Spacecraft Structural Engineer

Spacecraft Structural Engineer

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field or equivalent is required
• A minimum of (4) years of experience in structural engineering is required
• Experience or coursework in structural mechanics such as composite materials, nonlinear materials, plates and shells, energy and finite element methods, fracture, and fatigue
• Willingness to occasionally travel (domestically and internationally) to support customer needs, approximately 20% (as required)
• This position requires a current and active SSBI TS/SCI security clearance w/CI Poly security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Resolve design and test issues/anomalies/challenges via detailed structural analyses of spacecraft and payloads including the core bus structure, bolted or bonded joint concepts, appendages, optical systems, booms, solar arrays, and deployables
• Offer technical consultation to management, customers, contractors, and government organizations in formulating and assessing test plans, procedures, objectives, and success criteria
• Develop and assess design and analysis criteria, requirements, and specifications for space structures
• Contribute to the development and execution of test programs for development, qualification, and acceptance of space structures.
• Improve agility of the mission assurance process in assessing the structural integrity and survivability of space structures
• Maintain state-of-the-art skills in activities related to design, evaluation, and testing of space structures. Skills include expertise in structural mechanics analysis techniques, failure criteria, composite design criteria, fracture and fatigue, damage tolerance, concept ideation and development, and advanced finite element analysis methods
• Communicate with both inter-organizational personnel, program offices, and customers when necessary to scope, plan, and resolve technical issues
• Coordinate with technical experts at contractor facilities to address and resolve concerns
• Work within interdisciplinary teams to address cross-disciplinary issues
• Keep management and customers informed of emerging risks

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a STEM field or equivalent is strongly preferred
• Understanding of flight qualification strategies from a structural perspective
• Proficient in the design, structural analysis, and test of spacecraft hardware including the core bus structure, bolted or bonded joint concepts, appendages, optical systems, booms, solar arrays, and deployables
• Demonstrated ability to represent the physics of structures during the analysis idealization stage, and to translate results into a conclusive assessment
• Proficient with NASTRAN, Abaqus, or other commercial finite element tools
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate technical assignments and lead project teams
• Direct experience correlating finite element model predictions with test results
• Demonstrated ability to disposition hardware non-conformances