Senior Engineer, Loads & Dynamics

Otto Aerospace

4h•Hybrid

About The Position

OTTO is developing the world’s first fifth-generation business jet, designed for sustainability through the innovative use of advanced super-laminar aerodynamics and high-precision, net-shaped composites. Flight tests of our technology demonstrator validate a dramatic reduction in fuel burn and allow a sizeable improvement in cabin comfort. Otto Aviation is designing world-class aircraft from first principles physics and delivering ground-breaking aircraft and economic performance. We are seeking an experienced and technically proficient Senior Engineer to support the development, analysis, and validation of aircraft external loads, static and dynamic structural behavior, and aeroelastic characteristics. This role is critical to ensuring the structural integrity, performance, and safety of our aircraft across all phases of design, testing, and certification. You will join a team developing the world’s most efficient aircraft. Otto Aviation is seeking a first principles engineer that works great in a team atmosphere and gets things done. Flight Sciences includes all phases of flight dynamics design and analysis to support configuration development, flight testing, and entry into service. As a member of the Flight Sciences team, you will be responsible for developing and directing the analysis of aircraft systems to ensure safe and predictable flight characteristics. This position encompasses all flight regimes up to and including transonic cruise, approach and landing, and off-design operations. You will also be assisting in the experimental efforts that support validation, database development and optimization of the configuration.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in aerospace engineering, or related field.
7+ years of experience in aircraft structural loads, dynamics, or aeroelasticity.
Proficiency in tools such as NASTRAN, MATLAB, Python, or similar.
Strong understanding of aircraft structural behavior, flight mechanics, and aeroelastic phenomena.
Excellent communication and technical leadership skills.
Active Listening: Practice to gain insight and truly understand all project stakeholders.
Critical Thinking: Make prompt, informed and value-based decisions for the project.
Organization: Focus on agenda, schedules, frameworks, and methodologies, as well as communicating tasks, updates, progress, and blockers.
Problem Solving: Assess issues from different vantage points and formulate the best solution in addressing specific challenges.
Self-Motivation: Exude highest level of commitment and motivation to see it through from start to finish.
Teamwork and Team Building: Establish a collaborative culture where people with unique personalities and skills happily work together and accountable to shared goal.
Strong Business Communication: Use the right language, tone and storytelling techniques when communicating, describing, or explaining issues over email, chat, reports, presentations and other forms and channels of communication.

Nice To Haves

Experience with FAA/EASA certification processes and requirements; Part 23 and/or 25.
Experience with loads and aeroelasticity of transonic, fixed-wing aircraft.
Experience with the unique aeroelastic characteristics of composite aircraft structures.
Familiarity with multidisciplinary optimization (MDO) and digital twin technologies.

Responsibilities

Support the development and validation of external loads for aircraft structures under various flight and ground conditions.
Perform static and dynamic structural analyses, including modal, transient, and frequency response simulations.
Conduct aeroelastic analyses including flutter, divergence, and control reversal assessments.
Support wind tunnel and flight test campaigns with pre-test predictions and post-test data correlation.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams including aerodynamics, structures, flight test, and systems engineering.
Develop and maintain tools, methods, and best practices for loads and dynamics analysis.
Provide technical mentorship and guidance to junior engineers.
Support certification efforts with documentation and presentations to regulatory authorities.