Spacecraft/Payload Structural Analysis Engineer

Space Dynamics Laboratory•North Logan, UT

About The Position

The Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) is seeking an experienced structural analysis engineer to support the design, development, and qualification of spacecraft, satellites, precision optical payloads, and related flight hardware. The role focuses on finite element analysis, structural dynamics, margins of safety, structural verification, and environmental testing. The engineer will work with multidisciplinary teams, review mechanical designs and drawings for structural adequacy, and help develop flight-ready hardware from requirements and PDR/CDR through integration, testing, and delivery. Hands-on CAD modeling and drawing production are not expected responsibilities. The position is with SDL’s Strategic & Military Space Division, which delivers advanced satellite and sensor systems supporting the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community. The division provides technological solutions and mission support for national security.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a closely related technical field.
Five or more years of relevant structural analysis experience; equivalent demonstrated technical responsibility will be considered.
Demonstrated proficiency in finite element analysis software such as FEMAP/NASTRAN, ANSYS, Abaqus, or equivalent, and ability to independently develop and critically evaluate models.
Experience with static structural analysis and structural dynamics, including modal analysis and vibration response; experience with aerospace or similarly demanding hardware is relevant.
Ability to calculate and substantiate structural margins of safety and independently check results using sound engineering fundamentals.
Experience supporting structural or environmental testing and evaluating test results.
Ability to interpret engineering drawings and CAD models and provide structural design-review feedback.
Experience documenting technical analyses, plans, procedures, and results and presenting conclusions to multidisciplinary teams.
Ability to work effectively across engineering disciplines and communicate technical assumptions, uncertainties, and recommendations.
Must have or be able to obtain a DoW security clearance and must be a U.S. citizen.
Must be able to travel regularly and support off-site work for extended periods when required by project needs.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field and 10 or more years of directly relevant experience.
Demonstrated ownership of spacecraft or optical-payload structural verification through PDR/CDR, fabrication, integration, environmental qualification, and delivery.
Proficiency with FEMAP, HyperMesh, and MSC/Siemens NASTRAN, including dynamic analysis, stress recovery, and model correlation.
Experience with random-vibration PSD analysis, sine vibration, modal survey, shock response, coupled-loads analysis, and launch environments.
Experience with fatigue, fracture, buckling, nonlinear contact, thermal stress, and bonded or bolted joint analysis, including NASA-STD-5020 methods.
Experience with composite structures, sandwich panels, inserts, adhesive joints, and composite failure criteria.
Experience reviewing precision optomechanical designs, flexures, mechanisms, and dimensional-stability requirements; familiarity with STOP analysis.
Experience with structural qualification test planning, instrumentation, test-data reduction, and test/analysis correlation.
Familiarity with Siemens NX or equivalent CAD for model inspection and drawing review; CAD production responsibility is not expected.
Experience with Python, MATLAB, or similar tools for analysis automation and test-data processing.
Experience with space-environment design and relevant NASA, DoD, or ECSS structural verification practices.
Active TS/SCI security clearance.

Responsibilities

Perform static, quasi-static, modal, random-vibration, and other applicable structural analyses of spacecraft, optical payloads, components, and mechanical interfaces.
Develop, validate, and interpret finite element models; establish realistic loads, boundary conditions, connections, load paths, and mesh convergence; and corroborate results with first-principles calculations.
Calculate and document structural margins of safety for applicable strength, stiffness, stability, fatigue, fastener/joint, and other relevant failure modes using approved requirements and material properties.
Review 3D mechanical designs and engineering drawings for structural adequacy, interface compatibility, materials, tolerances, and fabrication-related structural risks, and collaborate with designers on improvements.
Prepare structural analyses, design trades, verification plans, technical reports, and presentations for PDR, CDR, and other formal reviews.
Develop structural test predictions; support applicable static, modal, vibration, and shock qualification tests; evaluate test results, correlate models, and help resolve anomalies.
Work with laboratory, fabrication, procurement, program management, systems, optical, and thermal teams to support hardware build, integration, and delivery.
Manage assigned analysis scope, schedule, and technical deliverables; mentor or review other engineers’ work as appropriate to experience level.