Lead, Structural Analysis Engineering

About the role

This position directs the structural integrity and life management strategies for the Terran R launch vehicle. You will guide a team of engineers through the full lifecycle of flight hardware, from initial design concepts to operational flight certification. The role requires ownership of technical direction and hands-on contribution to complex analysis problems. You will establish the analytical standards that ensure flight hardware durability and safety. Success in this position depends on your ability to lead cross-functional efforts and communicate technical risk. You will mentor the next generation of analysts while maintaining a high level of personal technical execution. This position is critical to the advancement of the Terran R program and the reliability of its structural systems.

Team

You will be part of the Integrated Analysis / Integrated Performance team. This team functions at the nexus of design, analysis, and testing, ensuring that structural performance is validated and optimized throughout the development cycle. Collaboration with propulsion, structures, and manufacturing departments is essential to achieve system-level integrity and performance goals.

Location and engagement

This is a full-time position based in Long Beach, California. The role is on-site and requires close coordination with project timelines and critical design reviews.

What you'll do

• Direct structural analysis activities across component, subsystem, and vehicle levels, ensuring alignment with program objectives and regulatory requirements.
• Manage a team of analysts while contributing directly to technical work, balancing leadership responsibilities with hands-on problem-solving.
• Establish and maintain standards for static stress, fatigue, fracture mechanics, and durability for all Terran R hardware.
• Mentor staff members and drive improvements in verification workflows to enhance quality and reduce analysis cycles.
• Create automation tools using Python or MATLAB to increase efficiency in data processing, reporting, and analysis workflows.
• Define design margins for flight-critical hardware, ensuring robustness while meeting mass and performance targets.
• Perform stress and dynamic analyses for both metallic and additively manufactured parts, accounting for unique manufacturing characteristics.
• Build detailed finite element models and evaluate critical factors such as buckling, thermal stress, and yield margins under various loading conditions.
• Predict fatigue life using SN and EN methods, applying fracture mechanics principles to assess damage tolerance and flaw sensitivity.
• Correlate analysis models with physical test data, investigating hardware anomalies and refining models to improve predictive accuracy.
• Lead the development of analysis deliverables intended for customer presentations and regulatory submissions, ensuring clarity and technical rigor.
• Support structural testing campaigns from conception through execution, interpreting test article performance and providing real-time insights.
• Drive the implementation and adoption of best practices in structural analysis methodologies across the team and broader organization.

Requirements

• Bachelor degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field, with a strong foundation in structural mechanics, materials science, and applied mathematics.
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in structural analysis, structural life assessment, or fatigue and damage tolerance within the aerospace industry.
• Demonstrated experience leading or mentoring a team, including providing technical guidance, performance feedback, and career development support.
• Proven capability to apply Finite Element Analysis methods to complex aerospace structures, utilizing industry-standard software and workflows.
• Familiarity with fatigue and fracture analysis tools and processes is mandatory, including the ability to interpret and apply relevant analysis methodologies.
• Ability to interpret and apply aerospace design and analysis standards, ensuring compliance with industry and regulatory requirements.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for effective technical reporting, stakeholder engagement, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Commitment to safety and quality in the execution of all analysis tasks, with a disciplined approach to risk assessment and mitigation.

Nice to have

• Experience with launch vehicle hardware and flight certification processes, including familiarity with regulatory expectations and design assurance levels.
• Knowledge of additively manufactured materials and their associated analysis challenges, including process-induced anomalies and qualification methods.
• Proficiency in scripting for test automation and data processing, leveraging Python or MATLAB to enhance productivity and repeatability.
• Understanding of structural dynamics and vibration analysis, including modal analysis, response spectra, and transient dynamics.
• Experience with composite materials and their structural behavior, including laminate mechanics and failure criteria.
• Familiarity with Relativity manufacturing processes and quality systems, enabling seamless integration between analysis and production realities.

Practical notes

This role involves hands-on support for structural testing and hardware development, requiring flexibility to work in a fast-paced, iterative development environment. The successful candidate will be expected to dive into detailed analysis when necessary while maintaining strategic oversight of structural integrity activities.