Aerospace Mechanical Engineer
Structural, Vibration, Microvibration & Thermal — Space Systems / ADCS
Leganés, Madrid (Spain) · Full-time ·
About Sanzar
Sanzar (trading name of Agroaerospace, S.L.) is a Spanish deep-tech company on a mission to redefine what small satellites can do. Since 2019, we have been pushing the limits of robotic control and AI software for space — turning bold engineering ideas into patented, flight-bound technology.
At the heart of what we do is our patented Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS), built around variable-speed control-moment gyroscopes (VSCMG). It delivers performance that the market doesn't offer today: pointing accuracy down to 0.0002° across all three axes, agility of up to 130°/s, and up to ten times the torque of a comparable reaction wheel — all packed into a unit small enough to fly on satellites from 3U upward. The result is a new class of agile microsatellites that unlock quantum and optical communications and boost the operability of Earth-observation missions by over 50%, while saving our customers significant launch and operating costs.
Join us, and you'll work in a small, ambitious and highly technical team where your work flies. Here you take real ownership of mission-critical technology, see your ideas move from concept to qualified hardware, and help build the next generation of space systems.
Role Summary
We are looking for an experienced Aerospace Mechanical Engineer to lead the mechanical design and the structural and thermal validation of our ADCS units and their actuators. You will own the analysis chain from CAD geometry to qualified hardware, with particular emphasis on vibration and microvibration (jitter) — a primary performance driver for high-precision pointing systems, where rotating CMG and reaction-wheel assemblies are dominant disturbance sources. You will work in close coordination with the control, electronics, and software teams to ensure mechanical performance meets demanding in-orbit pointing stability requirements.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead the mechanical design of ADCS units and actuator assemblies (CMG / reaction-wheel modules, sensor mounts, housings and interfaces), driven by mass, stiffness and volume constraints.
• Build and run finite element models (FEM) for static, quasi-static, modal, sine- and random-vibration, and shock analyses; verify positive margins of safety against launch and operational load cases.
• Characterise, model, and mitigate microvibration / jitter: identify disturbance sources, derive force/torque PSDs, propagate them through structural transfer functions and quantify their contribution to the pointing-stability budget.
• Define the thermal design and run thermal analyses (thermal mathematical models, steady-state and transient cases); size thermal interfaces, dissipation paths and control strategies for the operational and survival envelopes.
• Plan, specify and support test campaigns: vibration, shock and thermal-vacuum (TVAC) testing; correlate test data with models, update FEM/TMM accordingly and close out non-conformances.
• Define mechanical and environmental requirements, derive verification methods and maintain verification control documents and matrices.
• Produce analysis reports, design justification files and review data packages for internal milestones and agency/customer reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR).
• Act as a technical point of contact with suppliers, partners and customers on mechanical, structural and thermal matters.
Required Qualifications
• Degree in Aerospace, Mechanical or a closely related engineering discipline.
• 5+ years of professional experience in the space sector.
• Strong command of finite element methods (FEM) for mechanical design and structural validation (static, modal and dynamic analyses).
• Demonstrated experience in vibration analysis and in the test and validation of flight or qualification hardware.
• Hands-on experience with microvibration / jitter analysis, modelling and mitigation, and with pointing-stability or disturbance budgets.
• Practical experience with thermal design and thermal analysis tools.
• Working knowledge of space engineering and qualification standards (e.g. ECSS-E-ST-32 structures, ECSS-E-ST-10-03 testing) and of TRL-based development logic.
• English at a professional / negotiation level.
Valued / Nice to Have
• Direct experience with ADCS, CMG, reaction wheels or other precision pointing mechanisms.
• Familiarity with analysis and CAD tools such as Nastran / Patran, ANSYS, Femap, Abaqus, Thermal Desktop / ESATAN, CATIA and MATLAB/Simulink.
• Experience with mechanism design, micro-vibration isolation or damping solutions.
• Participation in European aerospace programmes (ESA, EU, Eurostars) and experience interfacing with agencies.
• Knowledge of certification processes, software-in-the-loop validation and flight control.
• PhD and/or a research and publication track record in a relevant field.
What We Offer
• A central, hands-on role in a patented, flight-bound space technology.
• A small, highly technical and international team with real ownership and short decision cycles.
• Exposure to the full development cycle, from analysis to test campaigns and flight qualification.
• Competitive salary, commensurate with experience (to be discussed).
How to Apply
- Send your CV and a short cover note to info@sanzar-group.com.
