Senior Structural Engineer — Spacecraft & FEM Lead

Blackshark; 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

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.