Manager, Vehicle Mechanisms

About the Team:

The Structures and Mechanisms team is responsible for the full design, build, and test lifecycle of Terran R's integrated structures and flight mechanisms. Whether you're working on highly iterative mechanisms that move or tight-margin structures that shouldn't, you'll get hands-on hardware ownership and see the rocket coming to life on the factory floor. Both teams fall under one department, sharing design principles, tools, and an integrated approach that provides a comprehensive view of Terran R. Team members work on multiple parts, not just within a single subsystem, and are empowered to make decisions that directly impact flight hardware. Beyond first flight, you'll play a critical role in refining for manufacturability and speed.

About the Role:

To be successful in this role, you should be self-motivated, adaptable, and able to lead teams in a fast-paced environment. You will need strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with direct reports and leaders within and outside the organization. You will lead a team of responsible engineers developing the engine, stage separation, fairing separation, grid fin, and landing leg mechanisms. Ideally, you have significant mechanical or integrated design experience as well as a proven track record of organizing and completing collaborative projects effectively. Your advanced design, analysis, and manufacturing skills enable you to own the outcomes of key mechanism design trades and development our Terran R vehicle, as well as help you mentor other design engineers across the organization. Finally, you also have the ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and strengthen our culture of inclusion.

Your responsibilities will include, but not be limited to the following:

• Goal and priority setting for vehicle mechanisms on Terran R.
• Driving trade studies, manufacturing optimizations, and performance for mechanisms.
• Leading and developing the mechanisms team, including hiring for new roles and identifying growth areas to fill.
• Coordinating partner team developments in structures (separation and entry/descent/landing mechanisms) and propulsion (engine mechanisms).
• Working with test and avionics to accelerate hardware iterative development.
• Reviewing, releasing, and approving development and flight hardware drawings.
• Identifying build/test/design optimizations and working them to resolution.

About You:

• B.S. degree in engineering or related field
• 8+ years of experience in a full cycle design engineering role, including CAD, analysis, build and test
• 5+ years of relevant experience leading a hardware development team
• Experience with kinematic synthesis, pneumatic/hydraulic actuation, mechatronics, instrumentation, structures strength, stability and fatigue failure modes
• Experience with manufacturing processes, project management, scheduling/planning, materials, and surface treatments
• 5+ years of hands-on hardware build experience

Nice to haves but not required:

• Experience in structures and fluid systems for launch vehicle design, fabrication, and assembly techniques.
• Experience with design engineering tools such as NX, TeamCenter, ANSYS or FEMAP, as well as engineering scripting language such as Python or MATLAB
• Experience with ERP/MES Systems, product lifecycle management (PLM) and/or data management tools