Satellite Mechanical Design Engineer

Satellite Mechanical Design Engineer

Reading, UK (Hybrid)
Permanent
Salary: £70,000 + benefits

iO Associates is partnered with a fast-growing SpaceTech / satellite engineering organisation developing next-generation spacecraft designed to operate in very low Earth orbit (VLEO), below 300 km. Flying closer to Earth enables sharper imagery from smaller optics and a cleaner orbital lifecycle with satellites designed to de-orbit within a month at end of life, reducing long-term debris risk.

This business is also developing an RF gridded ion thruster product line to power its own satellite platform (first flight planned for Q3 2028) and supply propulsion hardware to external operators.

They're now hiring a Mechanical Design Engineer to design satellite mechanical hardware and help keep the full CAD assembly structured, controlled, and scalable as the design matures through prototyping, qualification, and test.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and develop satellite mechanical hardware including secondary structures (panels, brackets, mounts), thermal-control hardware, cable/harness routing, and mechanisms (primary structure experience welcomed)
• Work within a large 3D CAD assembly with a multi-disciplinary team, using top-down design and skeleton/master models to keep interfaces and configurations aligned
• Manage assembly configuration, PLM data (3DEXPERIENCE/3DX or similar), BOMs, and engineering change processes (ECO/ECR/ECN) to maintain model/drawing consistency
• Run interference and clash checks; maintain the digital mock-up and support subsystem space allocation and conflict resolution
• Produce manufacturing-ready drawings and interface control documents using GD&T
• Support design reviews (PDR/CDR) and qualification activity, collaborating with structural/thermal engineers on verification planning
• Optimise designs for manufacturability, cost, mass, and reliability — working directly with suppliers and manufacturers
• Support prototype builds, integration, and environmental test campaigns, iterating designs based on findings
• Collaborate closely with electrical, software, systems, and thermal engineering to integrate mechanical components into the satellite platform

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or similar
• 3+ years' experience designing aerospace/space or other high-reliability mechanical hardware
• Strong 3D CAD capability (SolidWorks preferred; CATIA/NX/Creo also considered)
• Practical, working knowledge of GD&T and producing fully-dimensioned production drawings
• Strong grounding in mechanical design principles, materials, and thermal management, with working understanding of structural mechanics
• Proven hands-on experience designing, building, testing, troubleshooting, and iterating hardware
• Confident communicator — comfortable presenting/defending design decisions and operating in a fast-moving, feedback-driven team

Preferred:

• Satellite/spacecraft design experience (especially secondary structures, mounts, thermal hardware, cable/harness routing)
• Experience with large multi-person CAD assemblies (top-down design, in-context references, configurations, skeleton/master models)
• PLM/PDM and configuration management experience (3DX, Windchill, Teamcenter, ENOVIA, SolidWorks PDM) and formal change control (ECO/ECR/ECN)
• Experience with formal engineering processes (requirements, standards, design reviews)
• Hardware that has launched
• Basic FEA familiarity, MGSE/ground-support equipment design, electromechanical packaging experience

Why this role:
You'll join a high-impact SpaceTech environment working on flight hardware in the VLEO domain, contributing directly to design maturity, integration, and qualification ahead of a Q3 2028 first flight.

If you're interested, please send your CV to .