Mechanical Thermal Architect R0272845

Job Title: Mechanical and Thermal Architect
Site Location: Harwell
Role Reports To: Head of Discipline – Mechanical and Thermal Engineering
Job description:
As a Mechanical Engineer and Architect, you will have to take responsibility for the development
and delivery of Mechanical and Thermal systems and subsystems for space projects:
• To lead the design of the Mechanical and Thermal architecture of space systems,
equipment and GSE, including:
o Development planning,
o De-risking activities,
o Sizing and design justification,
o Design of space hardware and ancillary equipment (ie, test hardware),
o Verification and testing,
o Industrialisation, delivery and post-delivery support.
• To coordinate mechanical and thermal design with other disciplines, request needed
inputs and deliver required outputs to a good standard.
• To coach and train less-experienced staff members in spacecraft Mechanical and
Thermal Architecture.
• To lead and develop the Mechanism Architecture capability in TAS-UK.
Principal Relationships
Relationships will be required to be built and maintained with the following stakeholders:
• Mechanical/Thermal Team Engineering Manager,
• Project Managers and Workpackage Managers,
• Team members and Architects from other disciplines, and design levels (from satellite to
component level)
• Suppliers,
• Customers, including Space Agencies and commercial entities,
• Engineering stakeholders within the wider TAS organization.
Key Responsibilities and tasks:
• Main Responsibilities are:
o Delivery of spacecraft propulsion subsystems and mechanisms to meet customer
needs.
o Leadership of the Mechanical/Thermal architecture evolution of space projects at
equipment and subsystem level, from conception through to delivery.
o Coordination of the activities of Mechanical, Thermal, CAD and be the interface
to other related engineering teams for the assigned project.
o Define required inputs from other disciplines and design levels, and produce
required outputs.
o Provide technical support to mechanical and thermal deviations impacting the
subsystem from all levels.
o Requirements management and evolution.
o Establishment and justification of development logic flows.
o Justification of the architecture.
o Responsibility for forecasts, costings and schedules for Mechanical/Thermal
activities.
o Delivery of review datapacks, and manage reviews and RIDs.
o Management of the non-fluidic, technical side of the assembly, integration and
test activities, including mechanical and thermal non-conformances.
• Specific Tasks are:
o Negotiation with customers and suppliers in establishing requirements and
technical specifications.
o Contribution to negotiation with suppliers on price, lead times, risk mitigation, IPR
etc.
o Support management to secure the correct resources to deliver the product.
o Establish, manage and update technical requirements, and justify all
Mechanical/Thermal aspects of the architecture against them.
o Establish requirements for suppliers and subcontractors, assess their
compliance, support reviews of suppliers’ developments and deliveries.
o Lead accommodation studies.
o Management of development activities needed to validate a product and its
performance at all stages, including analysis and testing.
o Plan, perform and evaluate the results of Mechanical, Thermal and performance
testing for space systems from breadboard to flight levels - including functional
testing, environmental testing (thermal-vacuum, vibration, shock).
o Plan and oversee the calculations needed for sizing and verification of spacecraft
hardware, including hand calculations, FEA, Thermal design, Rigid Body Analysis
as required.
o Assess new suppliers, materials, components, manufacture methods.
o Manage the communications, inputs and outputs needed for the technical team,
including documents, meetings and reviews.
o Provide inputs for budgets, schedule and forecasts maintenance.
o Provide inputs for risk register maintenance.
o Provide inputs for compliance and verification matrix management.
o Manage subcontractors, including inputs to the procurement and selection
process.
o Generate, validate and sign-off documents produced for internal or external
reviews, manufacture and testing.
o Provide technical feedback for mechanical and thermal NCs, RFDs, RFWs and
CCNs.
o Report project status appropriately within the management team and within the
program team.
Key Performance Indicators
KPIs for the role will be specifically developed with the role holder, however these will cover:
• Delivery of architectures and associated documentation within the constraints of Project
schedules and resources.
• Delivery of test and space flight hardware to customers, compliant with their needs.
• Meeting project milestones.
• Quality of documentation.
Experience and Skills
An experienced, knowledgeable engineer who offers deep technical knowledge of spacecraft
Mechanical and Thermal Architecture and a strong track record of space project development,
including a knowledge of best practice.
The following is necessary for the role:
• Experience as an Architect, Analysis, System Engineer or Technical Lead for complex
engineering project, in mechanical and/or thermal fields, preferably at a senior level.
• Knowledge of how to present technical subjects to stakeholders, by means of technical
reports, models, presentations.
• Experience coordinating technical inputs/outputs.
• Experience/knowledge of manufacturing techniques for prototyping and also production
(conventional and advanced) and how these affect the design.
The following would be an asset:
• Experience in space subsystems.
• Knowledge of the space environment in different orbits and mission scenarios.
• Experience of propulsion or mechanisms hardware.
• Experience with spacecraft system-level design and development.
• Propulsion Module architecture.
Education & Qualifications
The following is necessary for the role:
• Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering or other relevant discipline.
• The following would be an asset:
o A Master’s or higher degree.
o Membership of a professional Institution.