Head of Primary Structures

Socket.dev; Kent (WA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement savings plan

Paid time off

10 paid holidays per calendar year

Paid parental leave

Relocation assistance if applicable

Daily lunch in the office

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corporation is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy, with a focus on space-based solar energy. We are seeking a senior structural engineer to own the vehicle’s primary structures, from airframe to thrust structure, ensuring survivability and rapid reuse.

You will lead design and analysis, drive lightweight, robust solutions, and collaborate with manufacturing to iterate quickly. Experience with launch or reusable flight systems is highly valued.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related engineering field.
• 8+ years of experience in structural design, analysis, or mechanisms for flight hardware or high-performance systems.
• Experience with load paths, structural sizing, and material selection.
• Hands-on experience taking hardware from design through build and test.
• Experience leading engineers or a team.

Responsibilities

• Own the primary airframe: propellant tanks, interstages, and thrust structure from concept through flight.
• Drive structural design for minimum mass while meeting strength, stiffness, fatigue, and thermal requirements.
• Ensure hardware survives combined ascent, entry, landing, and reuse environments.
• Lead structural analysis (FEA, hand calcs) and validate with test and flight data.
• Define and execute structural test campaigns (component, subscale, full-scale).
• Work directly with manufacturing to iterate quickly and resolve build issues on the floor.
• Identify and close failure modes through rapid design-test-learn cycles.
• Support flight operations, anomaly investigation, and post-flight inspection/refurbishment improvements.

Skills

8+ years experience

Load paths & sizing

FEA tools

Team leadership

Hands-on build/test

Metallic structures/welding/composites

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace/Mechanical or related

Tools

FEA software

Job description

About Cowboy Space Corp:

Cowboy Space Corporation is solving the global energy crisis by building the infrastructure for abundant, resilient space-based solar energy. We are tackling one of humanity’s most complex engineering challenges with a world-class team dedicated to delivering a revolutionary power platform. Cowboy Space Corporation is transforming how civilization powers, computes and connects - from orbit to Earth.

Mission

Cowboy Space Corporation is solving the global energy crisis by building the infrastructure for abundant, resilient space-based solar energy. We are tackling one of humanity’s most complex engineering challenges with a world-class team dedicated to delivering a revolutionary power platform. Cowboy Space Corporation is transforming how civilization powers, computes and connects - from orbit to Earth.

Background

Cowboy Space Corporation is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our modular, scalable satellites collect sunlight in Low Earth Orbit to enable multiple integrated applications: transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit high-performance computing clusters (GPU/TPU), and providing secure, high bandwidth optical data transport. Current energy and data systems rely on complex logistics and outdated infrastructure. Cowboy Space Corporation overcomes these challenges by enabling direct, on-demand, secure, and scalable energy distribution and data processing from space. This will revolutionize how we operate in orbit and on Earth, supporting the rapidly expanding space industrial base, ISAM (In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing) operations, remote regions, and military bases. Baiju Bhatt founded Cowboy Space Corporation in 2024. Inspired by his father’s work with NASA Langley Research Center, Baiju earned his B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Mathematics at Stanford before co-founding Robinhood, now a public company that has helped over 20 million Americans access the financial system. Cowboy Space Corporation has raised ~$365 million from Index Ventures, Interlagos, Construct Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, and others. This is an ambitious mission that demands extraordinary talent. Cowboy Space Corporation’s team has worked at places like SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space, Astranis and NASA, and is based in San Carlos, CA. If you're ready to solve complex technical challenges and help build the most important energy company in the world, we want to hear from you.

About the Role

Own the design, build, and performance of the vehicle’s primary structures. This includes airframe, tanks, thrust structure, interstages, raceways, strakes and thermal protection. Responsible for ensuring the vehicle survives flight, landing, and rapid reuse with minimal mass and maximum reliability.

Responsibilities:

• Own the primary airframe: propellant tanks, interstages, and thrust structure from concept through flight.

• Drive structural design for minimum mass while meeting strength, stiffness, fatigue, and thermal requirements.

• Ensure hardware survives combined ascent, entry, landing, and reuse environments.

• Lead structural analysis (FEA, hand calcs) and validate with test and flight data.

• Define and execute structural test campaigns (component, subscale, full-scale).

• Work directly with manufacturing to iterate quickly and resolve build issues on the floor.

• Identify and close failure modes through rapid design-test-learn cycles.

• Support flight operations, anomaly investigation, and post-flight inspection/refurbishment improvements.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related engineering field.

• 8+ years of experience in structural design, analysis, or mechanisms for flight hardware or high-performance systems.

• Experience with load paths, structural sizing, and material selection.

• Hands‑on experience taking hardware from design through build and test.

• Experience leading engineers or a team

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with launch vehicles or reusable flight systems.

• Strong background in metallic structures, welding, and/or composites.

• Experience designing mechanisms (deployment, separation, hinges, latches).

• Familiarity with cryogenic structures and/or high-temperature environments.

• Proficiency with FEA tools and ability to validate with real-world data.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $150,000 – $225,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.

• Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance

• 401(k) retirement savings plan

• Paid time off

• 10 paid holidays per calendar year

• Paid parental leave

• Relocation assistance if applicable

• Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks

ITAR Requirements

• Export Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here.

Disclaimer

This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at Cowboy Space Corp.’s discretion.

Cowboy Space Corp. is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. Cowboy Space Corp. is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions relating to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.