Mechanical Engineer (Prism)

The role

You will own the mechanical designs of hardware deployed around the world on the Prism ground segment network. You will work on RF feed structures, electronics packaging, actuators and support structures, and drive root cause investigations on fielded systems.

What you will do

• Own mechanical systems deployed in Prism systems, spanning PCBA packaging, feed structures, actuators, and support structures
• Observe performance and degradation of mechanical systems deployed on Prism systems
• Drive root cause investigations and corrective actions on in-factory testing and deployed ground stations
• Provide design and analysis inputs for reliable design, test, and qualification of upgraded systems and new products
• Drive design improvements to products, from requirements definition to prototype, manufacturing, and deployment
• Test prototypes and assess performance in the lab and in the field
• Work closely with production teams to make testable and manufacturable products developed in-house

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field
• 2-4+ years of professional experience in mechanical design
• Experience taking mechanical hardware through the full product cycle, from requirements and design through prototype, test, production, and fielded support
• Hands-on experience investigating hardware failures and driving root cause analysis at the component and system levels
• Working knowledge of manufacturing processes (e.g., machining, sheet metal, welding, fastening, adhesives) and the ability to design for manufacturability

Nice to have

• Experience driving root cause and corrective action campaigns (fishbone, 5 Whys, 8D, FMEA, etc.)
• Hands-on project team experience (Formula SAE, rocketry, CubeSat, etc.)
• Proficiency in Siemens NX for 3D modeling, assembly, and drafting
• Experience with structural and thermal analysis, including hand calculations and simulation tools (e.g., ANSYS)
• Electronics packaging experience: enclosures, PCBA mounting, thermal management, sealing and ingress protection, connectors, and cable routing
• Experience designing hardware for long-term outdoor deployment: corrosion, UV exposure, wind and ice loading, water ingress, and fatigue
• Understanding of environmental and reliability testing and of reliability analysis from field or test data
• Basic understanding of electrical and RF systems

Before you apply

• You must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department o

About the company

Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company building a global network of phased array and parabolic ground stations for communications such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. It designs, builds and rapidly deploys its systems in-house.