Principle Spacecraft Engineer

Fruition Group US; Colorado; On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Fruition Group US seeks a Principal Spacecraft Structures Design Engineer to lead the design and development of primary and secondary spacecraft structures from concept through flight qualification and production. You will own critical structural architectures and mentor multidisciplinary teams.

The role requires deep expertise in lightweight aerospace structures, metal and composite systems, and flight hardware development, with collaboration across systems, thermal, propulsion, avionics, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering; Master’s preferred.
• 10+ years of experience designing aerospace/spacecraft structures.
• Proven track record delivering flight hardware from concept to production.
• Deep understanding of structural design, load paths, and lightweight structures.
• Experience with metallic and composite structures.
• Proficiency with CAD tools NX, CATIA, Creo, or SolidWorks.

Responsibilities

• Lead primary and secondary spacecraft structures design through concept to flight readiness.
• Own architecture decisions balancing performance, mass, manufacturability, schedule, and cost.
• Develop CAD models and release packages for flight hardware.
• Perform structural sizing, load path development, material selection, and optimization.
• Collaborate with analysis teams for FEA, hand calculations, and test correlation.
• Define structural requirements and verification plans for payloads.
• Support environmental testing including vibration, thermal vacuum, and acoustic campaigns.
• Lead design reviews (SRR to CDR) and mentor junior engineers.

Skills

Leadership

Mentorship

Communication

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Master's preferred

Tools

NX

CATIA

Creo

SolidWorks

Job description

Principal Spacecraft Structures Design Engineer

About the Company

We are developing the next generation of spacecraft systems that will redefine how humanity operates in space. Our team is tackling some of the industry's most challenging engineering problems, designing and delivering high-performance spacecraft capable of operating in demanding orbital environments. Combining rapid development cycles with rigorous engineering standards, we are building space systems that push the boundaries of performance, reliability, and manufacturability.

The Role

We are seeking a Principal Spacecraft Structures Design Engineer to lead the design and development of primary and secondary spacecraft structures from early concept through flight qualification and production. As a senior technical leader, you will own critical structural architectures, drive complex design trades, and provide technical mentorship across multidisciplinary engineering teams.

This role requires deep expertise in spacecraft structural design, lightweight aerospace structures, and flight hardware development. You will work closely with systems, thermal, propulsion, avionics, manufacturing, and mission teams to develop spacecraft capable of surviving launch environments while meeting demanding mass, stiffness, thermal, and reliability requirements.

What You'll Do

• Lead the design and development of spacecraft primary and secondary structures from concept generation through flight hardware delivery
• Own structural architecture decisions, balancing performance, mass, manufacturability, schedule, and cost objectives
• Develop detailed CAD models, engineering drawings, and release packages for flight hardware
• Perform structural sizing, load path development, material selection, and design optimization for spacecraft systems
• Drive design trades related to structural efficiency, integration, launch loads, thermal distortion, and operational performance
• Collaborate with analysis engineers to validate designs through finite element analysis, hand calculations, and test correlation
• Define structural requirements and verification approaches for spacecraft and payload systems
• Support environmental testing including vibration, shock, acoustic, thermal vacuum, and qualification campaigns
• Partner with manufacturing teams to ensure designs are producible, cost-effective, and scalable
• Lead design reviews including SRR, PDR, CDR, MRR, and flight readiness activities
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior and mid-level engineers
• Support anomaly investigations, root-cause analysis, and corrective action activities during development and flight operations
• Drive continuous improvement in structural design methodologies, tools, and engineering processes

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline (Master's preferred)
• 10+ years of experience designing aerospace or spacecraft structures
• Proven experience developing flight hardware from concept through qualification and production
• Deep understanding of spacecraft structural design principles, load paths, and lightweight aerospace structures
• Extensive experience with metallic and composite structural systems
• Advanced proficiency with CAD tools such as NX, CATIA, Creo, or SolidWorks
• Strong understanding of GD&T, tolerance analysis, and manufacturing methods
• Experience supporting structural analysis activities including static, modal, buckling, fatigue, and dynamic environments
• Knowledge of launch vehicle environments and spacecraft qualification requirements
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex technical projects with minimal oversight
• Excellent communication skills and ability to present technical concepts to leadership and cross-functional stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing structures for satellites, spacecraft, launch vehicles, space stations, or deep-space systems
• Expertise in composite primary structures and bonded assemblies
• Experience with spacecraft mechanisms, deployable systems, solar array structures, or payload integration
• Familiarity with NASTRAN, Abaqus, ANSYS, HyperMesh, or similar analysis tools
• Experience supporting environmental testing and flight qualification campaigns
• Knowledge of NASA, ESA, DoD, or commercial spacecraft standards
• Experience leading major design reviews and technical decision-making processes
• Background in additive manufacturing, advanced materials, or topology optimization
• Previous experience acting as a technical lead or subject matter expert on spacecraft development programs