Specialist, Structural Engineering

L3Harris•Sacramento, CA

11d•Onsite

About The Position

L3Harris Missile Solutions is seeking a Specialist Engineer – Structures in Sacramento, California. The role is an embedded structural engineering resource in a production environment, working alongside Manufacturing and Quality Engineering teams to disposition nonconformances on flight-critical solid rocket motor (SRM) hardware. The engineer evaluates hardware conditions, supports disposition decisions, and ensures structural performance and safety requirements are met while maintaining production flow and technical rigor. The position involves structural analysis of nonconforming hardware using finite element analysis and closed-form methods, including analysis of metallic, solid propellant, and composite SRM components. The engineer works with CAD models, as-built hardware geometry, and X-ray images; prepares disposition documentation; participates in Material Review Board activities; and collaborates with customers when required. The role also supports trend identification, root-cause resolution, design and process improvements, and improvements to internal disposition tools and processes. The work schedule is 9/80: employees work 9 out of every 14 days, totaling 80 hours, with every other Friday off. The role requires the ability to obtain a U.S. Secret clearance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and at least 4 years of prior relevant structural engineering experience; or a graduate degree and at least 2 years of prior related structural engineering experience; or at least 8 years of prior related structural engineering experience in lieu of a degree.
Must be able to obtain a U.S. Secret-level clearance.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline, with relevant structural analysis experience and exposure to production or manufacturing-support environments.
Experience supporting nonconformance disposition, Material Review Board activities, or production structural engineering on aerospace or defense hardware.
Experience with linear, nonlinear, and dynamic structural analysis supporting design, qualification, or production of solid rocket motors.
Proficiency with finite element analysis tools such as ANSYS Mechanical; experience with ANSYS MAPDL or Python scripting is highly desirable.
Ability to make sound, defensible engineering disposition decisions under schedule pressure in a production environment.
Working knowledge of structural instabilities, material nonlinearities, and coupled load environments.
Exposure to the full lifecycle of aerospace solid rocket motor propulsion product development, from design through manufacturing, test, and production.

Responsibilities

Disposition critical nonconformances on solid rocket motor production hardware as part of a structural engineering team.
Evaluate nonconforming conditions against design requirements and structural margins to support Use-As-Is, Repair, Rework, or Reject decisions in coordination with Manufacturing and Quality Engineering.
Perform finite-element and closed-form structural analyses to assess the acceptability of nonconforming hardware, including dimensional deviations, material anomalies, process escapes, and manufacturing-induced defects.
Build and execute finite element models using ANSYS and ABAQUS, applying appropriate material definitions and nonlinear or temperature-dependent properties as needed.
Work daily with Manufacturing Engineering and Quality Engineering teams on the production floor and in Material Review Board activities.
Provide timely structural engineering input to support production flow while preserving engineering integrity.
Interpret solid CAD models, as-built hardware geometry, and X-ray images to characterize nonconforming conditions and develop analysis models.
Prepare thorough technical documentation, including disposition rationale packages, stress notes, and engineering dispositions, in accordance with internal, customer, and regulatory requirements where applicable.
Identify recurring nonconformance trends and share findings with design and manufacturing teams to support root-cause resolution and design or process improvements.
Contribute to internal tools, disposition templates, and analysis automation to improve the efficiency and consistency of nonconformance disposition.