What are the responsibilities and job description for the Mechanical Engineer position at Dispatch | YC P26?
About Dispatch
Dispatch builds reentry vehicles for in-space manufacturing. Compatible with most launch vehicles, we host production in microgravity, and return the product to Earth.
We are constructing the infrastructure that allows the space economy to scale. From the reliable return of biological samples to the mass production of next-gen semiconductors, Dispatch provides the power, the platform, and the path home.
About The Role
You'll be our first mechanical engineer for Dispatch’s reusable reentry vehicles designed for mass manufacturing and the person responsible for turning a heat shield and avionics stack into a flying spacecraft. This is a founding role - you'll own the structural design, mechanisms, and integration of our reentry vehicle from CAD to qualification testing to launch.
At our stage, this means you're doing the analysis and the hands-on build. You'll work directly with both founders on a daily basis. Both founders are ex-Astranis - Andrew led the avionics team, Payton was chief engineer on their next-gen satellite line.
Responsibilities
- Design the primary vehicle structure (load paths, interfaces, payload volume)
- Own mechanical systems: deployment mechanisms, recovery/parachute systems, payload integration hardware
- Run structural analysis (FEA) for launch and reentry load environments
- Produce engineering drawings with GD&T for fabricated and machined parts
- Build and test prototype hardware
- Support environmental qualification testing (vibration, thermal vacuum)
Required Qualifications
- 2 years designing and building flight hardware (spacecraft, launch vehicles, or hypersonics)
- Strong mechanical design skills: structures, mechanisms, packaging in constrained volumes
- Proficiency in CAD (SOLIDWORKS or similar) and FEA tools (Femap or similar)
- Hands-on prototyping experience - you've machined, assembled, and tested your own designs
- Comfortable working across disciplines at an early-stage company
Nice to Have
- Experience with reentry vehicles, capsule structures, or high-load environments
- Recovery system design (parachutes, airbags, flotation)
- Familiarity with rideshare mechanical interface standards
- Thermal protection system experience