Mechanical Engineer

Job description

**Join Our Mission to the Moon** Join ispace EUROPE – Pioneering Lunar Exploration from Luxembourg With locations in Japan, Luxembourg, and the US, ispace is a global leader in lunar exploration. Our European branch, based in Luxembourg, is uniquely positioned at the heart of rover design, development, and operations. We’re building the foundations of a sustainable lunar economy — and expanding humanity’s reach beyond Earth. At ispace EU, engineers, business experts, and creatives work side by side to turn bold ideas into reality, driven by our mission: “Expand our Planet, Expand our Future.” **TITLE**: **Mechanical Engineer** **LOCATION: Luxembourg** **ABOUT THE ROLE** ispace EUROPE is seeking an experienced and highly motivated **Mechanical Engineer** to join our team. The candidate must have extensive hands-on experience in mechanical design and manufacturing of spacecraft structures and components. The Mechanical Engineer will **own the mechanical development** of ispace Europe’s next-generation lunar rover, taking responsibility for the mechanical design from concept to flight. The position requires a strong understanding of the complete mechanical domain, a cross-functional mindset, and the ambition to deliver flight-ready space structures and mechanisms capable of withstanding the extreme environments of launch, transit and lunar operations. ### KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Lead the mechanical design of assigned spacecraft hardware, including lunar rovers, lander interfaces and Mechanical Ground Support Equipment (MGSE). - Design structural components, assemblies and mechanisms for lunar rover systems. - Preparation of 3D models and engineering drawings for manufacturing. - Produce build-to-print technical documentation. - Create, review and complete component design specifications and conduct design reviews. - Develop sound conceptual designs, including trade studies involving material and component selection, with early consideration of manufacturing processes and design validation. - Perform rapid prototyping for early hardware testing and design validation. - Mature conceptual designs into detailed designs, ensuring structural and operational performance. - Maintain proactive coordination with cross-functional teams to achieve project goals. - Proactively identify risks and anticipate technical issues, and define and manage mitigation plans. - Coordinate with suppliers, resolve manufacturing issues, support incoming inspections, and ensure the manufactured hardware conforms to the technical specifications. - Travel occasionally to other ispace offices and supplier locations - Support AIT activities through the mechanical design of MGSE with a strong understanding of structure assemblies and integration requirements. ### KEY REQUIREMENTS - BS and/or MS in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent. - 5 to 10+ years of proven professional experience in mechanical design for aerospace, aviation or spaceflight applications. - Extensive hands-on experience with CAD software and engineering drawing production. - Advanced knowledge and proven experience in Geometric Dimension and Tolerance (GD&T) and tolerance stack-up analysis, including RSS methods. - Strong understanding of mechanical structures, assemblies, and mechanisms. - Solid knowledge of mechanical design, material selection, and fabrication processes and coatings for spaceflight hardware. - Understanding of the design-analysis cycle and ability to work effectively with cross-functional engineering teams. - Ability to independently drive mechanical design activities and take responsibility for assigned hardware and deliverables. - Proactive mindset, strong responsibility and ability to identify technical issues, challenge assumptions and actively driving problems to resolution. - Team player with excellent interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills - Comfortable working in a fast-paced and changing environment, with the motivation and willingness to continuously learn and develop. ### PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS - Proficiency in Solidworks, or equivalent CAD software. - Experience with industrial development projects in the space industry - Demonstrated experience in mechanical design of metallic and composite structures - Good understanding of design for manufacturing principles and manufacturing processes - Experience managing product BOM (Bill of Materials) - Understanding of structure and thermal implications on the mechanical design - Experience taking hardware through a complete project lifecycle, from concept to flight. - Practical knowledge of relevant ECSS standards