Lead Structures Engineer

Astro Mechanica; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Astro Mechanica in San Francisco seeks a senior structural engineer to define aircraft structure design, focusing on load paths, joints, materials, and manufacturing.

You’ll drive architectural decisions, mentor engineers, lead technical reviews, and guide work from concept through release, fabrication, and flight test.

The role requires 10+ years in aircraft structures, metal and composite design expertise, and proficiency with NX and FEA tools.

Qualifications

• 10+ years designing aircraft structures with ownership of flight hardware.
• Experience taking structural designs from concept through release and test.
• Ability to lead technical development across multiple engineers and disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Architect primary and secondary aircraft structures, decisions on load paths, joints, materials, and manufacturing.
• Define technical direction for aircraft structures and drive architecture across modules and systems.
• Define and drive the structures org’s execution plan, headcount, processes, and priorities.
• Support fabrication, assembly, ground and flight testing, incorporating lessons learned.
• Lead technical reviews and mentor engineers through design reviews and collaboration.

Skills

Flight hardware ownership

Structural sizing

FEA experience

First-principles engineering

Mentoring engineers

Cross-disciplinary leadership

Communication skills

Siemens NX

Nastran/FEMAP

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Siemens NX

Femap

NASTRAN

Job description

ABOUT US:

Astro Mechanica is a vertically integrated aerospace company developing a scalable technology platform to power critical infrastructure, mission operations, and the future of flight. We apply aerospace engineering and quality standards across our products, delivering high performance, reliability, and efficiency for the most demanding operating environments. Astro Mechanica is backed by leading venture and strategic investors, including Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Giant Step Capital, United Airlines Ventures, and Voyager Ventures.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

• Architect primary and secondary composite and metallic structures, making key decisions on load paths, joints, materials, structural arrangement, and manufacturing approach.
• Define technical direction for aircraft structures and drive key architectural decisions across structural modules, aerodynamics, propulsion, systems, manufacturing, and flight test .
• Define and drive the structures organization’s execution plan, including headcount and capability needs, work allocation, engineering processes, and operating rhythms; communicate priorities, risks, and decisions effectively both up and down the organization.
• Support fabrication, assembly, ground testing, and flight test, rapidly incorporating lessons learned into improved designs.
• Lead technical reviews and resolve complex structural design problems, providing technical direction when requirements, analysis, manufacturing constraints, or test results conflict.
• Mentor engineers through technical guidance, design reviews, and day-to-day collaboration.
• Establish and drive engineering standards, design practices, and development processes as the organization grows.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years designing aircraft structures, with ownership of significant flight hardware.
• Demonstrated experience taking structural designs from concept through release, manufacturing, and test.
• Demonstrated experience leading the technical development of major aircraft structures and driving design decisions across multiple engineers and disciplines.
• Strong understanding of metallic and composite structural design, structural load paths, manufacturing methods, and joining techniques.
• Expertise with Siemens NX or equivalent CAD software.
• Strong first-principles engineering skills, including structural sizing and hand calculations, with a working knowledge of FEA tools such as Femap/Nastran.
• Sound engineering judgment and the ability to make decisions with incomplete information and evolving requirements.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to drive technical decisions across multiple engineering disciplines.
• A track record of mentoring engineers while remaining a hands-on technical contributor.