Responsibilities
- Contribute to the design, simulation, and refinement of mechanical components and assemblies for interceptor and hypersonic vehicles, ensuring compliance with performance, weight, durability, and reliability standards.
- Help advance flight vehicle structural systems from initial concept and trade-off analyses through prototype development and final hardware delivery, under supervision from experienced engineers.
- Design primary and secondary airframe structures capable of withstanding extreme conditions such as high dynamic pressure, intense acceleration, and thermally severe hypersonic flight, including aerodynamic forces, vibration, and shock loads.
- Support the integration of guidance, navigation, control hardware, seekers, and sensors into flight vehicle structures, accounting for optical alignment, vibration damping, electromagnetic interference shielding, and thermal regulation.
- Assist in developing and applying thermal protection systems and high-temperature structural elements for use in hypersonic and atmospheric re-entry scenarios, working with ablative, ceramic, and composite materials.
- Support mechanical integration of propulsion systems, including interfaces with solid rocket motors, packaging of divert and attitude control systems, and structural connections for nozzles and thrust vector control mechanisms.
- Produce and manage detailed 3D CAD models and engineering drawings for flight vehicle parts, subsystems, and assemblies using NX (Siemens) or SolidWorks software.
- Generate precise component and assembly drawings with correct application of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) standards.
- Prepare technical documentation, design justifications, and interface control documents to support design reviews such as Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review, and Test Readiness Review.
- Help develop and carry out structural and environmental test plans to verify hardware qualification and acceptance criteria.
- Maintain design consistency and traceability by working within configuration management, product lifecycle management (PLM), and manufacturing execution system (MES) environments.
Compensation
Base Salary: $80,000- $165,000 Equity + Benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, HRA/HSA options, PTO and paid holidays, 401K, Parental Leave
Work Arrangement
On-site — Denver, Long Beach
Work Location
This position requires full-time presence at the office. Candidates must reside in or be able to commute daily to either the Denver or Long Beach location.
Work environment
The role involves working in a standard engineering facility with potential exposure to moderate noise levels and controlled environmental conditions. Work is primarily indoors in lab, office, and test settings.
Physical demands
The job requires regular periods of sitting and computer-based work, occasional bending or reaching during lab or test setups, and ability to move up to 20 pounds. Driving is not a required function.
Active U.S. security clearance or ability and willingness to obtain one
Applicants must currently hold an active U.S. security clearance or demonstrate eligibility and readiness to obtain one.
