Propulsion Strength Lead 5 - Vulcan Development

United Launch Alliance • Centennial, CO

13d • $152,367 - $253,946

About The Position

United Launch Alliance is hiring a Propulsion Strength Lead 5 to lead structural analysis work for Vulcan Development, including Centaur V on SLS in support of Artemis and Upper Stage Advancement long-duration capabilities. The role owns technical scope assigned to the team and serves as a subject matter expert for complex structural analysis problems requiring cross-discipline coordination and creative solutions.

The position supports propulsion and mechanical analysis, system integration, project management, and anomaly resolution. It leads advanced strength, fatigue, and fracture analyses of structural components, including nonlinear analyses, and develops analysis tools, methodologies, and processes to improve organizational capabilities. The lead also mentors and trains engineers, plans and prioritizes team work, resolves issues, and communicates status to program leaders.

The role creates analysis models and hand calculations, provides strength inputs and recommendations for new designs and installations, and reviews and approves engineering layouts, models, designs, drawings, and drawing changes. It makes design recommendations considering thermal, mechanical, and pressure loads, materials, configurations, and safety factors; drives peer and formal design reviews; coordinates with suppliers on analysis products; supports rapid design and analysis cycles and hardware nonconformance evaluations; and assists in creating analysis automation tools.

The position is based at ULA in Denver. Relocation may be available, and travel requirements are 10%. The role requires U.S. Person status because it involves ITAR-controlled information.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical field from an accredited college or university.
• At least 8 years of related work experience.
• At least 3 years serving in a lead role for an analysis team directly supporting large program objectives.
• Ability to make design recommendations based on first-order analysis results, engineering judgment, and experience.
• Ability to resolve technical issues using available analysis tools and methodologies.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Agile tools, including Jira.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Detailed understanding of materials and material properties.
• Advanced structural analysis experience involving tanks, adapters, and brackets.
• Advanced analysis experience with propulsion hardware such as tubing, ducting, and flex joints.
• Experience developing tools for analyzing propulsion systems, including tubing, ducting, bellows, and supplier components.
• Understanding of fatigue and fracture analysis methodology and ability to develop tools that facilitate this analysis.
• Understanding of bolted-joint analysis and modeling and ability to develop tools that facilitate this analysis.
• Understanding of GD&T standards and principles.
• Understanding of analysis best practices and underlying assumptions, and ability to establish standards for the team.
• Understanding of basic hand calculations.
• Experience resolving hardware nonconformances.
• Familiarity with Nastran for static, modal, dynamic, and nonlinear analysis; Femap pre-/post-processing; NX CAD/Simulation; NASGRO; Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint); Unix/Linux-mainframe-based analysis tools; Matlab; Abaqus; and Jira.
• All applicants must be U.S. Persons as defined by ITAR.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with component suppliers to drive requirements for component development and qualification.
• Experience running or creating analysis automation and pre-/post-processing scripts using Unix, Matlab, Python, or Excel.
• Experience leading static or dynamic testing and model correlation.
• Experience leading structural optimization techniques for mass savings.
• Experience integrating with system-level analysis models, such as coupled loads models.
• Experience with NASA crewed-flight analysis and qualification requirements, including NASA-STD-5019 and NASA-STD-5001.
• General knowledge of mechanical hardware fabrication methods, including machining, welding, processing, and assembly.
• Familiarity with mechanical support equipment.
• Familiarity with composite structural analysis.
• Experience leading analysis efforts supporting cross-functional teams.
• Experience leading analysis efforts on development programs using the Agile framework and familiarity with Agile tools, including Jira.

Responsibilities

• Lead analysts through Vulcan Development activities, including Centaur V on SLS in support of Artemis and Upper Stage Advancement long-duration capabilities.
• Serve as a structural analysis subject matter expert and guide the team through complex problems requiring cross-discipline coordination and creative thinking.
• Support propulsion and mechanical analysis, system integration, project management, and anomaly resolution.
• Lead advanced strength, fatigue, and fracture analyses of structural components, including nonlinear analyses.
• Resolve analysis challenges and develop new tools, methodologies, and processes for long-term organizational improvement.
• Develop lower-level engineers through knowledge transfer, mentoring, and formal training.
• Facilitate work-scope planning, prioritization, execution, and issue resolution; communicate status to program leaders.
• Create advanced analysis models and hand calculations and provide strength inputs and recommendations for new designs and installations.
• Review and approve 3D engineering layouts, 3D models, designs and drawings, and 2D drawing changes for propulsion, fluid-system, and mechanical-system components.
• Make design recommendations considering thermal, mechanical, and pressure loading, material properties, configurations, and safety factors.
• Drive internal peer reviews, tabletop reviews, and formal design reviews as needed.
• Work with suppliers to ensure analysis products support contracted efforts and transition smoothly among verification analyses.
• Support fast-paced design and analysis cycles and evaluate hardware nonconformances for production activities.
• Assist the team in creating analysis automation tools.

Benefits

• 401(k) match plus an additional employer contribution.
• Discretionary annual incentive bonus for eligible employees.
• Generous paid time off.
• Flexible work environments.
• Most salaried ULA team members work a 9/80 schedule, with every other Friday off.
• Relocation may be available.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior