Head of Ground Support Systems - Mechanical Engineer

About Urban Sky: 

Urban Sky is a venture-backed aerospace startup that pioneers utilization of the stratosphere and reimagines the way humans view and analyze the earth. We design, build, operate, and sell stratospheric balloon systems, and the data we collect supports a wide range of applications, from real-time wildfire monitoring to urban mapping. Our technology is also employed by government customers including the Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, and others. Urban Sky sends flight vehicles to the stratosphere on a weekly basis. 

Our team consists of engineers, makers, developers, and doers who believe in the power of human potential when passion meets utility within a small, supportive team. At Urban Sky we strive to create a team culture grounded in candor, inclusion, respect and empowerment. 

We aim to build the next chapter of stratospheric history in Denver and are seeking self-starting, open-minded, and hard-working team members. 

About The Role: 

The Head of Ground Support Systems will own the design, development, and productionization of all mechanical ground support equipment (GSE) that interfaces with Urban Sky’s flight systems but stays on the ground. This is the hardware that makes flight possible: high-pressure gas fill systems and plumbing, pressurized gas storage assemblies with regulators and complex packaging, ground anchors, mechanical releases, weight plate hold-downs, truck-mount anchors with balloon collars, and any other heavy mechanical system that touches a flight vehicle without leaving the surface of the earth.

This work is serious engineering. Many of these systems involve high-pressure gas handling where a packaging failure or an accidental impact — a forklift strike, a dropped component, a field mishap — can have real safety consequences. You will be responsible for designing systems that are robust, safe, and field-ready, while still moving at the pace of a startup that is leading the commercialization of the stratosphere.

You will operate with a high degree of autonomy. Urban Sky’s engineering culture is built around Responsible Engineers who act as CEOs of their products — owning every decision from concept through production. You will define the technical roadmap for ground support systems, set priorities, drive designs to completion, and ship products. Many of these systems are sold to customers as part of Urban Sky’s broader ecosystem, so the quality bar is high and the iteration pace is fast.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Lead the design, analysis, prototyping, and productionization of all mechanical ground support equipment, including high-pressure gas fill hoses and plumbing assemblies.
• Design and develop high-pressure gas storage systems with integrated plumbing, regulators, relief devices, and packaging that accounts for field hazards such as vehicle impacts and rough handling.
• Engineer ground anchoring systems, mechanical releases, weight plate hold-downs, truck-mount anchors, balloon collars, and other heavy mechanical devices used during launch and recovery operations.
• Own the full product lifecycle for GSE hardware — from requirements definition and concept development through detailed design, test, qualification, and production release.
• Perform structural, pressure, and thermal analyses to validate designs and ensure compliance with applicable codes and standards for high-pressure gas systems.
• Drive design-for-manufacturability and design-for-field-serviceability into every product, ensuring systems can be built efficiently and maintained by field crews.
• Develop and maintain safety documentation, operating procedures, and hazard analyses for all ground support systems involving pressurized gases or heavy mechanical loads.
• Collaborate with flight systems engineers, field operations, and manufacturing to ensure GSE interfaces cleanly with flight hardware and meets operational requirements.
• Rapidly iterate on designs through hands-on prototyping, testing, and real-world field validation — building and shipping products at startup speed.
• Support customer-facing product delivery when GSE is sold as part of Urban Sky’s commercial systems, ensuring products meet quality and reliability standards.

Who you Are:

• U.S. citizenship or permanent residency required.
• A mechanical engineer who deeply understands high-pressure gas systems, heavy mechanical assemblies, and robust product design. This is your craft and you are deeply skilled at it.
• A self-starter who thrives with autonomy and doesn’t need someone to tell you what to build next. You see what needs to be done, you make a plan, and you execute.
• Someone who thrives in ambiguity and moves fast. You are comfortable making decisions with incomplete information and iterating toward the right answer through building and testing.
• A builder who ships. You are not interested in analysis paralysis or endless design reviews. You want to get hardware into the real world, learn from it, and make it better.
• Safety-conscious by instinct. You understand that high-pressure gas systems and heavy mechanical equipment demand rigorous engineering discipline, and you bring that discipline naturally without slowing down.
• Hard-working and highly motivated. You want to be part of a company that is commercializing the stratosphere, and you are ready to work hard to make that happen.
• Scrappy and resourceful. You can work within constraints, find creative solutions, and deliver results without waiting for perfect conditions or unlimited budgets.
• A strong communicator who can work across teams, write clear documentation, and explain technical decisions to both engineers and non-engineers.

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related discipline; advanced degree is a plus but not required.
• 5+ years of experience in mechanical design and engineering, with significant hands-on work involving high-pressure gas systems, pressure vessels, regulators, and associated plumbing.
• Strong foundation in solid mechanics, structural analysis, and pressure system design. Proficiency with CAD tools (SolidWorks preferred) and FEA software.
• Experience designing products for field use in demanding or uncontrolled environments — not just lab hardware.
• Demonstrated ability to take products from concept through production, including design-for-manufacturing considerations.
• Familiarity with relevant codes and standards for pressure systems (e.g., ASME BPVC, CGA, DOT) is strongly preferred.
• Experience with anchoring systems, mechanical releases, or heavy rigging is a plus.
• Comfortable with hands-on prototyping, shop work, and field testing.
• U.S. citizenship or permanent residency required.

Requirements: 

• Must be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident
• Must be located near Denver, CO
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance may be required for certain programs 

Benefits: 

• Medical, Vision and Dental 
• Unlimited Vacation Days 
• Parental Leave 
• Cell Phone Bill Stipend 
• Stock Options 

NOTE: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they don’t meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes that they have the skills and the passion necessary to succeed here to apply for this role. 

This position may require the candidate to deal with commodities, software, technology, defense articles, and/or technical data which are subject to the Export Administration Regulations and/or the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Additional information may be requested so as to determine whether export authorization is required from the Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. If authorization is required, employment will be contingent upon the Company successfully obtaining such authorization from the relevant government agency. 

Urban Sky is an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.