Specialist Engineer, Stress

Virgin Galactic is seeking a Specialist Stress Engineer eager to participate in innovative/unique aerospace vehicle design, build, test activities. Guided by our values, “Safety Above All”, we proactively manage the risks inherent in human spaceflight through our daily actions. The responsibilities will range from early concept and development, through full production, life cycle, and sustainment.

The Specialist Engineer will be tasked with addressing and solving the most difficult engineering challenges throughout all phases of the program life cycle. The Specialist Stress Engineer will support the vehicle life cycle via hands‑on assessment and analytical substantiation of vehicles in a fast‑paced, multi‑disciplinary environment.

Stress Engineers will collaborate across other disciplines, including but not limited to:
Structures Design, Maintenance & Operations teams, Manufacturing, Propulsion, Flight Test and more to provide design substantiation, test support, and operations support. Specialist Stress Engineers will be able to function both independently and as part of a team in support of their tasking. Maintain focus on timeliness and execution of tasks and deliverables every day.

• Develop technical solutions to complex problems that require regular ingenuity and creativity
• Perform structural analysis to provide analytical definition and/or ensure structural integrity of components, assemblies, and systems
• Develop and/or utilize finite element models (global and discrete)
• Create, review, and update engineering analytical definition of components and assemblies (analysis documentation)
• Prepare clear and concise reports that collect, analyze, and summarize information
• Provide technical review and approval of engineering documentation including stress plans, procedures, reports and associated designs
• Participate in various technical reviews, provide input on structural integrity and safety, and verify that technical requirements are properly achieved
• Identify errors, omissions, other deficiencies, and recommend revisions and/or improvements in analyses and/or design layouts to responsible engineers
• Identify process deficiencies and develop solutions to improve those deficiencies
• Play an integral role in the workflow release process for structural designs
• Support review of manufacturing plans and procedures to ensure compliance with design and load requirements
• Support the creation of structural component and system test plans which will be used to verify manufacturing and testing
• Support production and operations teams to ensure vehicle readiness for flight. This includes involvement in fabrication, implementation, and MRB activities
• Lead and coordinate the activities of a team of stress engineers within an assigned project
• Lead by example and inspire team collaboration with various engineering stakeholders during the design, production, integration, test, delivery, and operation of air/space vehicles
• Develop stress analysis tools and methodologies
• Participate in the continuous improvement of stress analysis methods and processes to enhance efficiency and accuracy
• Contribute to internal technical standards, templates, and lessons learned databases
• Manage multiple responsibilities
• Coach and Mentor more junior team members, transfer expertise to drive projects to completion
• Work collaboratively to achieve goals and/or complete assigned tasks

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, with a concentration in a relevant Engineering discipline
• Minimum 12 years prior experience in structural analysis or “Stress‑adjacent” disciplines of aerospace engineering (examples: Loads, Methods, Durability and Damage Tolerance)
• Excellent understanding of material properties & behavior, statics / free body diagrams, and structural load paths.
• Strong foundational knowledge and understanding of stress analysis procedures, failure modes, failure theories, and applicable calculations
• Knowledge creating and interrogating FEA models, including pre and post processing of NASTRAN models and associated sizing of structure and system components
• Strong teamwork and coordination skills
• Excellent…