Head of Primary Structures

Responsibilities

• Own the primary airframe including propellant tanks, interstages, and thrust structure from concept through flight
• 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 using FEA and hand calculations and validate with test and flight data
• Define and execute structural test campaigns including component, subscale, and full-scale tests
• 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

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related engineering field
• 8+ years of experience in structural design, analysis, or mechanisms for flight hardware
• 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 such as deployment, separation, hinges, and latches
• Familiarity with cryogenic structures and/or high-temperature environments
• Proficiency with FEA tools and ability to validate with real-world data

Benefits

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Paid time off and 10 paid holidays
• Paid parental leave
• Relocation assistance
• Daily lunch and fully stocked kitchen