Senior Aircraft Structures Designer

Structures.aero (SDA) provides engineering services to a wide variety of customers that create cutting edge aircraft and spacecraft of all types and sizes from backpackable drones to manned spacecraft. With a specialization in advanced composite structures and extensive background in metal structures, we can take the lead or provide support for the design and manufacture of these vehicles, and are rapidly expanding to increase our ability to take on larger and more ambitious projects.

We are seeking experienced aerospace and mechanical engineers to be a part of small, dynamic teams through the preliminary and detailed design of primary aerospace structural and mechanical flight systems, especially with experience in the design of composite pre-preg structures. Successful candidates will be able to work independently or with a team of up to 10 engineers on tasks such as performing preliminary lay-outs of structural and mechanical systems, performing rapid prototyping and construction of those designs, and completing and releasing the detailed design for production. Candidates must be able to self-guide work and manage tasking of other teammates, provide mentorship to junior engineers, have excellent communication skills, and thrive in fast paced development environments.

SDA provides a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, paid leave that scales with experience, flexible working schedules, and 401k with immediate vested contribution matching. The position requires the ability to be onsite at our Sterling, VA office. Occasional travel out of state to support customer meetings and manufacturing operations may be required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Candidates must be a U.S. Person (U.S. Citizen or a Permanent Resident/Green Card Holder)
• B.S. in Aerospace/Aeronautical or Mechanical Engineering from accredited university
• 6 to 15 years of relevant experience in aerospace structures
• Experience with development of structural or mechanical systems for aircraft or spacecraft.
• Ability to plan tasks and track progress towards and end goal.
• Ability to perform basic static and kinematic analysis using hand calculation techniques.
• Hands-on experience working with carbon or fiberglass composites, working knowledge of standard machine shop equipment.
• Ability to select aerospace fasteners, bearings, and other hardware.
• Proficiency with engineering CAD software (Solidworks, CATIA, NX, etc).
• Strong written and verbal communication / presentation skills in English.
• Proficiency in Office 365 (Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.)

Preferred Qualifications

• Leadership experience managing an engineering team through a development project.
• Experience working on a crew or with aircraft / spacecraft manufacturing or maintenance crews.
• Experience with FAA or Military certification activities, including designing to appropriate FAR/MIL standards and interfacing with DARs and DERs.
• Knowledge of GD&T per ASME Y14.5 along with tolerance analysis capabilities.
• Experience in applying ASME Y14.41 methods for Model Based Definition in CAD software.