Build what's next in space. Dawn Aerospace is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to join our Tanks & Structures Team – the group responsible for designing and developing propellant tanks and structural hardware for our in-space propulsion systems.

You’ll work on components that fly on a wide range and multitude of spacecraft, from CubeSats to ESPA Grande-class satellites. This role is focused on R&D, mechanical design, and design for manufacture – creating flight hardware that is robust, scalable, and ready for volume production.

For this role, attitude is as important as aptitude. We are looking for someone who wants to grow at pace alongside the company and colleagues. You will need to work across the entire In-Space propulsion department, dealing with team-mates in the Netherlands and New Zealand, as well as customers around the world. If you’ve got a proven foundation in engineering and are looking to push yourself in a high-pace environment, then apply.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Designing/analysing components use in chemical propulsion systems – from pressure vessels to electronics enclosures.
• Delivering 3D models, drawings, and documentation for prototypes and production builds.
• Supporting mechanical analysis and FEA of tanks and assemblies.
• Planning, executing, and reporting on mechanical tests of components and assemblies.

• Collaborating across engineering, test, and manufacturing teams to iterate and improve designs.

What You’ll Bring

• 2–3 years of mechanical engineering experience.
• Experience delivering designs for real-world or production components.
• Working knowledge of design for manufacture (DFM) principles.
• A hands-on, practical approach to solving engineering problems.

• A collaborative, team-oriented mindset and willingness to learn.

Bonus Skills

• Proven FEA experience (static, modal, thermal).
• Experience planning or running mechanical tests.

• Coding ability (Python etc.) for analysis or automation.

About Us

Dawn Aerospace, founded in 2017, is a leading green propulsion provider to satellites, with its In-Space Propulsion HQ in the Netherlands and further operations spanning France, New Zealand, and the United States. Dawn Aerospace has hardware on 35 satellites on orbit, with customers in more than 10 countries including France, Germany, Netherlands, the USA, Italy, Spain, India, Japan, Canada, Indonesia, and Korea. We are growing fast and offer turnkey propulsion systems for a wide range of satellites, including NanoSat, MicroSat, ESPA, and ESPA Grande-class satellites.

We're a tight-knit, cross-functional team with a passion for building things that matter. If you're ready to be part of a bold, hands-on engineering challenge that’s changing how space is accessed—let’s talk. And even if you think you have what it takes but are unsure that you check every box, we still want to hear from you.

Please also note that due to our current customer base and the nature of our industry and technology, we are required to conduct background checks that are undertaken for security reasons. These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that the Employee be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by domestic and foreign regulations. Under these regulations, an employee may be ineligible for a role in our New Zealand office if they do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union or a country that is part of NATO, or if they hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality.