Staff Loads Engineer (R4722)
Leads development and analysis of aerodynamic and structural loads for next-gen air vehicles, including maneuver, gust, and ground loads. Collaborates with aero, GNC, and structural teams; requires 8+ years experience and proficiency in NASTRAN, FEMAP, MATLAB.
About the job
What you'll do
- Own the development of aerodynamic and structural load envelopes for the full vehicle, from clean-sheet through flight test
- Lead maneuver, gust, landing, and ground loads analyses, including both quasi-static and dynamic cases
- Coordinate closely with GNC, aero, and structural teams to define load cases tied to mission profiles and flight control behaviors
- Develop and validate loads models using tools like NASTRAN, FEMAP, MATLAB, or custom Python/Simulink scripts
- Support the sizing and analysis of critical structural components through detailed load maps and V-n diagrams
- Conduct aeroelastic stability assessments, including divergence and control reversal checks
- Lead traceability of loads inputs/outputs across ICDs, FEA models, and design justification documents
- Interface with test engineering to support strain gauge placement, instrumentation plans, and correlation of in-flight data
- Author and present loads documentation for reviews, compliance, and technical buy-in
- Support the long-term refinement of loads methodologies and automation across the aerostructures team
Required qualifications
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field
- 8+ years experience performing loads and aeroelastic analysis for aircraft (manned or unmanned)
- Proficiency with loads modeling tools such as FEMAP, NASTRAN, MATLAB, or other relevant simulation environments
- Strong understanding of aircraft flight envelopes, control surface effects, and structural load paths
- Demonstrated experience supporting both design and test phases with accurate load predictions
- Excellent documentation, cross-functional collaboration, and communication skills
Preferred qualifications
- Experience on UAV, eVTOL, or tactical military platforms
- Familiarity with MIL-A-8860, FAR Part 23/25 loads regulations, or similar certification standards
- Knowledge of aeroelastic stability, load alleviation, and adaptive control
- Experience developing internal tools or automation for loads generation and reporting
- Active or previous DoD clearance (not required)
Skills
Nastran, Femap, MATLAB, Python, Simulink, Aeroelastic Analysis, Loads Analysis, FEA, Gnc, V-N Diagrams
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