Senior Composite Engineer

Mclaurin Aerospace; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Generous PTO

Relocation assistance

Employer-paid insurance

Job summary

Mclaurin is seeking a Senior Composite Engineer to join our ESSCA contract team at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. You will design, analyze, and validate composite components for aerospace structures and work with cross-functional teams to deliver robust solutions.

The role requires deep experience with composite materials, laminate design, lightweight structures, and proficiency in CAD/FEA tools such as CATIA, NX, SolidWorks, Abaqus, ANSYS or Nastran.

Qualifications

• 10-15+ years of experience with composite materials and structural components (aerospace preferred).
• Experience with laminate design, basic FEA, and mechanical/thermal load assessment.
• Hands-on familiarity with autoclave layup, AFP/ATL, RTM/VARTM.

Responsibilities

• Perform design and analysis of composite components for aerospace structures.
• Develop laminate schedules, evaluate material behavior, and assess structural performance under mechanical and thermal loads.
• Support FEA modeling activities including linear and basic non-linear analysis, buckling checks, and failure assessments.
• Participate in trade studies and support requirements development.
• Work directly with MSFC engineering teams, suppliers, and other contractors to develop composite solutions.
• Support design reviews (PDR, CDR) by preparing presentation materials and technical documentation.
• Contribute to testing plans, NDI evaluation, and verification activities as needed.
• Support composite fabrication activities including autoclave layup, AFP/ATL, and resin infusion processes.
• Participate in tooling reviews, process development, and troubleshooting of manufacturing issues.
• Assist with material evaluation, process documentation, and coordination with manufacturing engineering.
• Support composite component testing, data review, and correlation activities.
• Assist with structural test planning, failure investigation activities, and corrective action discussions.
• Maintain configuration, documentation, and compliance with engineering processes.
• Communicate effectively across disciplines and contribute to a collaborative team environment.

Skills

Composite materials

Laminate design

FEA basics

Mechanical/thermal load assessment

Documentation

Tools

CATIA

NX

SolidWorks

Abaqus

ANSYS

Nastran

Job description

Are you passionate about human space exploration, understanding the origins of the universe, and working with a passionate and diverse team to make a difference? If you are, we need you!

We need your talent, teamwork, and energy to help us achieve great things that inspire people all over the globe. We need you to bring creative ideas and diverse backgrounds to help us envision, shape, and deliver systems that will enable the exploration of space while benefiting people here on Earth. We are excited about what we do, and we need you on our team as we take on exciting challenges for NASA's pursuits in deep space exploration.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Composite Engineer to join our ESSCA contract team at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL.

If selected you will:

Composite Design & Analysis

• Perform design and analysis of composite components for aerospace structures.
• Develop laminate schedules, evaluate material behavior, and assess structural performance under mechanical and thermal loads.
• Support FEA modeling activities including linear and basic non-linear analysis, buckling checks, and failure assessments.
• Participate in trade studies and support requirements development.

Program Support & Collaboration

• Work directly with MSFC engineering teams, suppliers, and other contractors to develop composite solutions.
• Support design reviews (PDR, CDR) by preparing presentation materials and technical documentation.
• Contribute to testing plans, NDI evaluation, and verification activities as needed.

Manufacturing & Materials

• Support composite fabrication activities including autoclave layup, AFP/ATL, and resin infusion processes.
• Participate in tooling reviews, process development, and troubleshooting of manufacturing issues.
• Assist with material evaluation, process documentation, and coordination with manufacturing engineering.

Testing & Verification

• Support composite component testing, data review, and correlation activities.
• Assist with structural test planning, failure investigation activities, and corrective action discussions.

General Responsibilities

• Maintain configuration, documentation, and compliance with engineering processes.
• Communicate effectively across disciplines and contribute to a collaborative team environment.

Qualifications:

• 10-15+ years of experience working with composite materials and structural components (aerospace preferred).
• Experience with composite laminate design, basic FEA, and mechanical/thermal load assessment.
• Hands-on familiarity with composite manufacturing processes such as autoclave layup, AFP/ATL, or RTM/VARTM.
• Proficiency in CAD and FEA tools (CATIA, NX, SolidWorks, Abaqus, ANSYS, or Nastran).
• Ability to work within structured engineering processes and deliver high-quality technical documentation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting spaceflight, launch vehicle, or defense composite structures.
• Exposure to cryogenic composites, pressure vessels, or large-scale aerospace structures.
• Familiarity with NASA/MSFC standards or similar government requirements.
• Experience with NDI methods such as UT, thermography, or X-ray.
• Scripting or automation experience (Python, MATLAB).

Benefits

• Competitive pay
• Positive work-life balance
• 100% Employer paid insurance including: Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, short-term disability, and long-term disability
• 11 paid holidays annually
• Generous PTO
• 401k after 12 months of service with employer match
• Education assistance
• Relocation assistance (if applicable)

Mclaurin is a unique organization with a special focus on combining the best features of research and industry in order to foster innovation. Our organization strongly supports research, publication, and engagement with the academic community. We encourage our employees to remain on the cutting edge of new developments in their respective disciplines.

US Citizenship and the ability to pass a comprehensive security background investigation is required.

Mclaurin is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.