Spacecraft Structural Analysis Engineer - Innovate Impact

Socket.dev; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity-based compensation

PTO & holidays

Medical/Dental/Vision coverage

Performance-based bonus

Job summary

Space Kinetic in El Segundo, CA, seeks a Structural Analysis Engineer with 5–10 years of experience to perform structural analyses across spacecraft, payload, and deployment-system hardware. You will develop models, define load cases, and collaborate with design, manufacturing, systems, and test teams to deliver lightweight, reliable hardware.

Bachelor's in mechanical/aerospace engineering or applied physics is required, with FEА tool proficiency (FEMAP/NASTRAN, ANSYS, Abaqus) and hands-on

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, applied physics, or a related technical discipline.
• 5 to 10 years of experience in structural analysis, stress analysis, structural dynamics, loads development, or a related field.
• Strong foundation in statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials, fatigue, fracture mechanics, and material behavior.
• Proficiency with finite element analysis tools such as FEMAP/NASTRAN, ANSYS, Abaqus, or equivalent tools.
• Experience performing static, modal, buckling, vibration, or nonlinear structural analyses.
• Ability to use hand calculations and first-principles methods to validate computational models
• Experience supporting structural testing and correlating analytical predictions with test data

Responsibilities

• Conduct and document static, thermo-mechanical, dynamic, vibration, buckling, fatigue, and fracture analyses using finite element analysis and first-principles methods
• Develop structural models to predict stress, deformation, dynamic response, failure modes, and margins of safety
• Define load cases and operating environments for spacecraft and flight hardware
• Perform hand calculations and analytical modeling to validate results and guide design decisions
• Collaborate with design, manufacturing, systems, and test engineers to develop lightweight, reliable, and manufacturable hardware
• Support structural test planning, instrumentation, execution, data processing, and correlation of models to test results
• Lead structural design trades, mass optimization, and resolution of hardware issues throughout development
• Document and present analysis findings during internal, customer, and program design reviews

Skills

FEA proficiency

Static analysis

Modal analysis

Buckling analysis

Vibration analysis

First-principles methods

Hand calculations

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering

Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering

Bachelor's degree in applied physics

Tools

FEMAP/NASTRAN

ANSYS

Abaqus

Siemens NX

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Space Kinetic in El Segundo, CA, seeks a Structural Analysis Engineer with 5–10 years of experience to perform structural analyses across spacecraft, payload, and deployment-system hardware. You will develop models, define load cases, and collaborate with design, manufacturing, systems, and test teams to deliver lightweight, reliable hardware.

Bachelor's in mechanical/aerospace engineering or applied physics is required, with FEА tool proficiency (FEMAP/NASTRAN, ANSYS, Abaqus) and hands-on