Sr Structural Design Engineer - New Glenn

About the role

This role supports the development and operations of New Glenn, a single-configuration, heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle capable of routinely carrying people and payloads to low-Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, cislunar, and beyond. Its first stage is fully reusable, and the vehicle was designed from the beginning to be human-capable.

Responsibilities

• Lead a design team through frequent hardware design cycles and advise them on technical design, analysis, qualification, testing, manufacturing, and integration activities
• Foster open communication and present to all levels of leadership within the organization
• Drive solutions forward and advise the team on problem resolution
• Take ownership of the full lifecycle of hardware from requirements definition through concept development, design, analysis, testing, qualification, and integration onto a launch vehicle
• Design, analyze, develop, and test primary and secondary metallic and composite structures
• Perform research, develop concepts, and run trade studies
• Create 3D models, detail part drawings, assemblies, installations, and interface control documents
• Create test plans, specifications, and other documentation for the development of flight hardware
• Provide technical guidance and on-site support for manufacturing, production, and integration activities
• Support configuration development and trade studies
• Work with multi-functional teams that are responsible for selecting materials, manufacturing processes, and suppliers to produce world class aerospace hardware
• Develop component specifications and manage suppliers
• Plan, coordinate, conduct tests, and review test data
• Participate in the development and purchase of new equipment and tooling
• Maintain and report on activity schedule, budget and technical status
• Coach, mentor and technically assist other engineers
• Find opportunities for improvements and operational cost savings
• Work with spacecraft customers in a technical capacity
• Own spacecraft structural integration cycles
• Drive hardware discrepancies to resolution
• Prepare technical content and present to internal and external customers
• Complete hand calc and FEM analyses to report margins of safety for primary and secondary aerospace structures
• Perform access studies, loss of clearance analyses, vehicle clocking studies, and develop solutions to mission unique requirements
• Collaborate with internal and external teams throughout design, manufacturing, and mission integration

Requirements

• Minimum of a B.S. degree in engineering and 10+ years of experience with aircraft, spacecraft, or launch vehicle structures
• Experience on recently developed aircraft or launch vehicles in one or more of the following areas: a) Vehicle load path distribution, and first order strength assessment and sizing b) Skin-stringer and sandwich panel design c) Material selection, compatibility and manufacturing techniques
• Experience working in a multi-functional organization to develop designs and produce world-class engineered products
• Strong understanding of composite and metallic design fundamentals
• Experience in bolted joint design and analysis
• Familiarity with ASME Y14.5, Y14.100, and Y14.41
• Structural design experience using CAD (Creo/Windchill preferred), hand calculations, and FEA (ANSYS preferred) tools
• Ability to take ownership of the hardware lifecycle from requirements definition through concept development, design, analysis, testing, qualification, and integration onto a launch vehicle
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Qualifications

• Dynamic separation systems and interface design
• Experience with rapid development techniques for hardware
• Experience with fabrication using automated fiber placement (AFP) and tape laying (ATL)
• Experience or expertise with fabrication of large-scale out-of-autoclave composite structures
• Demonstrated experience developing manufacturing processes for transition to production
• Knowledge of systems engineering practices, fabrication and integration processes, and quality control
• Experience with Optimization and Design of Experiments (DOE) methods as applied to design, analysis, and testing
• Willing and able to get a Top Secret Clearance

Skills

• Technical expertise
• Leadership skills
• Commitment to quality
• Attention to detail
• Problem-solving ability
• Communication skills

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Basic and supplemental life insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Short and long-term disability
• 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%
• Education Support Program
• Stock Options
• Paid Time Off
• Other site ranges may differ

Pay

Base Pay Range For CO applicants is $133,500.00 - $186,898.95
WA applicants is $145,188.00 - $203,263.20

Schedule

Details on schedule not specified