Senior Manager, Loads & Dynamics

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary Dynamics engineering team responsible for low- and high-frequency loads and environment predictions for spacecraft systems and hardware during transportation, ascent, docking, and on-orbit operations.
• Drive execution across the full product lifecycle, including concept development, requirements definition, analysis, testing, verification, qualification, and flight support activities.
• Develop and maintain system-level dynamic models, load cases, and environments to support spacecraft design, integration, and operations.
• Derive internal loads and environmental requirements from system-level requirements, including quasi-static, random vibration, shock, and acoustic environments.
• Support product teams with vibration and shock requirement tailoring, test planning, and qualification verification activities.
• Build, maintain, correlate, and improve finite element and dynamic prediction models using gathered test data and flight-representative environments.
• Develop post-processing tools and methodologies for dynamic analyses, test data reduction, and high-speed data processing.
• Assess vendor and supplier hardware capabilities against internally generated dynamic predictions and qualification requirements.
• Partner closely with Structures, Propulsion, Thermal, Avionics, GNC, Manufacturing, Test, and Systems Engineering teams to ensure integrated vehicle performance and successful hardware delivery.
• Lead technical reviews, design trades, failure investigations, root cause analyses, and corrective action efforts related to dynamic environments and structural performance.
• Support and oversee spacecraft qualification activities, including vibration, modal, acoustic, and shock testing campaigns.
• Establish team priorities, staffing plans, technical roadmaps, and resource strategies aligned with company objectives and program milestones.
• Provide technical leadership and risk management support to ensure system performance, reliability, safety, and compliance with aerospace standards and verification requirements.
• Mentor and develop engineers across varying levels, fostering a culture of accountability, technical rigor, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Drive process improvements that enhance modeling accuracy, analysis efficiency, product quality, and program execution performance.
• Coordinate with external suppliers, contractors, and test facilities to support development and qualification activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 8+ years of engineering experience in aerospace or other safety-critical industries.
• 2+ years of technical leadership or engineering management experience.
• Experience performing loads and environments prediction, structural dynamics, vibration, acoustic, shock, or coupled systems analyses for aerospace hardware or vehicle systems.
• Strong understanding of structural dynamics fundamentals, finite element methods, and systems integration principles.
• Experience supporting hardware development through multiple phases of the product lifecycle, including qualification and testing.
• Proficiency with industry-standard analysis tools such as FEMAP/NASTRAN, ANSYS, Abaqus, or equivalent.
• Experience working in cross-functional engineering and manufacturing environments.