Senior Manager Primary Structures

Cowboy Space Corp.; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Insurance (medical, dental, vision)

401(k)

Paid time off

10 holidays per calendar year

Parental leave

Relocation assistance

Office lunch

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. is seeking a senior structural engineer to design and optimize the vehicle's primary structures, including airframe, tanks, and thrust structure, with emphasis on light-weight, reliable performance for reusable flight.

You will lead structural analysis, coordinate with manufacturing, and drive test campaigns from concept through flight data, while aligning with ITAR and space industry standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, or related field.
• 8+ years of structural design, analysis, or mechanisms experience.
• 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

Structural design

FEA analysis

Flight hardware

Leadership

Materials selection

Prototype & test

Education

Bachelors in Aerospace/Mechanical or related

Tools

FEA software

CAD software

Testing equipment

Job description

Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and enable a new class of capabilities—from powering on-orbit compute, to transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit compute to delivering secure, high-bandwidth optical data. By rethinking how energy and data are generated and distributed in space, we’re unlocking entirely new ways to operate both in orbit and on Earth.

Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), Cowboy Space Corp. is backed by leading investors and built by a team from top aerospace and defense organizations. We’re moving quickly to solve complex technical challenges and build a new category of space infrastructure.

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 $190,000 – $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.