Building the space between proven and possible, MDA Space is a trusted mission partner to the global space industry. A robotics, satellite systems and geointelligence pioneer with a 55-year+ story of world firsts and more than 450 missions, MDA Space is a global leader in communications satellites, Earth and space observation, and space exploration and infrastructure. The MDA Space team of more than 3,800 space experts in Canada, the US and the UK has the knowledge and know-how to turn an audacious customer vision into an achievable mission – bringing to bear a one-of-a-kind mix of experience, engineering excellence and wide-eyed wonder that’s been in our DNA since day one. For those who dream big and push boundaries on the ground and in the stars to change the world for the better, we’ll take you there. For more information, visit www.mda.space.
About you:
Are you an experienced people leader with a strong background in mechanical design? Do you have a passion for building high-performing teams and bridging the gap between innovation and practicality across diverse engineering projects? If so, we want you to join our Brampton team.
Who We're Looking For:
The Manager, Mechanical Design – Mechanical Engineering is a member of the engineering leadership team and reports to the Senior Manager, Mechanical Engineering. This role leads a large, Design Office team and is accountable for oversight of the end-to-end design lifecycle—from concept through design release, manufacture, qualification, delivery, and support of mission operations. Scope includes design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA), mechanism design and Design Office execution.
The Manager supports the Senior Manager, Mechanical Engineering in shaping department and corporate strategic planning cycles. The role continuously aligns, improves, and modernizes engineering practices to improve business performance, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction.
The Manager oversees recruitment, retention, development, and succession planning for the Design Office team, and champions the adoption of next-generation design tools, techniques, and procedures. This role drives the development and implementation of scalable processes and best practices to ensure adherence to high design standards for product delivery.
This role is accountable for the mechanical design function, including design and detailing. The Design Office delivers custom space robotics systems from concept to final product, providing designers with clear technical direction and standards while promoting morale, quality, creativity, and teamwork.
- Strategic Direction and Planning. Set direction and strategy for the mechanical design teams in alignment with department objectives. Contribute to corporate and departmental planning cycles and translate strategy into actionable execution plans.
- Engineering Process and Tools. Establish, standardize, and modernize Design Office processes, standards, and toolsets (e.g., CAD/PDM, drawing release, configuration management) to optimize quality, schedule, and cost performance in alignment with business needs.
- Department Processes and Delivery. Establish and implement Mechanical Design department processes to ensure business objectives and operational needs are met, including scope, price, quality, and delivery targets.
- Design Quality and Manufacturability. Monitor and manage mechanical design and detailing outputs to ensure suitability for machining operations, ease of build, and serviceability. Drive design-for-manufacture improvements and resolve issues collaboratively with stakeholders.
- Bid / Solution Validation. Validate costed technical solutions in proposals by assessing design approach, scope sufficiency, risk management, cost-effectiveness, and resource availability. Partner with program management, production, business development, and bids & proposals to define specifications, assumptions, and execution plans.
- Risk Management and Problem Resolution. Proactively identify and address operational and delivery risks, remove roadblocks, and ensure timely issue resolution for downstream stakeholders and inquiries.
- Independent Review Team. Independently audit and assess technical risk on planned program work and work-in-progress through the program lifecycle. Support Engineering Review Teams in identifying mitigations and workarounds and lead design reviews as required.
- Engineering Resource Management. Recruit, onboard, assign, coach, and evaluate team members. Develop training and mentoring plans; establish and refresh succession plans for key skills to reduce single-point dependencies and resource bottlenecks.
- Engineering Resource Facilitation. Provide leadership and staffing expertise to support program execution, R&D, and business development. Oversee capacity and workforce planning to ensure staffing plans meet current demand, anticipate future program needs, and optimize team productivity.
- Cross-functional Collaboration. Strengthen collaboration with engineering, program management, manufacturing/production, quality, supply chain, and other functions to support strategic initiatives and ensure seamless integration of design efforts with broader company goals.
- Customer and Stakeholder Support. Support strong customer relationships by providing timely and effective design support for technical inquiries and issues, ensuring stakeholder satisfaction.
- People Leadership and Development. Provide clear leadership and vision; inspire and motivate staff to achieve excellence; and mentor team members as they develop new skills. Conduct performance reviews and provide feedback to employees on profession development.
- Continuous Improvement. Identify, sponsor, and promote innovation and process improvements within Mechanical Engineering and across the business. Ensure effective usage and timely procurement of up-to-date engineering tools and infrastructure.
- Performance Management and Reporting. Define, steer, and report key design performance indicators (KPIs) to drive operational excellence, financial discipline, and continuous improvement. Provide accurate and timely updates to senior management on department performance.
- Budget Management. Plan, justify, and administer department operating budgets.
- Safety and Compliance: Ensure compliance with occupational health & safety legislation, AS‑9100 quality standards, and any applicable industry related regulations.
Job Requirements:
- Post-secondary diploma or degree in mechanical design, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, or equivalent. Experience in mechanical design, including design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA), and planning the development of safety- and mission-critical mechanisms, structures, and tooling.
- 10+ years of broad-based engineering experience across all phases of a program, working with commercial and/or government customers.
- 5+ years of people management and/or technical leadership experience (managing or supervising engineering teams).
- Deep understanding of mechanical design, GD&T, and drafting standards.
- Strong skills and efficiency using Siemens NX and TC.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing and fabrication processes to assess issues, troubleshoot, and work collaboratively with designers and manufacturing teams.
- Experience in the mechanical design and routing of cable wire harness assemblies.
- Demonstrated leadership ability, including effective communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills to operate effectively across all organizational levels.
- Proven ability to work autonomously and as part of a high-performing technical team.
- Ability to collaborate broadly with peers and stakeholders internally within MDA and with commercial/government partners and customers.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- High motivation with a proven ability to adapt quickly in dynamic environments.
- Demonstrated technical contributions across a wide range of engineering challenges and multiple development programs.
- Ability to build and maintain professional relationships within and outside of the engineering organization.
- Strong project and technical management skills.
Preferred Assets:
- Experience leading design teams delivering complex electromechanical products and/or automated equipment.
- Experience with capacity management and workforce planning (e.g., demand forecasting, resource allocation).
- Familiarity with operational excellence and continuous improvement frameworks and applying KPIs to drive performance.
- Eng (Professional Engineer) designation in Ontario (or eligibility to obtain) is considered an asset.
Special Considerations:
- Successful candidates must obtain and hold security clearance at the reliability status level, and pass security assessment for the Controlled Goods Program (CGP) and ITAR.
Benefits:
- MDA provides competitive compensation and benefits packages including relocation and visa sponsorship. As a team member of MDA, you and your qualified dependents are eligible to participate in a benefit plan that ensures a comprehensive level of protection through competitive health care including; extended healthcare and flexible drug plans, dental and vision benefits, disability income protection, life insurance, group retirement savings plans; and an employee and family assistance program.
We’re a dream team of purpose-driven, collaborative and passionate people, and we are constantly looking for others to join #TeamMDA to ignite new and innovative approaches to problem-solving that push us forward to improve life on and above Earth. If you’re excited to expand our place in space and driven to inspire the next generation, we’ll take you there.
We have entered a new era of exploration and development, and MDA welcomes all who yearn to suit up and be part of it. An equal opportunity employer prizing diversity, integrity and collaboration, we are committed to growing MDA’s and Canada’s leadership in this next golden age.
MDA Ltd. is proud to provide accommodation(s) during the recruitment process. Should you require any accommodations, please indicate this on your application/cover letter and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs.
The compensation range for this position is $120,000 - $150,000 annually. The specific compensation offered will be based on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate.
