Senior Loads & Dynamics Engineer – Space Vehicle Expert

Socket.dev; Kent (WA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 220,000; 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?

a fully stocked kitchen with beverages

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. seeks a senior loads and dynamics engineer to own load cases and dynamic models across ascent, entry, and reuse.

You will drive methodology, balance fidelity with speed, and raise the bar for the discipline by mentoring engineers and guiding decisions across teams. You will set standards, build FEM and coupled-load models, and integrate results with test and flight data to ensure a robust, not overbuilt, vehicle design for mission environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related engineering.
• 8+ years of experience in loads, structural dynamics, or vibration analysis for flight hardware or high-performance systems.
• Deep proficiency with finite element modeling and dynamic analysis (modal, transient, frequency response).
• Demonstrated ownership of load cases and environments that drove the structural design of a flight vehicle or major system.
• Proven ability to correlate models against test or flight data and adjust methodology accordingly.

Responsibilities

• Own the vehicle loads as the discipline lead: quasi-static, transient, and dynamic load cases across ground handling, ascent, separation, entry, landing, and reuse.
• Establish the methods, tools, and standards the loads and dynamics discipline works to.
• Build and maintain structural dynamic models (FEM, modal, coupled loads) and reconcile them with test and flight data.
• Define vibration, shock, acoustic, and random-vibe environments for components, mechanisms, and payloads.
• Perform coupled loads analysis (CLA) and integrate propulsion, aero, GNC, and structural inputs into a consistent load set.
• Deliver clear, timely load sets and interface requirements to structures, mechanisms, and propulsion teams.
• Assess flutter, buffet, slosh, and other aeroelastic/coupled dynamic phenomena.
• Support test planning and correlation—modal surveys, static and dynamic test campaigns—and update models from results.
• Investigate anomalies and reconstruct flight loads from telemetry to improve future load predictions.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical guidance across the structures and mechanisms teams.

Skills

Finite element modeling

Dynamic analysis

Load cases ownership

Model correlation with test data

Python/MATLAB scripting

Mentoring engineers

Aeroelasticity understanding

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related engineering

Advanced degree in a relevant engineering field

Tools

Adams

LS-DYNA

Python

MATLAB

Job description

Cowboy Space Corp. seeks a senior loads and dynamics engineer to own load cases and dynamic models across ascent, entry, and reuse.

You will drive methodology, balance fidelity with speed, and raise the bar for the discipline by mentoring engineers and guiding decisions across teams. You will set standards, build FEM and coupled-load models, and integrate results with test and flight data to ensure a robust, not overbuilt, vehicle design for mission environments.