Mechanical Engineer
How this pay compares
This posting states $120k–$150k a year. Open mechanical engineer jobs in California post a median of $158k a year, the middle half $128k–$179k, across 261 jobs that state their pay, so this one is within the middle half of what they post.
Mechanical engineers in California: pay by town and employer
About the job
Hydrosat is a space and data analytics company building a new Earth observation constellation and software platform to unlock the power of thermal infrared imagery. Our mission is to deliver high-resolution thermal insights that help governments, defense agencies, agribusinesses, and other decision-makers better manage water, agriculture, climate resilience, and critical infrastructure.
With operations in the United States and Luxembourg, Hydrosat combines cutting-edge satellite technology, geospatial analytics, and applied science to turn raw Earth observation data into actionable intelligence. Our U.S. team plays a central role in government and defense market development, commercial growth, and delivering scalable solutions for federal, civil, and commercial customers. We are looking for bright, ambitious, and collaborative people who want to help transform how space-based data is used in the real world.
Hydrosat is seeking a seasoned Mechanical Engineer to join our hardware development team. This role focuses on the design, analysis, build, and test of mechanical systems for space-based payloads and other flight hardware, with a strong emphasis towards on-orbit thermal performance. The ideal candidate will have deep experience in mechanical design for space applications, practical capability with on-orbit thermal analysis, and a passion for taking hardware from concept through fabrication, assembly, and flight qualification.
Responsibilities
- Develop and refine mechanical requirements for space payloads and flight hardware
- Lead mechanical design effort and use thermal analysis to guide material selection, interfaces, and thermal control design
- Develop and maintain on-orbit thermal models, assess hot and cold mission cases, and define thermal control features and operating limits
- Perform hands-on prototype fabrication, assembly, integration, and testing of flight hardware
- Collaborate with systems, electrical, optical, and spacecraft engineering teams to ensure integrated design performance
- Prepare mechanical drawings and manage configuration control of released designs
- Conduct trade studies and present design review materials to internal and external stakeholders
- Plan and conduct environmental testing, correlate thermal models with test data, and support transition to manufacturing
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering and 5+ years of experience in space systems or related hardware
- Proficiency in mechanical CAD tools (e.g. SolidWorks, Creo, etc.) and space thermal analysis tools (e.g. Thermal Desktop or equivalent)
- Demonstrated experience modeling on-orbit thermal environments, including solar, albedo, Earth infrared, eclipse, and internal heat loads
- Hands-on experience with hardware fabrication, assembly, integration, and space environmental testing, including thermal-vacuum and vibration
- Familiarity with industry standards such as ASME Y14.5, GSCF-STD-7000, NASA-STD-5001B, among others
Benefits
- Employee stock options
- Health insurance: Medical, Vision, Dental - Hydrosat covers 100% of employee premiums, 50% for dependents
- Mental Health Support
- Claims Concierge Service
- 401(k) with 100% match up to 4%, vested from day one
- Flexible, unlimited PTO
- 16 paid company holidays
- Maternity, Paternity & Parental Leave - up to 12 weeks fully paid
- Mental health support, including free therapy sessions
- Commuter and cell phone stipends
- Company Discount Program
Federal Contract Eligibility Requirement
Due to the nature of the work and applicable U.S. federal government contract requirements, this position is limited to individuals who are U.S. citizens. This requirement is mandated by the federal government and is not a discretionary employment policy. Proof of eligibility will be required as a condition of employment, consistent with applicable law.
From Hydrosat's job posting, checked 10 Nov 2026. The employer's own page is the final word on requirements and availability.
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About Hydrosat
Thermal infrared satellites that measure crop water stress and surface temperature from orbit.
Pay on its listings: stated per posting
How it pays: Paid as an employee on Hydrosat's own payroll, as each posting states.
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