Senior Staff Mechanical Engineer

At Viasat, the work you do helps people stay connected in ways that matter, from everyday moments to critical missions across air, land, sea, and space.

We're a place for people who are curious, bold, and motivated by meaningful work. Here, you'll have the opportunity to make an impact, explore new possibilities, and grow your career in ways that align with your interests and goals. When you're ready to take on something new, you'll find leaders who support your development and help you turn your ambition into action.

ViaSat is seeking a highly motivated and seasoned Senior Staff Mechanical Engineer to join our growing space infrastructure team. In this role, you will provide top-tier technical leadership and strategic direction for the design, development, qualification, and production transition of complex mechanical systems and hardware for next-generation satellite platforms.

As a subject matter expert, you will oversee critical, high-impact mechanical programs across the full product lifecycle, driving cutting-edge solutions for highly challenging spaceflight applications. You will serve as a recognized technical leader and key cross-functional partner collaborating across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and executive program leadership, while actively mentoring and developing engineering talent across the organization.

In this role, you will lead and architect projects and programs of paramount scope, scale, and complexity, applying advanced engineering principles to deliver highly reliable, manufacturable, and cost-effective spacecraft hardware.

You will:

• Provide technical leadership for the design and architecture of satellite structures, mechanisms, electronics packaging, and complex deployable systems.
• Independently define broad technical challenges, lead trade studies, and establish overarching engineering solutions that balance peak performance, schedule, cost, and risk management.
• Drive complete mechanical subsystem ownership from strategic concept development through qualification, high-rate production, launch integration, and on-orbit support.
• Direct advanced structural, thermal, vibration, shock, and environmental analyses to validate next-generation flight hardware.
• Establish baseline engineering requirements, specifications, standards, procedures, and comprehensive qualification strategies across programs.
• Spearhead critical hardware development, integration, test execution, and complex anomaly/root-cause resolution activities.
• Lead executive Design Reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR, FRR) and serve as a trusted technical advisor to program leadership and key stakeholders.
• Foster deep cross-functional collaboration with systems, thermal, electrical, manufacturing, reliability, and supply chain teams to ensure flawless execution.
• Pioneer the evaluation and implementation of emerging technologies, novel materials, and advanced manufacturing processes to scale capabilities.
• Provide strategic mentorship, coaching, and technical guidance to staff, mid-level, and junior engineers across teams.

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Extensive professional experience in mechanical engineering (typically 12+ years), with a strong track record of successful spaceflight hardware development.
• Demonstrated experience providing top-level technical leadership for major mechanical subsystems on spacecraft, satellites, launch vehicles, or advanced aerospace platforms.
• Deep mastery of structural, thermal, dynamic, and environmental requirements tailored for complex space applications.
• Advanced expertise in designing flight hardware using industry-standard CAD platforms (e.g., Creo, SolidWorks, NX).
• Extensive experience with advanced engineering analysis software (e.g., ANSYS, Nastran, Simcenter, Thermal Desktop).
• Mastery of environmental qualification and acceptance testing methodologies, including vibration, shock, thermal vacuum (TVAC), and thermal cycling.
• Proven autonomy to independently solve highly complex, ambiguous technical problems with minimal high-level direction.
• Superior communication skills with a strong history of presenting technical recommendations and program status to executive management and key customers.
• Extensive experience guiding multidisciplinary, cross-functional engineering teams.
• U.S. Citizenship required

• Master's degree or Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• Recognized expertise in small satellite, broadband constellation, or spacecraft bus development programs.
• Specialized expertise in advanced composite structures, ultra-lightweight design, and complex deployable mechanisms.
• Comprehensive understanding of launch vehicle interfaces, primary payload integration, and spaceport operations.
• Advanced command of DFM/DFA principles and design for mass-production/scaling of aerospace hardware.
• Expert knowledge of enterprise PLM systems (e.g., Teamcenter, Windchill).
• Deep experience directing strategic suppliers, contract manufacturers, and external vendors.
• Expert familiarity with industry spaceflight standards, high-reliability workmanship standards, and qualification methodologies.
• Proven track record of leading major root-cause investigations and corrective action boards (CAB).
• Extensive background in formal leadership, engineering mentorship, and talent development.

Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic. If you would like to request an accommodation on the basis of disability for completing this on-line application, please click here.