Senior Mechanical & Thermal Engineer

SWISSto12 is recruiting an experienced mechanical & thermal design & analysis engineer to join its development and customer program execution efforts on GEO telecom satellites, advanced payloads, and Radio-Frequency subsystems.

The position opened herein can operate either from the Lausanne or Santa Clara office and will occasionally require travel between the two locations to work with the integrated team active across both locations for the relevant programs.

In this role, you will be responsible for the following functions:

Responsible for mechanical and thermal engineering for RF products, payloads and integration of those onto telecom satellites, working within the SWISSto12 team and with external partners and suppliers.
Mechanical and thermal design and accommodation on the SWISSto12 MicroGEO missions
Drive satellite and product mechanical and thermal systems definition, design, analysis, test and validation
Ensure the system is fit for its intended purpose and drive technical trade-offs
Responsible for the full lifecycle product development, from mechanical and thermal requirements analysis to manufacturing support.
Design and develop solutions addressing the system requirements. Optimise the design of parts as necessary to minimise mass, maximise stiffness and ensure thermal control.
Define and perform mechanical and thermal analysis and test procedures to verify the designs.
Lead mechanical and thermal aspects of development and qualification programs phase.
Develop and generate design justifications.
Develop relationships with RF product, platform and spacecraft subsystem suppliers and partners. Work with them to Design, Manufacture, Assemble, Integrate and Test such subsystems. Contribute to SoWs and specifications, work alongside program management team to monitor execution of activities, contribute to problem solving, ensure successful delivery of these activities.
Support mechanical and thermal aspects of proposals.
Collaborate with technical staff, program managers and executive management to develop and implement current and long-term technical, schedule, quality, business and financial objectives relevant to the mechanical and thermal aspects of satellite payloads or program efforts.
Be exposed to responsibility for decisions that have an extended impact.
Ensure technical leadership and excellence is maintained by mentoring younger engineers, and directing and participating in the planning, attraction, selection, retention, and development of the required talent.
Occasionally, you will be asked to participate in overall tasks and services inherent to a dynamic fast-growing company.

Required experience and competencies:

Customer focused, must be able to work on a self-initiated basis and in a team environment.
University degree in Mechanical or Thermal Engineering or Physics or equivalent.
At least 5 years of experience in mechanical or thermal engineering positions.
Understanding of mechanical and thermal requirements for GEO telecom satellite missions, used to interact with payload and RF equipment teams.
Proficiency with CAD software and relevant system modelling and analysis tools.
Knowledge of integration of spaceborne antenna systems and related payload RF equipment as well as active antennas is not mandatory but is a plus.
Knowledge of spacecraft thermal control subsystems for communication payloads.
Ability of assessing, from mechanical and thermal point of view, RFIs and RFQs from customers.
Ability of writing RFIs and RFQs for subcontractors.
Demonstrated experience in Finite Element Analysis.
Experience in following (or performing) qualification of spaceborne equipment.
Demonstrated experience in materials and manufacturing processes for spaceborne products (for antennas is a plus). Knowledge of Additive Manufacturing for space applications is also a plus.
Experience with managing customer and supplier interfaces.
Ability to “think outside of the box” and thrive in an often-ambiguous trade-space.
Demonstrated ability to write clear technical documentation of high quality.
Autonomous and proactive working style with excellent working organisation and ethics.
Communicating effectively, excellent relational skills and ability to work in a team with different professional and cultural backgrounds.
Language: Fluent English is a prerequisite, skills in French are a plus

Working conditions and contract:

SWISSto12 offers a full-time contract with an attractive compensation package. The position is to be filled as soon as possible.

Please note that for export control reasons, individuals working in the US office need to be “US persons” either US citizens or permanent residents.

Interested applicants are requested to apply with a CV (resume), a motivation letter, at least three references and achieved degrees through the following email address:hr@swissto12.ch with subject Senior Mechanical & Thermal Engineer/Family Name

About SWISSto12:

SWISSto12 is the leading developer of advanced engineered Radio-Frequency (RF) products for telecommunications, security and surveillance applications in the Aerospace industry. The company’s patented 3D printing technologies and associated product designs are unique to deliver lightweight, compact, highly performing, and competitive RF systems. SWISSto12 has developed commercial with success in Europe and Israel with prominent partners and customers such as Thales, Airbus Defence & Space, Elbit, IAI and the European Space Agency. SWISSto12 is the fastest growing Swiss aerospace company, spun off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), privately owned and backed by prominent Swiss and European Investors.

Developing from its RF product and system portfolio, SWISSto12 is in addition progressing on advanced end-to-end payloads fitted on its new MicroGEO platform for the benefit of customers in the satellite operator ecosystem and due to launch starting in 2025.

SWISSto12 is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and operates a US-subsidiary in Santa Clara, California and in Israel. The company is well funded for its near and mid-term developments and backed by a solid customer revenue stream.