Structures Airframe Design Engineer

Frontera Space; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity participation

Job summary

Frontera Space is seeking a Structures Design Engineer to advance lightweight composite airframe design using SolidWorks and ANSYS. This hands-on role involves developing hardware through design, analysis, manufacturing integration, and testing, with growth toward hardware ownership and Responsible Engineer accountability.

The ideal candidate has experience with aerospace composites, structural mechanics, and manufacturing processes, plus the ability to work cross-functionally with engineering

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering or related technical discipline.

Responsibilities

• Design lightweight composite airframe structures using SolidWorks.
• Create models, drawings, and BOMs for aircraft hardware and tooling.
• Perform preliminary sizing and ANSYS analyses with guidance.
• Coordinate interfaces with propulsion, thermal protection, and other subsystems.
• Support manufacturing planning, inspection, and test activities.
• Document design decisions and maintain configuration control.

Skills

SolidWorks

ANSYS

Composite structures

Structural analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

ANSYS

Job description

Frontera Space is developing a next-generation air-breathing hypersonic vehicle and is seeking a Structures Design Engineer to support airframe design and development, along with other structural needs, including test stands, fabrication tooling, and support hardware.

This hands-on position uses SolidWorks and ANSYS to develop composite structural hardware from initial concepts through iterative design and analysis, manufacturing, integration, and testing. The engineer will grow into hardware ownership, with the potential to become a Responsible Engineer accountable for assigned aircraft hardware and assemblies.

The position will be filled based on experience, demonstrated capability, and independence, with assignments and technical guidance matched to the selected candidate.

The ideal candidate brings experience or project work in lightweight composite aerospace structures and a foundational understanding of composite mechanics, structural stability, joints, and manufacturing processes. Familiarity with damage tolerance, fracture mechanics, and structural durability under combined mechanical and thermal loads is desirable, as is experience integrating composite structures with high-temperature systems or Thermal Protection Systems (TPS).

This is a full-time, exempt, in-person position reporting to the Structures Division Director in the Austin, Texas area.

What You Will Do

• Support the design and development of lightweight composite airframe structures for Frontera's air-breathing hypersonic vehicle, including skins, spars, ribs, frames, control surfaces, joints, attachments, and secondary structure.
• Develop SolidWorks models, assemblies, engineering drawings, and bills of materials for aircraft hardware and other structural needs, including test stands, fabrication tooling, and support equipment.
• Perform preliminary sizing, engineering calculations, and ANSYS analyses with guidance appropriate to experience. Work with structural analysts to evaluate load paths, strength, stiffness, stability, and joint performance and incorporate results into design iterations.
• Support material selection, laminate definition, bonded and mechanically fastened joint design, and manufacturing planning. Apply established requirements, allowables, and design practices to balance structural performance, mass, manufacturability, inspection, and repair.
• Coordinate structural interfaces with propulsion, thermal protection, landing systems, and other vehicle subsystems. Work with experienced engineers to address mechanical loads, thermal gradients, differential expansion, and local reinforcement needs.
• Work directly with manufacturing engineers, technicians, and suppliers to support fabrication and assembly, resolve fit and interface issues, and develop proposed solutions to manufacturing nonconformances.
• Support structural test planning, fixture design, hardware integration, and test execution. Use inspection findings, manufacturing feedback, and test results to improve designs and support verification.
• Document design decisions, maintain configuration control, and present assigned work at technical reviews. Progressively assume ownership of components and assemblies, with the potential to grow into Responsible Engineer accountability as technical capability and judgment develop.

What Success Looks Like

You deliver practical, lightweight structural designs and use analysis, manufacturing feedback, and testing to improve assigned hardware.

You work effectively across disciplines and develop the judgment and independence to become a hardware owner, with the potential to grow into Responsible Engineer accountability.

• Full-time, exempt position.
• Primarily in-person in the Austin, Texas area.
• Reports to the Structures Division Director.
• Regular collaboration with engineering, manufacturing, integration, and test teams.
• Hands-on hardware development and occasional travel to suppliers or test locations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Two years of experience in composite design, aerospace applications, hardware management, or test development.
• Relevant experience through academic projects, internships, research, or professional engineering work. Early-career candidates and engineers with experience delivering structural hardware are encouraged to apply.
• Working knowledge of SolidWorks part and assembly modeling and engineering drawings; familiarity with ANSYS through coursework, projects, or professional work.
• Understanding of statics, mechanics of materials, structural load paths, materials selection, and basic strength, stiffness, and stability considerations.
• Ability to interpret and develop engineering drawings and consider tolerances, manufacturing processes, and assembly requirements.
• Clear technical communication, organized documentation, sound engineering judgment, and willingness to work directly with hardware and cross-functional teams.

Preferred Experience

• Four or more years of experience designing and developing composite structures for aerospace applications.
• Prior experience as a Responsible Engineer or hardware owner for aerospace components or assemblies.
• Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline from an accredited university.
• Demonstrated experience carrying structural hardware from requirements and detailed design through manufacturing, integration, and testing.
• Proficiency in SolidWorks and ANSYS, including composite structural design, analysis-driven design iterations, and controlled drawing release.
• Experience developing structural tests, evaluating results, and resolving manufacturing nonconformances or test anomalies.
• Experience with hypersonic vehicles, high-temperature structures, thermal protection interfaces, or combined mechanical and thermal loading.

Technical Skills

• SolidWorks part and assembly modeling, engineering drawings, GD&T, and configuration control.
• Composite laminate, sandwich panel, and airframe structural design.
• Structural load-path development, preliminary sizing, and ANSYS finite element analysis.
• Bonded and mechanically fastened joint design.
• Strength, stiffness, buckling, and composite failure evaluation.
• Thermal-structural considerations, differential expansion, and thermal protection interfaces.
• Composite manufacturing processes and design for fabrication, assembly, and inspection.
• Structural test support, interpretation of test results, and engineering requirements verification.

Working Conditions

This role operates in a fast-paced aerospace development environment spanning office engineering, manufacturing, integration, and test activities. The position may involve work around large composite structures, pressure systems, cryogenic systems, test equipment, manufacturing machinery, and flight hardware.

The successful candidate must be comfortable moving between analytical models, first-principles engineering calculations, CAD and drawings, physical hardware, and hands-on structural testing.

Certain positions supported by this role may involve work subject to U.S. export-control laws and regulations. Candidates for those roles may be required to meet applicable U.S. export-control eligibility requirements.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Frontera Space is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment and consider applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information

Why Join Us?

Join Frontera Space at an early stage and help create a transformational aerospace platform designed to change how high-speed aircraft and access-to-space systems are developed, manufactured, and operated.

You will have the opportunity to influence the vehicle architecture, solve foundational technical challenges, and see your work move rapidly from analysis and design into hardware, testing, and flight. As an early team member, you will take on broad ownership, help establish the engineering culture, and directly shape both the product and the company.

Frontera Space offers meaningful equity participation and the chance to create lasting value while working on technology with the potential to redefine aerospace performance, affordability, and operational capability. This is an opportunity to do more than contribute to an established program—it is a chance to help build the vehicle, the team, and the company from the ground up.