Aerospace Structural Analyst — Flight-Ready Spaceplane

Dawn Aerospace; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Dawn Aerospace in Christchurch is seeking a Structural Analyst to join the Spaceplane team. You will develop and validate structures for routine, scalable access to space and work with cross-disciplinary engineers to optimize weight, performance and manufacturability.

You'll build analytical and finite element models to predict performance under flight, ground and test loading, and contribute to testing plans and certification activities. This role offers direct influence on hardware that flies.

Qualifications

• Qualification in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics or related discipline.
• 3+ years of structural analysis experience in aerospace or high-performance engineering.

Responsibilities

• Perform structural analysis and validation of airframe structures and components.
• Develop finite element models to predict structural performance under flight, ground and test loads.
• Evaluate static strength, stiffness, fatigue and damage tolerance of composites and metallic structures.
• Develop load cases and certification substantiation approaches.
• Plan and execute materials testing to validate properties for analysis and certification.
• Support structural test planning, execution and correlation, investigating anomalies.
• Collaborate with design engineers to optimize structures for weight and manufacturability.
• Support design reviews and engineering decisions throughout the lifecycle.
• Contribute to improving analysis methods, processes and standards.
• Work across disciplines to deliver integrated vehicle solutions from concept through flight.

Skills

Structural analysis

Finite element modeling

Composite materials

Aerospace engineering knowledge

Communication

Team collaboration

Fast-paced environment

Education

Bachelors or higher in Aerospace/Mechanical/Physics

Tools

CATIA/SIMULIA

Abaqus

Ansys

Job description

Dawn Aerospace in Christchurch is seeking a Structural Analyst to join the Spaceplane team. You will develop and validate structures for routine, scalable access to space and work with cross-disciplinary engineers to optimize weight, performance and manufacturability.

You'll build analytical and finite element models to predict performance under flight, ground and test loading, and contribute to testing plans and certification activities. This role offers direct influence on hardware that flies.