Structures and Mechanisms Engineer, HLS

Barrios Technology; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Barrios Technology seeks a Structures and Mechanisms Engineer, HLS for the NASA GFP program. The role focuses on risk-based structural reviews, verification evidence, and collaboration with commercial providers to ensure readiness of lunar lander hardware.

You will operate as the GFP Responsible Engineer, maintain critical documentation, and coordinate with multiple NASA teams to resolve gaps and drive milestone readiness. A U.S. citizen with senior-level engineering credentials is preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering; ten years of related experience.
• Three+ years designing, analyzing, or building structural/mechanical systems.
• Familiarity with NASA/DoD/ASME/AIAA design & construction standards (e.g. NASA-STD-5001, NASA STD-5017, NASA-STD-5020, JSC 65828).

Responsibilities

• Perform risk-based structural insight reviews of provider deliverables.
• Map requirements traceability between HLS structural requirements and provider verification events.
• Review compliance with HLS design and construction standards across hardware.
• Assess qualification/test plans, test reports, and structural verification data for GFP readiness in lunar lander hardware.
• Engage with commercial providers via Structures & Mechanisms Insight Forums.
• Support GFP readiness evaluations and related insight duties.
• Lead GFP Responsible Engineer role for NASA GFP structural readiness in HLS Crew Structures.
• Maintain GFP Confluence pages with analyses, load cases, verification evidence, and readiness posture.
• Review NASA GFP project structural analyses, interface requirements, and integration documentation for lander readiness.
• Coordinate across NASA GFP provisioning teams and stakeholders to ensure proper verification evidence.
• Identify structural risks or verification gaps and elevate with action plans.
• Provide monthly GFP project status updates to the HLS Crew Structures Lead.

Skills

Excellent verbal and written comms

Team collaboration

CAD/FEA tools proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, or structural engineering

10+ years related experience

Tools

ABAQUS

ANSYS

NASTRAN

Job description

Are you passionate about human space exploration, understanding the origins of the universe, and working with a passionate and diverse team to make a difference? If you are, we need you!

We need your talent, teamwork, and energy to help us achieve great things that inspire people all over the globe. We need you to bring creative ideas and diverse backgrounds to help us envision, shape, and deliver systems that will enable the exploration of space while benefiting people here on Earth.

We are excited about what we do, and we need you on our team as we take on exciting challenges for NASA’s pursuits in deep space exploration. As NASA’s largest engineering solutions provider working together with NASA at centers across the United States.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Structures and Mechanisms Engineer, HLS t to join the JETSII Contract with Barrios, a teammate company!

The Structures and Mechanisms Engineer, HLS will

• Perform risk based structural insight reviews of commercial provider deliverables, including design data books, stress analysis reports, verification plans, hazard reports, and test results.
• Conduct requirements traceability mapping between HLS structural requirements and provider Verification Events (VEs), identifying verification gaps, inconsistencies, or risks.
• Review provider compliance with HLS adjudicated design and construction standards, ensuring correct interpretation and application across provider hardware.
• Review qualification and acceptance test plans, test reports, and structural performance verification datasets for human rated lunar lander structural hardware.
• Engage with commercial providers through Structures & Mechanisms Insight Forums, including sessions related to NASA owned GFP.
• Support the HLS Crew Structures Lead through contribution to Blue Origin and SpaceX milestone readiness evaluations and additional insight duties as assigned.
• GFP Structural Readiness — Responsible Engineer (RE) Role
• Serve as the Responsible Engineer (RE) for NASA owned GFP structural readiness within HLS Crew Structures, leading day to day tracking, documentation, and communication of GFP structural status and verification progress.
• Maintain authoritative ownership of the Crew Structures GFP Confluence pages, ensuring clear documentation of structural analyses, load cases, configuration changes, verification evidence, structural risks, and readiness posture for all GFP items.
• Review NASA GFP project structural analyses, interface requirements, qualification and acceptance results, materials data, and integration documentation to evaluate structural sufficiency for lander integration.
• Coordinate across NASA GFP provisioning teams, HLS SE&I, CrewCo, SVS, provider insight teams, and integration stakeholders to ensure GFP structural verification evidence is properly interpreted, communicated, and dispositioned.
• Identify structural risks or verification gaps affecting GFP readiness and elevate these to the HLS Crew Structures Lead for action, formal risk management, or follow up within insight workflows.
• Provide monthly GFP project structural readiness status updates to the HLS Crew Structures Lead, supporting CrewCo’s monthly reporting cycle with updates on accomplishments, risks, concerns, upcoming deliverables, and verification progress.
• Risk Reduction Structural Analysis
• Perform independent structural analyses using CAD/FEA tools such as Creo, FEMAP, NX, and the NASTRAN solver (primary code) to assess provider design maturity, load path behavior, and structural margins.
• Build, refine, and execute finite element models to validate provider assumptions, identify structural sensitivities, and disclose risk areas prior to program milestones.
• Conduct targeted NASA structural evaluations to independently characterize structural risk, support risk reduction activities, and strengthen insight understanding of commercial lander architectures.
• Clearly communicate analysis findings, model results, and independent assessments to the HLS Crew Structures Lead to support decision making, milestone preparation, and structural readiness assessments.

Required Education/Experience/Skills

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, plus ten (10) years of related experience. License and certification may be required.

Preferences

• Three (3)+ years of experience designing, analyzing, or building structural or mechanical systems (internship, competitive school projects, and research-based experience qualify)
• Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, or structural engineering
• 5+ years of professional experience in any, or in support of the following industries aerospace, automotive, aviation
• Familiarity with relevant NASA, DoD, ASME, and AIAA design & construction standards (e.g. NASA-STD-5001, NASA STD-5017, NASA-STD-5020, JSC 65828)
• Proficiency with the following FEA solvers ABAQUS, ANSYS, or Nastran
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to succinctly present analytical results and recommendations

Essential Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen and successfully complete a U.S. government background investigation.
• Applicant selected may be subject to government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
• Work may involve sitting for extended periods.
• May require lifting and carrying up to 25 lb.
• Must have sufficient mobility to enter areas of test facilities where necessary.
• Generally, an office environment but can involve inside or outside work depending on task.
• Standard office equipment (PC, telephone, fax, etc.)
• Regular attendance in accordance with established work schedule is critical.
• Ability to work outside normal schedule and adjust schedule to meet peak periods and surge requirements when required.
• Must be able to work in a team atmosphere.
• Must put forward a professional behavior that enhances productivity and promotes teamwork and cooperation.
• Grooming and dress must be appropriate for the position and must not impose a safety risk/hazard to the employee or others.
• This position may require some commuting and traveling to other installations as needed.

Barrios Technology is a drug‑free workplace, which is imperative to the health and safety of all employees and is required as a condition of receiving contracts from federal agencies. Please remember that regardless of the legalization of marijuana in several states, possession and use continues to be illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act. This includes the use of some CBD products. A post‑offer, pre‑employment drug test is a condition of employment.

Barrios Technology is an Equal Employment Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.