Senior Flight Structures Engineer — Tanks & Welded

Cowboy Space Corp.; Kent (WA); On-site; USD 172,000 - 203,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement savings plan

Paid time off

10 paid holidays per calendar year

Paid parental leave

Relocation assistance if applicable

Daily lunch in the office and a fully‑

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. is seeking a Senior Structures Engineer to own the design and development of primary tanks and welded structures for our launch vehicle—buttressing requirements through detailed design, fabrication, qualification, and flight readiness.

You will partner with structural analysis, fluids, propulsion, manufacturing, and test teams to define interfaces and resolve issues, delivering lightweight, reliable hardware and establishing strong design practices for the team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
• 7+ years of experience designing and developing structures for flight vehicles or high‑performance hardware.
• Experience with metallic tanks, pressure vessels, or thin‑walled welded structures.
• Strong fundamentals in solid mechanics, buckling, fatigue, and welding effects on structures.
• Proficiency with CAD, engineering drawings, GD&T, and tolerance analysis.
• Ability to substantiate design decisions with hand calculations and analyze results with engineers.
• Experience working with manufacturing, inspection, and test teams to resolve hardware issues.
• U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, refugee, or asylum status for ITAR compliance.

Responsibilities

• Own the full lifecycle of primary tanks and welded structures—from requirements to flight readiness.
• Design tank barrels, domes, bulkheads, weld joints, penetrations, attachments, and supporting structures with clear load paths.
• Perform first-order sizing and design trades balancing performance, mass, manufacturability, and cost.
• Work with analysts to establish load cases and verify strength, buckling, fatigue, and damage tolerance.
• Develop and release CAD models, drawings, and specifications including GD&T and inspection requirements.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and welding engineers on fabrication approaches and tolerances.
• Define hardware verification requirements and support testing including fixtures and acceptance criteria.
• Support fabrication and test operations, investigate anomalies, and drive design improvements.
• Lead design reviews, manage interfaces, and mentor engineers in structural design.

Skills

Mechanical CAD

Engineering drawings

GD&T

Tolerance analysis

Solid mechanics

Structural stability

Weld joint design

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Job description

Cowboy Space Corp. is seeking a Senior Structures Engineer to own the design and development of primary tanks and welded structures for our launch vehicle—buttressing requirements through detailed design, fabrication, qualification, and flight readiness.

You will partner with structural analysis, fluids, propulsion, manufacturing, and test teams to define interfaces and resolve issues, delivering lightweight, reliable hardware and establishing strong design practices for the team.