Aircraft Structural Design Engineer

About the Role

We have an exciting career opportunity for a highly motivated, experienced Aircraft Structures Design Engineer within our AeroStructures Design Team located in Poway, CA. This position will develop high-performance component and assembly designs for new and/or modifications to existing air vehicles, payload integrations, and advanced technology concepts. The role focuses on designing, validating, and documenting aircraft primary and secondary structural designs using both composite and metallic materials, employing design-by-analysis methods including CAD and integrated finite element tools.

Responsibilities

• Create, review, and maintain design packages, documenting designs and interface studies using various inputs.
• Perform airframe structural layouts, sizing, and detail analyses to validate structural load paths and strength margins in a rapid-paced environment.
• Deliver high-quality, error-free designs with concise documentation, ensuring compliance with engineering principles, military, and company standards.
• Execute conceptual and detail assembly/part design, primary structural layout, trade study analysis, and weight/cost sensitivity efforts.
• Provide oversight and hands-on involvement during the manufacture of prototype hardware at product manufacturing and integration sites.
• Maintain and improve company standards and design guides after each assignment.
• Apply proficiency in Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) and drawing standards, including Model-Based Definition (e.g., ASME Y14.1, ASME Y14.2, ASME Y14.5, ASME Y14.37, ASME Y14.41).
• Utilize classical and numerical (Finite Element) stress analysis methods.
• Mentor less experienced engineers and collaborate within an Integrated Product Team (IPT) environment.
• Prepare, status, and/or lead engineering design solutions to challenging problems through Product Definition Packages.
• Document and present information concisely for leadership review.

Requirements

• Typically requires a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or PhD in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution, with progressive engineering experience:
  • Nine or more years with a bachelor’s degree,
  • Seven or more years with a master’s degree, or
  • Four or more years with a PhD.
  Equivalent engineering experience may substitute for education.
• Complete understanding of engineering concepts, principles, codes, and theory, with broad application experience.
• Experience with classical hand calculations (first-order structural sizing), finite element analysis, free-body analysis, and tools such as Mathcad, MATLAB, or Excel.
• Ability to understand new concepts quickly and apply them accurately in an evolving environment.
• Proficiency in documenting, trading, and communicating pros/cons of structural designs based on performance, Design for Manufacturability (DFM), and Design for Cost (DFC).
• Hands-on experience in aircraft, aerospace, automotive, or other manufacturing is a plus.
• Metal and composite part design, fabrication, and repair experience.
• Ability to work extended hours as required.
• Proficiency with engineering tools:
  • Primary: NX, Creo, or other parametric CAD tools (e.g., Catia, SolidWorks).
  • Secondary: NX Simcenter, Creo Simulate, Nastran, or Abaqus FE tools.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance.

Pay

Salary range: $105,890 – $189,545