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Mechanical Engineer - Satellite Manufacturing (AIT Production)

Open Cosmos

Open Cosmos

Other Engineering
Posted on Dec 3, 2025
CTO · ASSEMBLY, INTEGRATION & TEST · Harwell, UK, Barcelona, Spain · Hybrid

Mechanical Engineer – Satellite Manufacturing (AIT Production)

Aim high, go beyond!

At Open Cosmos we are solving the world’s biggest challenges from space, providing businesses, governments and researchers access to more readily available information than ever before - ready for the challenge? Then read on…

Working in our Chief Technology Office (CTO)

The CTO division is where Open Cosmos technology comes to life. Covering engineering, product development, and technical innovation, the team designs, builds, and operates the satellites, systems, and platforms that make our missions possible. It’s a highly collaborative environment where ideas become real hardware, software, and data solutions that deliver impact from space.

The AIT team is at the heart of turning ideas into real, orbit-ready satellites. They’re the workshop where Open Cosmos missions come to life — taking designs from paper to physical hardware.

From assembling delicate electronic boards to fitting structural panels, wiring harnesses, and payloads, AIT ensures everything fits and functions flawlessly. They run rigorous testing — vibration, thermal vacuum, functional, and performance checks — to make sure each satellite can survive the extreme conditions of launch and space.

It’s hands-on, fast-paced, and mission-critical - it doesn’t get much cooler than this!

What You'll Be Doing

You’ll play a key role in contributing to the mechanical performance, manufacturability and long-term reliability of our satellites. Your responsibilities will include:

  • Developing and maintaining mechanical designs, tooling and fixtures for satellite assembly and test.

  • Leading and supporting root-cause investigations and corrective actions for mechanical issues in production.

  • Optimising mechanical and assembly processes for efficiency, repeatability and quality.

  • Conducting structural and thermal analyses to validate mechanical integrity and design robustness.

  • Supporting DFM (Design for Manufacturability) and DFA (Design for Assembly) activities during development.

  • Creating and maintaining engineering drawings, CAD models and documentation to company standards.

  • Working with production teams to ensure correct assembly methods and tolerances are applied.

  • Contributing to process validation, equipment calibration and continuous improvement activities.

  • Interfacing with suppliers for component specifications, inspection and qualification.

  • Ensuring compliance with quality, ESD and health & safety standards.

What You’ll Bring

  • Background in mechanical or production engineering, ideally within aerospace, electronics or high-precision manufacturing.

  • Proficiency in 3D CAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks, CATIA, NX) with a strong understanding of GD&T.

  • Capability in structural analysis (FEA) and awareness of thermal performance considerations.

  • Understanding of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma or continuous improvement principles.

  • Familiarity with materials selection, tolerance analysis and mechanical reliability testing.

  • Knowledge of manufacturing documentation, configuration control and change management.

  • Awareness of cleanroom and ESD requirements in electronics assembly environments.

  • Strong grounding in root-cause analysis tools and structured problem-solving approaches.

This role will ideally be based in the UK or Spain.

To apply, you must have the legal right to work in this location.

Why Open Cosmos?

  • Work at the cutting edge of space technology with customers around the globe.

  • A mission-driven company making space accessible to help solve real-world challenges.

  • A diverse, ambitious, and supportive team.

Division
CTO
Department
ASSEMBLY, INTEGRATION & TEST
Locations
Harwell, UK, Barcelona, Spain
Remote status
Hybrid
Employment type
Full-time

About Open Cosmos

Open Cosmos is dedicated to solving customer problems with insights from space. Whether this is monitoring agricultural yields, assessing the damage of oil spills or providing navigation solutions, we believe that data from satellites is the most effective and sustainable way of achieving this.

CTO · ASSEMBLY, INTEGRATION & TEST · Harwell, UK, Barcelona, Spain · Hybrid

Mechanical Engineer – Satellite Manufacturing (AIT Production)

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