Structures Analyst

Gravitics Inc; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company equity

401(k) retirement plan

Generous PTO

Job summary

Gravitics Inc. is seeking a seasoned structural engineer to own the full product lifecycle of space hardware, from design validation to optimization of pressurized structures and mechanisms.

You will work with design engineers, perform rigorous analyses, and contribute to test planning and data-driven decisions. The ideal candidate has 3+ years in mechanical/aerospace engineering, strong skills in hand calculations, bolted joint analysis, and FEM tools, with a focus on reliability for

Qualifications

• 3+ years of industry experience in mechanical or aerospace engineering.
• Experience with analyzing / dispositioning non-conformances.
• Hand calculations including free-body diagrams for load derivation.
• Knowledge of bolted joint calculations and related concepts.
• FEM-based and classical analysis methods familiarity.
• Understanding of FEM modeling techniques and mesh generation.
• Experience with development and/or qualification testing.

Responsibilities

• Validate and optimize primary/secondary structural designs for strength, stiffness, weight, cost, and manufacturability.
• Perform stress, deflection, stability, and margin-of-safety analyses using FEM and hand calculations.
• Participate in subsystem test planning, execution, data reduction and analysis.
• Provide analysis support to designers and junior analysts.
• Prepare technical content and present to internal/external customers.
• Assess damage or out-of-tolerance conditions and guide repairs.

Skills

Mechanical engineering

Aerospace engineering

Non-conformance analysis

Hand calculations

Bolted joints

FEM modeling

Buckling analysis

Testing & qualification

Load-path analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in applicable field

Tools

SimCenter

FEMAP

Ansys

Nastran

Abaqus

LS-Dyna

Job description

About Gravitics

At Gravitics, we're not exploring space—we're building it. We're creating the infrastructure for a thriving space economy, enabling humanity to flourish beyond Earth. Our vision is bold, but we're not just dreamers; we're doers. We design and manufacture large-scale orbital structures that enable commercial operations while meeting the requirements of defense and government missions.

About Gravitics

At Gravitics, we're not exploring space—we're building it. We're creating the infrastructure for a thriving space economy, enabling humanity to flourish beyond Earth. Our vision is bold, but we're not just dreamers; we're doers. We design and manufacture large-scale orbital structures that enable commercial operations while meeting the requirements of defense and government missions.

Our systems are built to scale and built to last—bridging commercial innovation with mission-critical performance. If you're ready to lay the foundations for a new era in space, embrace a culture of relentless learning and innovation, and contribute to a future where humanity's reach extends farther, Gravitics is the place for you. Let's build the future together.

About the Role

To build our space systems, we need rockstars of all experience levels who can directly work the full product lifecycle of several challenging assemblies, including pressurized structures, launch adapters, mechanisms, tooling, and more.

Responsibilities

• Partner directly with design engineers to validate and optimize primary and secondary structural designs for strength, stiffness, weight, cost, and manufacturability


• Perform stress, deflection, stability, and margin of safety analyses using FEM and first-principles hand calculations


• Participate in subsystem test planning, execution, data reduction and analysis


• Analysis checks for designers and junior structural analysts in stress/stability/fracture analysis and best practices


• Prepare technical content and present to internal and external customers


• Ability to perform technical assessment of damage or out of tolerance conditions and provide guidance on repair or use

About You

You’re a successful candidate if you are a giver, not a taker. You have an ability to make things happen. You are exceptional at several things, yet willing to take on efforts in areas of weakness.

Required Attributes

• 3+ years of industry experience in mechanical or aerospace engineering


• Bachelor’s degree in an applicable field


• Experience with analyzing / dispositioning non-conformances


• Experience with hand calculations including free-body diagrams for internal and reaction load derivation


• Demonstrated knowledge of bolted joint calculations (bolt preload, joint stiffness, shear-tension interaction, insert pull-out, etc.)


• Strong experience with classical and aerospace analysis methods (Bruhn, Niu, Roark, Blodgett, Shigley, etc.)


• Understanding of FEM modeling techniques (boundary conditions, bolted connections, contact, verification methods, etc.)


• Mesh generation (ex: mid-surfacing) and understanding of element types


• Analysis of stability critical structures (local buckling phenomenon, global buckling, crippling)


• Experience with development and/or qualification testing (test requirements, setup/configuration, test predictions, test conduct/monitoring, etc.)


• Demonstrated knowledge of vehicle load path and stress analysis of metallic and/or composite structures (pressure vessels, skin-stringer, fittings, sandwich panels, etc.)


• Demonstrated expertise with at least two of the following pre-post/solver codes: SimCenter, FEMAP, Ansys, Nastran, Optistruct, LS Dyna, Hypermesh, Hypersizer, NASGRO, Abaqus, IMAT

Bonus Points for

• Deep working knowledge in analysis of welds and heat treat properties

Compensation and Benefits

For Marysville, WA, the expected base salary range for this role is $110,000 - 140,000. Your level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-cycle basis and may vary based on the considerations of job-related knowledge and skills, education, and direct experience. Salary is just one component of the total employee package, which also includes company equity at an exciting time of company growth, as well as comprehensive medical, 401(k) retirement plan, a generous PTO policy, employee discounts, and more.

About Compliance

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Gravitics is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin or ethnicity, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status.

Salary Range: $110,000 USD - $140,000 USD