Spacecraft Structures Test Engineer — Flight Validation

Socket.dev; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Healthcare

PTO & holidays

401(k)

Parental leave

Lunch provided

Playa Vista office

Impactful work

Job summary

Apex Technology, Inc. seeks a Spacecraft Structures Test Engineer to own validation of flight hardware from first build through system-level testing.

This role blends mechanical testing, data acquisition, and scripting, working with mechanical, avionics, and production teams to define tests and build the infrastructure to execute them. You will lead test campaigns, drive root-cause analyses, and partner across disciplines to ensure test results feed back into design and manufacturing for robust

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or related engineering field.
• 3+ years of experience in spacecraft, launch vehicle, or complex structural testing.
• Experience designing large-scale structural test stands or load application systems.
• Strong fundamentals in structural mechanics, including strength, stability, and fatigue.
• Experience with structural analysis (hand calcs and/or FEM) and test correlation.
• Hands-on experience with instrumentation and lab equipment (strain, load, pressure, thermal measurements).
• Experience designing, building, or operating structural test systems and hardware.
• Experience with test automation and scripting (Python or similar).
• Ability to operate in fast-paced, high-ownership environments with evolving requirements.

Responsibilities

• Own structural test strategy and execution across components, subsystems, and fully integrated spacecraft
• Develop and operate fluid, hydraulic, and pressurized systems, including high-pressure and cryogenic environments
• Design and integrate data acquisition and instrumentation (strain gauges, load cells, pressure transducers, thermocouples)
• Write and automate test procedures and scripts (primarily Python) for execution and data analysis
• Lead test operations end-to-end, including setup, execution, and post-test review
• Troubleshoot hardware and drive root cause analysis on structural test failures
• Partner cross-functionally with design, analysis, avionics, and manufacturing to close the loop between test results and design

Skills

Structural testing

Test automation

Python scripting

Instrumentation

FEM analysis

Education

Bachelor's in mechanical/aerospace engineering

Tools

NX/Teamcenter

Nastran

ANSYS

Data acquisition systems

Job description

Apex Technology, Inc. seeks a Spacecraft Structures Test Engineer to own validation of flight hardware from first build through system-level testing.

This role blends mechanical testing, data acquisition, and scripting, working with mechanical, avionics, and production teams to define tests and build the infrastructure to execute them. You will lead test campaigns, drive root-cause analyses, and partner across disciplines to ensure test results feed back into design and manufacturing for robust