Loads Engineer - Weapon Performance IV/V

Zone 5 Technologies; San Luis Obispo (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 223,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401k with company match

Paid time off

Sick time

Holidays

Job summary

Zone 5 Technologies seeks an experienced Loads Engineer to lead system‑level structural and dynamics analysis for air‑launched effects, interceptors, and next‑gen munitions. You’ll assemble full‑vehicle models, perform MIL‑STD‑8591 store carriage and separation analyses, and validate results with ground tests.

You will guide the team in developing robust procedures, collaborate across Structures, Aerodynamics, Propulsion, GNC, and Systems Engineering, and prepare reports for design reviews while

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering; Master's typical for candidates at this level, though exceptional applied experience can substitute.
• 8+ years of system-level structural and dynamics analysis in a program-driven environment.
• Experience building full-vehicle finite element models (NASTRAN/PATRAN, ANSYS) for structural loads and dynamics analysis.
• Experience aeroelastic analysis (flutter, divergence, dynamic response) using ZAERO or NASTRAN aeroelastic modules.
• Understanding of composite materials, with certified composites exposure a plus.
• Experience planning and guiding ground vibration testing and correlating test results with models.
• Experience with MIL-STD-8591 store carriage analysis.
• Python/MATLAB for automation; Git/SVN for version control.
• Strong written and verbal communication; DoD clearance eligibility.

Responsibilities

• Assemble and maintain full-vehicle structural models for loads and vibration analysis.
• Perform MIL-STD-8591 store carriage, suspension, and separation loads analysis on air-launched effects and munitions.
• Guide ground testing to validate models against data.
• Develop and document loads/dynamics procedures for model development and reporting.
• Support aeroelastic analysis and structural modeling across flight envelopes.
• Collaborate with multiple engineering disciplines to integrate results into vehicle design.
• Conduct trades and sensitivity analyses to inform design decisions.
• Generate technical reports and present results at design reviews (PDR/CDR).
• Interface with customers and mentor junior engineers on methods and tools.

Skills

Loads & dynamics

Nastran/Patran

Aeroelastic analysis

Python/MATLAB

Ground-test correlation

MIL-STD-8591

Git/SVN

DoD clearance readiness

Education

Bachelor's in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

NASTRAN

Patran

ANSYS

ZAERO

Job description

Loads Engineer - Weapon Performance IV/V

San Luis Obispo, California, United States

At Zone 5 Technologies, we're redefining what's possible in unmanned aircraft systems. Our team of engineers and innovators is developing cutting‑edge autonomous solutions that push the boundaries of UAS technology - solving complex challenges that matter.

We're building the future of UAS capabilities, and we're looking for exceptional talent to join us. If you're driven by hard problems, energized by rapid innovation, and ready to make an impact on next‑generation flight systems, you belong here.

We are seeking an experienced Analysis, Loads, and Dynamics Engineer to join our Weapons Performance team. This isn't a standard mechanical engineering role: you will lead deeper, system‑level and system‑wide structural analysis grounded in complex numerical simulation for Zone 5's air‑launched effects, tactical interceptors, and next‑generation munitions — assembling full‑vehicle models for loads and vibration analysis, performing MIL‑STD‑8591 store carriage and separation loads analysis, and validating those models through ground testing — from early concept through qualification and fielded performance.

We're looking for an engineer with an entrepreneurial mindset: someone who takes personal responsibility for the success of the systems they help build and has a bias toward action. You will work with the Weapons Performance team's manager to help set technical direction for loads and dynamics, and partner closely with Structures, Aerodynamics, Propulsion, GNC, and Systems Engineering to ensure our systems perform reliably under demanding launch, flight, and terminal conditions.

Responsibilities:

• Assemble and maintain full-vehicle structural models to perform loads and vibration analysis, capturing mass, stiffness, and structural dynamic characteristics across flight and ground environments.
• Perform MIL-STD-8591-type store carriage, suspension, and separation loads analysis for air-launched effects, interceptors, and munitions integrated on host aircraft.
• Guide ground testing — modal survey, ground vibration testing, and static load testing — to validate and correlate structural and loads models against test data.
• Work with the Weapons Performance team to establish shared loads and dynamics methods, and document the procedures and processes used for model development, correlation, and reporting.
• Support aeroelastic analysis (flutter and dynamic aeroelastic response) and structural modeling to characterize vehicle structural margins across the flight envelope.
• Collaborate with Structures, Aerodynamics, Propulsion, GNC, and Systems Engineering to integrate loads and dynamics results into vehicle‑level design and sizing decisions.
• Conduct trade studies and sensitivity analyses on structural and dynamic design parameters to inform conceptual and preliminary design decisions.
• Generate technical reports, presentations, and documentation of analysis results — including at formal design reviews (PDR, CDR) — and maintain organized archives and tracking of analysis data.
• Interface with customers at a professional level, presenting technical results and responding to technical inquiries.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to other engineers on loads and dynamics methods and tools, and review their analysis approaches and results.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field required; Master's degree typical for candidates at this level, though exceptional applied experience can substitute.
• 8+ years of experience performing system‑level structural and dynamics analysis grounded in complex numerical simulation, in an applied, program‑driven environment , leading the technical approach across multiple full vehicle programs — from conceptual design through flight test.
• Demonstrated ability to execute the full scope of the responsibilities above — from system‑level structural and dynamics analysis grounded in complex numerical simulation to full‑vehicle model development, aeroelastic analysis, and ground‑test correlation — in a production, program‑driven environment.
• Experience building and maintaining full‑vehicle finite element models (e.g., NASTRAN/PATRAN, ANSYS) for structural loads and dynamics analysis.
• Experience performing aeroelastic analysis (flutter, divergence, dynamic response) using tools such as ZAERO, NASTRAN aeroelasticity modules, or similar.
• Understanding of structural analysis and design principles for composite materials; demonstrable experience in this area — particularly having completed a formal composites certification process — is a plus.
• Experience planning and guiding ground vibration testing, modal survey, or static load testing, and correlating test results against analytical models.
• Experience validating structural dynamic models against flight test or ground test data, and leading root‑cause investigation of discrepancies between model predictions and test results.
• Experience with MIL-STD-8591 or equivalent store carriage, suspension, and separation loads analysis for externally carried stores on host aircraft.
• Programming or scripting proficiency (Python, MATLAB, or similar) for loads and dynamics automation, post‑processing, and data reduction.
• Experience with version control (e.g., Git, SVN) for analysis codebases and the automation scripts that run them.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience generating technical reports and presentations, interfacing with customers at a professional level, and presenting results at design reviews.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. DoD Secret security clearance; must qualify as a U.S. Person under ITAR regulations.

Level IV: $160000 - $194,000

Level V: $187,000 - $223,000

Pay range for this role

$160,000 - $223,000 USD

What's in it for you:

• Comprehensive benefit package options include medical, dental, vision, life, and more.
• 401k with company‑match
• 3 weeks of paid time off each year
• 40 hours of sick time
• 12 annual company holidays

Why Join Zone 5 Technologies?

• Innovative Environment: Work on cutting‑edge technology that is shaping the future of defense and aerospace.
• Collaborative Culture: Join a team of passionate professionals dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
• Career Growth: Opportunities for professional development and career advancement.

If you are passionate about unmanned aircraft technology and want to be a part of a dynamic and growing company, we would love to hear from you.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

Zone 5 Technologies is a federal contractor and participates in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. As required by law, we will verify the identity and employment authorization of all new employees using the E-Verify system. Learn more about your rights and responsibilities under E-Verify: https://www.e-verify.gov .

As set forth in Zone 5 Technologies’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.