About this opportunity
Certus Sales Recruitment lists this Senior Mechanical Engineer - Structures opportunity in los angeles, California. Review the employer’s description below for duties, qualifications and application requirements.
Job description
Senior Mechanical Engineer – Structures
Los Angeles
$180k–$225k Base + Benefits
Certus Recruitment is partnering with an advanced aerospace business developing next-generation re‑entry systems and seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer (Structures) to play a critical role in the development of its Carryall re‑entry vehicle.
This is a genuinely high-impact opportunity for an experienced structural engineer who has owned complete flight vehicle structures from concept through build, testing, and flight. The successful candidate will act as the structural architect for the full vehicle, taking responsibility for structural integrity across launch, orbital operations, atmospheric re‑entry, and landing.
This is not a narrow subsystem role. The business is looking for someone capable of operating at full‑vehicle level, balancing structural performance, manufacturability, integration, testing, and operational realities across an extreme mission profile.
The role will sit at the center of vehicle development, partnering closely with thermal, manufacturing, recovery, and systems teams to help deliver a flight‑ready platform.
Key responsibilities include:
Owning the structural architecture of the complete re‑entry vehicle
Leading structural design activities from early trade studies through detailed design, integration, testing, and flight readiness
Defining primary load‑bearing structures, TPS interfaces, payload bay structures, and secondary structural systems
Performing and approving high‑fidelity structural analysis using FEA tools including NASTRAN and ANSYS
Designing for extreme environments including launch loads, orbital vacuum, hypersonic re‑entry, vibration, shock, and landing conditions
Driving structural integration across thermal protection systems, atmospheric recovery, and manufacturing functions
Creating and approving manufacturing drawings with advanced GD&T standards (ASME Y14.5)
Leading structural test campaigns including static load, vibration, deployment, and qualification testing
Working closely with fabrication, composites, machining, and manufacturing partners to ensure quality and delivery standards are achieved
The ideal candidate will bring:
10+ years of structural engineering experience within spacecraft, launch vehicles, hypersonics, or re‑entry systems
Proven experience taking full flight vehicle structures through concept, build, test, and flight
Deep expertise across structural analysis, FEA, and flight hardware development
Strong experience with CAD and engineering tools including SolidWorks, NX, CATIA, NASTRAN, and ANSYS
Expertise in GD&T and manufacturing‑ready engineering documentation
Experience working with advanced aerospace materials including titanium, aluminum, and carbon fiber composites
A highly hands‑on and technically rigorous engineering mindset
What makes this opportunity particularly compelling is the level of ownership attached to the role. This individual will help define the structural backbone of a highly ambitious aerospace platform within a fast‑moving engineering environment tackling genuinely difficult technical problems.
Compensation & Benefits:
$180k–$225k base salary
Los Angeles
Opportunity to work on cutting‑edge re‑entry and spaceflight technology
High‑impact technical ownership and visibility
Collaborative, mission‑driven engineering culture
Strong long‑term growth potential within an ambitious aerospace program
This is an outstanding opportunity for a senior aerospace structures engineer seeking end‑to‑end ownership, deep technical challenges, and the chance to help shape the future of advanced flight systems.
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Worksite address
los angeles, CA, 90079, US
Who can apply
Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.