Senior Structural Engineer

Aerospacelab; Toulouse; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Aerospacelab is seeking a Structural Engineer to design and verify satellites and related systems, from early design through qualification. You will work with system engineers, mechanical designers, and AIT to ensure the structure meets mission requirements and can fly reliably.

You will define test requirements, develop FEMs for static/dynamic/thermal cases, and contribute to major reviews while mentoring junior engineers and driving best practices in structural analysis and design.

Qualifications

• MSc or PhD in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Civil Engineering.
• Extensive experience in structural analysis of aerospace or high-performance systems.
• Strong proficiency in FEA solvers (e.g., NASTRAN, Samcef, Ansys, Abaqus).
• Solid understanding of static, dynamic, and thermal loading in aerospace.
• Experience in spacecraft-level structural test campaign design and validation.
• Strong understanding of materials used in space (aluminum, titanium, CFRP).
• Familiarity with ECSS, NASA, ISO standards and launch constraints.
• Good communication, team spirit, and proactive mindset.
• Fluency in English.

Responsibilities

• Lead structural analysis and optimization of spacecraft and platform components.
• Develop and validate FEMs for static, dynamic, and thermal analysis.
• Define structural test requirements and support environmental campaigns.
• Translate launch environments into structural requirements and validation procedures.
• Collaborate with design, manufacturing, integration, and test teams to ensure manufacturability.
• Prepare technical documentation and contribute to PDR and CDR reviews.
• Mentor junior engineers and lead technical initiatives.
• Drive innovation by identifying risks and new tools/methodologies.
• Represent structural discipline with suppliers, customers, and launch authorities.
• Provide technical recommendations based on analysis results.
• Lead cross-disciplinary projects within structural analysis and broader engineering.

Skills

FEA solvers

Team communication

Mentoring

Project coordination

Analytical thinking

Education

MSc in Aerospace Engineering

PhD in Aerospace Engineering

MSc in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

NASTRAN

Samcef

Ansys

Abaqus

Simcenter 3D

NX Nastran

NX CAD

Siemens Testlab

Teamcenter

Job description

About Aerospacelab

Our mission is supported by an ambitious vertically integrated approach: design & manufacture of small satellites combined with development of earth observation services.

Since its creation in 2018, the company has already grown substantially. Our team gathers more than 25 engineering expertise, from hardware design to software development & data science.

In 2025, Aerospacelab counts offices in Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium), Toulouse (France), Lausanne (Switzerland) and US West Coast with more than 300 full-time employees, with the ambition to position itself as the European leader in small satellites.

Role Overview

As a Structural Engineer at Aerospacelab, you will play a critical role in designing and verifying of satellites and related systems across various missions. You are involved in project from early design phase to qualification of the product. From the early design phase to the qualification of the final product, you collaborate closely with a diverse team such as system engineers, mechanical designers, and thermal engineers and AIT (integration and test) department. Altogether, you validate that the equipment is not only ready to fly but also capable of fulfilling its mission reliably.

Key responsabilities

• Lead the structural analysis and optimization of spacecraft and platform components, including composite and metallic structures, to ensure reliable performance under various load conditions.
• Develop, refine, and validate finite element models (FEM) for static, dynamic, and thermal analysis, ensuring accuracy through correlation with test data and preparing models for both internal and external use.
• Define structural test requirements, support environmental testing campaigns, and analyze results to validate and improve structural models and designs.
• Translate launch and flight environments into structural requirements, including subsystem-level definitions and the setup of environmental validation procedures.
• Collaborate closely with design, manufacturing, integration, and test teams to validate product designs and ensure structural solutions are efficient and manufacturable.
• Prepare comprehensive technical documentation and reports and actively contribute to design reviews such as Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and Critical Design Review (CDR), as well as concept trade-off studies.
• Mentor junior engineers, lead technical initiatives, and encourage the adoption of best practices in structural analysis and design.
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement by identifying structural risks, recommending mitigation strategies, and implementing new tools and methodologies.
• Represent the structural discipline in interactions with suppliers, customers, and launch authorities, particularly during key project phases and technical discussions.
• Provide technical recommendations based on sound engineering judgment and thorough interpretation of analysis results.
• Lead cross-disciplinary technical projects and programs, coordinating efforts within the structural analysis domain and across engineering teams.

Must have

• MSc or PhD degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Civil Engineering.
• Extensive experience in structural analysis of aerospace or high-performance systems.
• Strong proficiency in finite element analysis (FEA) solvers (e.g., NASTRAN, Samcef, Ansys, Abaqus, or similar).
• Solid understanding of static, dynamic, and thermal loading conditions in aerospace applications.
• Experience in spacecraft-level structural test campaign design, execution, data processing, and validation
• Strong understanding of materials used in space applications (e.g., aluminum, titanium, CFRP).
• Familiarity with relevant standards (ECSS, NASA, ISO) and launch environment constraints.
• Good communication skills, team spirit, and a proactive mindset.
• Fluency in English

Nice to have

• Experience with satellite or spacecraft development (LEO, MEO, GEO, or beyond).
• Experience using Simcenter 3D, NX Nastran, NX CAD, Siemens Testlab and Teamcenter
• Task automation skills through scripts (Python, VBA)
• Experienced in troubleshooting issues and finding solutions
• Knowledge of 3D CAD modelling / 2D drawing specifications (SolidWorks / NX), experience with sizing of metallic components, and manufacturing technologies and drawings
• Fluency in French is a plus