Systems / Mechanical Engineer with Program Management

Our client is a pioneering deep-space resource extraction company developing the technology and mission architecture to mine helium-3 from the lunar surface and return it to Earth for use in fusion energy and quantum computing applications. This is foundational work at one of the most consequential intersections of space exploration, clean energy and advanced computing, and the team is building the engineering foundation to make it commercially viable.

They are hiring their Technical Program Lead: a rare individual who combines deep engineering discipline (mechanical or systems) with demonstrated experience managing complex, multidisciplinary programs and leading technical teams. This is not a pure individual-contributor role, nor a purely managerial one. You will bring hands-on technical credibility and the organizational ability to drive a program from concept through execution in an early-stage, high-ambiguity environment.

The search is deliberately selective. The company is building something that has never been done before, and it needs an engineer who has worked at the frontier of their field, knows how to lead people under pressure, and is motivated by a mission that matters beyond the next product cycle

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Two Profiles We Will Consider

Candidates from either of these two backgrounds will be considered. In both cases, a master's degree in a relevant engineering discipline is a meaningful advantage and will be weighted accordingly.

Profile 1: Mechanical Engineer with Program Management Experience

• A degreed mechanical engineer with meaningful aerospace or space systems experience
• Has held a formal program or project management role, accountable for schedule, cost, scope, and team performance, not only a technical lead role
• Has managed engineers or cross-functional technical staff directly
• Understands how mechanical systems intersect with thermal, structural, propulsion, and mission design in a space context
• Has worked on hardware that has been built, tested, or operated in a demanding environment, ideally flight or flight-like

Profile 2: Systems Engineer with Formal Systems Engineering Training

• Holds formal training in systems engineering methodology (INCOSE, model based systems engineering, or equivalent)
• Has led or contributed at the systems-architecture level on a complex aerospace or defense program
• Has managed projects and people, not only requirements documents
• Understands requirements decomposition, interface management, verification and validation planning, and system-level trade studies at a practical level
• Brings the discipline to hold a system together across subsystems and stakeholders at the same time

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

• Serve as the senior technical and programmatic lead responsible for driving the development of core mission systems and subsystems
• Engage directly in handson technical work (architecture, analysis, design review and trade studies) at the depth of a senior individual contributor
• Hold the system together across subsystems through requirements decomposition, interface management, and verification and validation planning

Program Management

• Own or contribute to program planning, milestone tracking, resource management and cross-functional coordination
• Take direct responsibility for schedule, technical performance and team output, and present technical and programmatic status to leadership

Team Leadership

• Lead a small but growing team of engineers, setting technical direction and maintaining accountability for deliverables
• Hire, direct and develop engineers as the team grows

Partners and Vendors

• Interface with external partners, vendors, and subject matter experts as the program requires

Building the Organization

• Contribute to the processes, tools, and workflows that will scale as the organization grows
• Operate effectively in an environment with significant ambiguity, limited precedent, and high stakes, creating structure where none exists yet

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, systems engineering, or a closely related technical discipline
• Significant experience in aerospace, defense, or space systems, with a strong preference for work on flight or mission-critical hardware
• Demonstrated experience in program or project management, including direct responsibility for schedule, technical performance, and team output
• Experience managing engineers or technical personnel: hiring, directing, and developing people
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including presenting te