Senior Composites Stress Engineer — Build Our FEA Engine

Approach Venture; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Growth potential

Lunch provided

401(k) with employer matching

Job summary

Approach Venture in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a Senior Composites Stress Engineer to own the structural analysis for advanced aerospace composites. You will build the FEA capability from the ground up, develop material models, and guide design decisions, working hands-on with testing and manufacturing data.

The ideal candidate has a bachelor’s in mechanical/ aerospace/ materials science and 3+ years of experience in stress analysis of composites; proficiency with FEA (Abaqus preferred), CAD, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science, Composites Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 3+ years of professional experience performing structural or stress analysis of composite materials and structures.
• Experience developing and refining finite element models for composite materials.
• Ability to define material properties, boundary conditions, load cases, failure criteria, and other FEA inputs.
• Experience using FEA to optimize composite structures for weight and mechanical performance.
• Strong CAD proficiency with experience creating parts, assemblies, and engineering drawings.
• Working knowledge of GD&T.
• On-site in El Segundo, California.
• U.S. Person status required due to export control regulations.
• Abaqus experience and nonlinear structural analysis are preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own structural and stress analysis for fiber-reinforced composite components and assemblies.
• Establish the company's FEA methodology, including software selection, model architecture, material parameters, validation methods, and engineering standards.
• Develop and refine nonlinear and composite FEA models for novel material systems.
• Use structural analysis to optimize composite geometry, weight, strength, stiffness, and overall performance.
• Correlate analytical predictions with coupon, subcomponent, and full-scale hardware testing.
• Design mechanical test methods and fixtures to validate material behavior and structural performance.
• Support hands-on execution of structural testing and analyze resulting test data.
• Define structural requirements and provide technical direction throughout product development.

Tools

Abaqus

Job description

Approach Venture in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a Senior Composites Stress Engineer to own the structural analysis for advanced aerospace composites. You will build the FEA capability from the ground up, develop material models, and guide design decisions, working hands-on with testing and manufacturing data.

The ideal candidate has a bachelor’s in mechanical/ aerospace/ materials science and 3+ years of experience in stress analysis of composites; proficiency with FEA (Abaqus preferred), CAD, and