Spacecraft Structural Engineer- Level 3

Who We're Looking For

Quantum Space is redefining mobility and autonomy beyond Earth orbit. Our Ranger spacecraft deliver high delta‑V and sustained on‑orbit maneuverability, enabling missions across cislunar and geostationary space that were previously out of reach. We are building the vehicles, infrastructure, and operational expertise that connect and protect assets across the Earth–Moon system.

We are seeking a Spacecraft Structural Engineer III to lead the design, analysis, and development of spacecraft structural systems across multiple flight programs. In this role, you will be responsible for ensuring structural integrity from early concept through flight, performing high‑fidelity structural analyses, supporting hardware testing, and driving design decisions that balance mass, strength, and manufacturability. As a senior member of the engineering team, you will work closely with propulsion, avionics, thermal, and systems engineers to ensure structurally sound spacecraft designs while helping guide structural standards, modeling practices, and verification approaches across the company.

• Lead structural analysis and design efforts for spacecraft primary and secondary structures.
• Perform detailed analyses including static, modal, vibration, shock, acoustic, and thermal‑structural coupling.
• Develop finite element models to evaluate structural margins across launch and on‑orbit environments.
• Conduct structural trade studies to optimize mass, stiffness, manufacturability, and system integration.

• Build and maintain spacecraft finite element models (FEM) using tools such as NASTRAN, FEMAP, ANSYS, or equivalent.
• Generate analysis‑ready models from CAD assemblies (Creo or similar) and ensure consistency between design and analysis configurations.
• Develop analysis workflows and modeling practices to support rapid design iteration.

• Define structural verification strategies including analysis‑based margin justification and environmental test plans.
• Support structural testing campaigns including vibration, acoustic, shock, and static load testing.
• Correlate FEM results with test data and update models to improve predictive capability.

• Collaborate closely with mechanical, propulsion, avionics, GNC, and thermal teams to ensure structural compatibility across spacecraft systems.
• Participate in design reviews, technical discussions, and program milestones to ensure structural readiness.
• Identify structural risks early and propose mitigation strategies.

• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to junior structural and mechanical engineers.
• Contribute to development of internal structural analysis standards, tools, and best practices.
• Support program leadership with structural insights during key engineering and mission decisions.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Structural Engineering.
• 7+ years of experience performing structural analysis for spacecraft, launch vehicles, or comparable aerospace hardware.
• Strong experience with finite element analysis (FEA) tools such as NASTRAN, FEMAP, ANSYS, Abaqus, or similar.
• Experience building structural models directly from CAD assemblies (Creo, Solid Works, NX, or equivalent).
• Expertise analyzing launch and dynamic environments, including sine/random vibration, shock, and acoustic loads.
• Experience supporting structural testing and model correlation using real hardware test data.
• Knowledge of aerospace structural materials, joints, fasteners, and lightweight structural design techniques.
• Ability to operate independently while collaborating effectively across multidisciplinary teams.

• Experience with spacecraft structural environments and mission loads.
• Familiarity with composite structures, thin‑walled pressure vessels, or propulsion system structures.
• Experience supporting environmental test campaigns, including instrumentation and fixture design.
• Familiarity with Python or MATLAB for analysis automation or post‑processing.
• Experience…