Composite Structures Design Engineer for Spaceflight

Matchbox; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Dawn Aerospace in Christchurch, New Zealand, seeks a Composites Design Engineer to help design structures for our rapidly reusable spaceplane. You will move designs from concept to manufacture, testing and flight with a focused, high-performing team.

Ideal candidates have 3+ years in aerospace composite design, strong laminate theory knowledge, and hands-on CAD experience. This role is on-site in NZ with frequent collaboration across disciplines.

Qualifications

• Degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering, or Physics, or related field.
• At least 3 years designing composite structures in aerospace/high-performance environments.
• Strong knowledge of composite materials, laminate theory and manufacturing processes.
• Experience with CAD tools CATIA, NX or SolidWorks.

Responsibilities

• Design primary and secondary composite airframe structures (fuselage, wings, control surfaces, internal supports).
• Develop laminate schedules, manufacturing drawings, tooling concepts, assembly fixtures and engineering documentation.
• Perform structural sizing, trade studies and design optimization using analytical and numerical methods.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, test and flight operations to ensure practical, robust designs.
• Support structural testing, qualification activities and flight campaigns.
• Collaborate with aerodynamics, systems, avionics and propulsion engineers for integrated vehicle solutions.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of engineering processes and standards.

Skills

Composite design

Laminate theory

Manufacturing processes

Engineering drawings

Analytical problem solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor's in Aerospace Engineering

Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering

Physics or related field

Tools

CATIA

Siemens NX

SolidWorks

FEA tools

Job description

Dawn Aerospace in Christchurch, New Zealand, seeks a Composites Design Engineer to help design structures for our rapidly reusable spaceplane. You will move designs from concept to manufacture, testing and flight with a focused, high-performing team.

Ideal candidates have 3+ years in aerospace composite design, strong laminate theory knowledge, and hands-on CAD experience. This role is on-site in NZ with frequent collaboration across disciplines.