Senior Mechanical Engineer

Tendeg LLC is a premier spacecraft deployables company. Our novel designs are enabling exciting missions providing high gain antennas for sensor applications and communications. We have 12 antennas on-orbit and 20 flight deliverables occurring in 2025. Our missions include Earth Science (weather, surface deformation and change); LEO, GEO and lunar communications; synthetic aperture radar (SAR); and unique radio frequency sensors for commercial and government applications. We have apertures from 50cm to 10m, VHF to Q/V-band, and precise 2-axis gimbals. Consider joining our innovative and rapidly growing team.

Tendeg's Philosophy

We encourage innovation and entrepreneurial energy. We are successful because we take a unique approach to solving problems. We look for creative thinkers and self-motivated people that can collaborate within our open team environment. TENDEG is an acronym for TENacious Design and Engineering Group. Obviously, tenacity is another trait we embrace.

Title: Senior Mechanical Engineer

Position Type: Full-Time/Exempt

Pay Range: $140,000-$165,000(Salary to be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data)

Location: Louisville, CO

About this role: The?Senior Mechanical Engineer will work with engineers to draft and design models for flight hardware and development plans for testing.

We are looking for a Manufacturing Engineer that will support the following programs:

INCUS: NASA has selected Tendeg to deliver four Ka-band deployable antennas for a new Earth science mission called Investigation of Convective Updrafts (INCUS) that will study the behavior of tropical storms and thunderstorms, including their impacts on weather and climate models. to-study-storms-impacts-on-climate-models

2-axis Gimbal Antennas: Tendeg has multiple contracts to develop, fabricate, test and deliver flight units for deployable high gain antennas from X-band to Q/V-band. These are for sensor and communication missions for LEO, MEO and lunar applications.

Perimeter Truss Reflectors: Tendeg has multiple contracts to deliver large aperture antennas for GEO communications, SAR, and national security What you'll do:

Lead the design, analysis, and integration of precision motion control systems including motors, actuators, gearboxes, and drivetrains for aerospace mechanisms, spaceflight qualification, and flight hardware.

Collaborate with cross-functional teams (systems, electrical, software, analysis, program managers) to develop and refine control logic and mechatronic subsystems for dynamic aerospace applications.

Trade study and down selection of hardware/design concepts.

Create drawings of designs, including plans for implementation of hardware. Work with technicians in a detail-oriented environment to ensure successful integration.

Specify, select, and validate motion components (servo motors, stepper motors, encoders, linear actuators) for high-reliability environments.

Develop system-level models and simulations to predict mechanical and control performance under varying operational loads and environmental conditions.

Own the full product lifecycle from concept through prototyping, testing, qualification, and production handoff.

Apply rigorous engineering practices including tolerance analysis, GD&T, FMEA, and root cause analysis to ensure performance and reliability of motion subsystems.

Collaborate with suppliers and internal manufacturing teams to ensure the producibility and quality of motion-related components and assemblies.

Author and review detailed technical documentation, including requirements, test plans, interface definitions, and design reports.

Support environmental testing, including vibration, thermal, and vacuum, to validate motion control assemblies in space or flight-like conditions.

Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership in areas of precision mechanisms, mechatronics integration, and control-system-aware mechanical design.

Execute system-level tasks as a cognizant engineer on flight mechanism development, assembly, test, and integration.

Performs other related duties as assigned. Key Job Requirements:

Bachelor of Science BS in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering.

7+ years of applicable experience.

Skills and experience testing spacecraft components in relevant environmental conditions.

Experience in deployable mechanisms and environmental testing is a plus.

Strong analysis skills. This will include closed form calculations. Finite element experience would be a bonus. Preferred familiarity with FEA includes FEMAP, ORBIS and NX NASTRAN.

Prior experience designing for motion control, motors, drivetrains, control logic, and mechatronics.

Experience interfacing with customers including meetings, reports and professional presentations will be required.

Materials and fabrication experience. Knowledge of aerospace materials (metallics, composites, adhesives, bonding) that are typical for precision structures and space missions.

Advanced understanding of Solidworks design and ASME drawing standards is a requirement.

Demonstrates a system-level understanding of spaceflight mechanical design and analysis for relevant environments. Benefits: As we are growing and investing in our company, we invest in our team. We recognize employee contributions through competitive salaries and bonuses and take pride in taking care of our employees. Here is how we show our appreciation:

Generous Paid Time Off

Paid Parental Leave

Medical/Dental and Vision Insurance Plans

Tax Advantage Account (Flexible Spending Account) (FSA)

Retirement Savings Plan-Traditional 401(k) Plan

Employer Paid Short Term Disability and Basic Life, AD&D

Additional Benefit Options Including Voluntary Life and Long Term Disability

EAP Program

Company SWAG

Dog friendly work environment

Free company parking

Break rooms fully stocked with snacks, drinks, and an espresso coffee machine

US Citizenship Is Required

Tendeg LLC is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, genetic information, national origin, veteran status and any other protected factor.

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