Senior Structures Design Engineer

Astro Mechanica•San Francisco, CA

13d•$160,000 - $200,000•Onsite

About The Position

Astro Mechanica is seeking a Senior Structures Design Engineer to take ownership of major structural modules on their aircraft, from initial concept through flight hardware. This role involves making key technical decisions regarding the design, build, and validation of aircraft structures, while balancing structural efficiency, manufacturability, test, schedule, and cost. The ideal candidate is comfortable working from first principles in a dynamic environment with evolving requirements and will mentor other engineers, improve engineering quality, and help establish design processes.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
8+ years designing aircraft structures, with ownership of significant flight hardware.
Demonstrated experience taking structural designs from concept through release, manufacturing, and test.
Strong understanding of metallic and composite structural design, structural load paths, manufacturing methods, and joining techniques.
Expertise with Siemens NX or equivalent CAD software.
Strong first-principles engineering skills, including structural sizing and hand calculations, with a working knowledge of FEA tools such as Femap/Nastran.
Sound engineering judgment and the ability to make decisions with incomplete information and evolving requirements.
Excellent communication skills and the ability to drive technical decisions across multiple engineering disciplines.
A track record of mentoring engineers while remaining a hands-on technical contributor.

Responsibilities

Own the design and development of major aircraft structural modules, such as a wing or a fuselage section, from concept through production and flight test.
Architect primary and secondary composite and metallic structures, making key decisions on load paths, joints, materials, structural arrangement, and manufacturing approach.
Work closely with structural analysts to develop efficient, manufacturable designs using first-principles engineering and FEA to guide design decisions.
Lead trade studies balancing weight, performance, manufacturability, cost, schedule, and technical risk.
Drive structural configuration decisions across aerodynamics, propulsion, systems, manufacturing, and flight test.
Produce CAD models, drawings, and engineering documentation.
Support fabrication, assembly, ground testing, and flight test, rapidly incorporating lessons learned into improved designs.
Mentor engineers through technical guidance, design reviews, and day-to-day collaboration.
Help define engineering standards, design practices, and development processes as the organization grows.