Monthly office socials, pickleball tournaments, run club, and gatherings
• Dream desk setup

Before you apply

• Applicants must qualify as a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or individual granted asylum) or be able to obtain required export authorizations from the U.S.

About the company

Apex manufactures satellite buses at scale using a combination of software, vertical integration, and hardware designed for manufacturing. They are a fast-growing startup that has raised more than $500M in funding.