Lead Propulsion Analyst

Cowboy Space; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.

401(k) retirement savings plan

Daily lunch in the office

Job summary

Cowboy Space in Seattle is looking for a Structures & Mechanisms Lead to own the design and performance of the vehicle’s primary structures and mechanical systems. This role includes managing the airframe, thrust structure, and landing systems, ensuring they survive flight demands.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering and over 8 years of related experience. Cowboy Space offers a competitive salary of $150,000 – $225,000 with excellent benefits.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in structural design, analysis, or mechanisms for flight hardware or high-performance systems.
• Experience with load paths, structural sizing, and material selection.
• Hands‑on experience taking hardware from design through build and test.

Responsibilities

• Own the design, build, and performance of vehicle’s primary structures and mechanical systems.
• Ensure hardware survives combined ascent, entry, landing, and reuse environments.
• Define and execute structural test campaigns (component, subscale, full-scale).

Skills

Structural design

Analysis of flight hardware

Mechanical systems

Experience in team leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related field

Tools

FEA tools

Job description

Structures & Mechanisms Lead

About Cowboy Space Corp

Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and enable a new class of capabilities—from powering on-orbit compute, to transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit compute to delivering secure, high-bandwidth optical data. By rethinking how energy and data are generated and distributed in space, we’re unlocking entirely new ways to operate both in orbit and on Earth.

Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), Cowboy Space Corp. is backed by leading investors and built by a team from top aerospace and defense organizations. We’re moving quickly to solve complex technical challenges and build a new category of space infrastructure.

About the Role

Own the design, build, and performance of the vehicle’s primary structures and mechanical systems. This includes airframe, tanks, thrust structure, landing systems, aerodynamic surfaces, and stage separation hardware. Responsible for ensuring the vehicle survives flight, landing, and rapid reuse with minimal mass and maximum reliability.

Responsibilities

• Own the primary airframe: propellant tanks, interstages, and thrust structure from concept through flight.
• Design and deliver landing legs and deployment systems capable of repeated flight and landing cycles.
• Develop aerodynamic control surfaces and associated actuation/structural systems.
• Own stage separation systems, including mechanisms, interfaces, and dynamic performance.
• Drive structural design for minimum mass while meeting strength, stiffness, fatigue, and thermal requirements.
• Ensure hardware survives combined ascent, entry, landing, and reuse environments.
• Lead structural analysis (FEA, hand calcs) and validate with test and flight data.
• Define and execute structural test campaigns (component, subscale, full-scale).
• Work directly with manufacturing to iterate quickly and resolve build issues on the floor.
• Identify and close failure modes through rapid design-test-learn cycles.
• Support flight operations, anomaly investigation, and post‑flight inspection/refurbishment improvements.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related engineering field.
• 8+ years of experience in structural design, analysis, or mechanisms for flight hardware or high-performance systems.
• Experience with load paths, structural sizing, and material selection.
• Hands‑on experience taking hardware from design through build and test.
• Experience leading engineers or a team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with launch vehicles or reusable flight systems.
• Strong background in metallic structures, welding, and/or composites.
• Experience designing mechanisms (deployment, separation, hinges, latches).
• Familiarity with cryogenic structures and/or high‑temperature environments.
• Proficiency with FEA tools and ability to validate with real‑world data.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $150,000 – $225,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job‑related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
• Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan.
• Paid time off.
• 10 paid holidays per calendar year.
• Paid parental leave.
• Relocation assistance if applicable.
• Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks.

ITAR Requirements

Export Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants 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. Learn more about ITAR.

Disclaimer

This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at Cowboy Space Corp.’s discretion.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Cowboy Space Corp. is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. Cowboy Space Corp. is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions relating to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.