Senior Structural Analyst

Job description

As a Senior Structural Analyst at Impulse, you will partner closely with vehicle engineering teams to lead structural analysis efforts that ensure our spacecraft meet rigorous performance and reliability standards. You will help define the analytical approaches, models, and verification strategies that guide the vehicle’s development, while supporting the creation of processes and tools that enable fast, high‑quality decision‑making across the organization. Own Global Vehicle FEM models, defining model requirements and fidelity, managing load cases, and maintaining model accuracy across vehicle life cycles Align Vehicle models to be used for both static structural and dynamic (CLA) analysis Develop and perform first-order hand calculations, rapid analytical assessments, and high-fidelity finite element analyses to evaluate static, dynamic, and environmental loads against strength, stiffness, stability, and fatigue Generate margins for metallic and composite structures, including joints and interfaces (bolted, bonded, etc.) Set the standard for analysis at Impulse, generating reusable analysis methods, templates, and workflows that improve structural design speed, consistency, and technical rigor Support the development of scalable analysis approaches and infrastructure aligned with a fast-paced development environment Provide expert input on a wide range of analysis and verification problems, including, pressurized structures, welds, composites, fatigue, stability, non-linear analysis, and more Develop plans for launch loads derivation, test loads definition, qualification strategy, acceptance testing, and structural verification. Correlate FEM models with test and flight data to improve prediction accuracy Drive root-cause investigations for structural failures, test anomalies, model-test correlation gaps, and hardware nonconformances Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Civil/Structural Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, or a related technical discipline 5+ years of experience in structural analysis, stress analysis, structural dynamics, aerospace structures, spacecraft hardware, launch vehicle hardware, mechanical systems, or a related field Strong fundamentals in solid mechanics, strength of materials, structural dynamics, vibration, fatigue, bolted joints, load paths, stiffness, and stability Experience building and running finite element models for complex mechanical or aerospace hardware (NASTRAN, FEMAP, or similar) Proficiency with CAD tools (NX or similar) Experience analyzing static loads, modal response, random vibration, acoustic environments, fatigue, thermal stress, or coupled structural loads. Experience calculating margins for metallic and composite structures Proficiency in Python, MATLAB, or VBA for analysis and automation