Structures & Mechanisms Lead Seattle WA July26

Structures & Mechanisms Lead - Seattle WA - July 2026

We are seeking a Structures Mechanisms Lead for our client in Seattle Area to work on vehicle 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.

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:

• Bachelors 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).

• Proficiency with FEA tools and ability to validate with real-world data.