Senior Structural Analysis Engineer
- Salary
- $135,000 - $175,000
- Level
- Senior
- Work type
- On-site · El Segundo
Not stated in the posting: visa.
Open. First seen 3 October 2026.
About the role
Space Kinetic's standard text
A New Paradigm For Space Operations.
Who We Are:
Space Kinetic is a dual use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations – one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible, attainable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo, we are focused on creating something entirely different – an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on. Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures – where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small # of) primary payloads attached to the bus -- and unlock a ‘one-to-many’ system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster.
This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space.
What You’ll Do:
We are seeking a Senior Structural Analysis Engineer with 5+ years of experience to perform structural analysis across spacecraft, payload, and deployment-system hardware.
Job Responsibilities:
- Conduct and document static, thermo-mechanical, dynamic, vibration, buckling, fatigue, and fracture analyses using finite element analysis and first-principles methods
- Develop structural models to predict stress, deformation, dynamic response, failure modes, and margins of safety
- Define load cases and operating environments for spacecraft and flight hardware
- Perform hand calculations and analytical modeling to validate results and guide design decisions
- Collaborate with design, manufacturing, systems, and test engineers to develop lightweight, reliable, and manufacturable hardware
- Support structural test planning, instrumentation, execution, data processing, and correlation of models to test results
- Lead structural design trades, mass optimization, and resolution of hardware issues throughout development
- Document and present analysis findings during internal, customer, and program design reviews
What It Takes:
- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, applied physics, or a related technical discipline
- 5+ of experience in structural analysis, stress analysis, structural dynamics, loads development, or a related field
- Strong foundation in statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials, fatigue, fracture mechanics, and material behavior
- Proficiency with finite element analysis tools such as FEMAP/NASTRAN, ANSYS, Abaqus, or equivalent tools
- Experience performing static, modal, buckling, vibration, or nonlinear structural analyses
- Ability to use hand calculations and first-principles methods to validate computational models
- Experience supporting structural testing and correlating analytical predictions with test data
What We’d Love:
- Master’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, materials engineering, or a related field
- Experience analyzing spacecraft, payloads, deployment systems, mechanisms, or other flight hardware
- Proficiency with FEMAP/NASTRAN, Siemens NX, MATLAB, or Python
- Experience with metallic, composite, bonded, welded, machined, or additively manufactured structures
- Experience supporting static, vibration, shock, fatigue, qualification, or acceptance testing
- Familiarity with aerospace structural-analysis standards and qualification methodologies
Where You’ll Be:
- The position is onsite at our headquarters in El Segundo CA . Domestic travel may be required (up to ~20% of the year).
What We Offer:
- Equity-Based Compensation
- 401(k) retirement plan with a 3.5% company match
- Highly Competitive PTO
- Paid company holidays + winter break
- Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
- Unique Performance-Based Bonus Structure
ITAR Requirements:
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here
Space Kinetic's standard text
Equal Employment Opportunity:
Space Kinetic provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.
The annual base salary for this role is below. Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education/experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity.
Pay Range
$135,000—$175,000 USD
What this role asks for
Standard for software engineering roles
Python
Common in software engineering postings at any company.
68% of this description is written for the role. The rest is Space Kinetic's standard text, folded away below.
Read against Space Kinetic's other open postings on this site.
The team: Whirlwind Development Team - Mechanical Engineering
This role is one of 7 open in Whirlwind Development Team - Mechanical Engineering.
WHAT THE TEAM WORKS WITH, ACROSS ITS POSTINGS
SolidWorks (5 of 7), FEA (3 of 7), GD&T (3 of 7), MATLAB (3 of 7), Python (3 of 7), ANSYS (2 of 7), Creo (2 of 7)
OTHER ROLES ON THIS TEAM
- Senior Machine Design Engineer posted Aug 13
- Materials & Process (M&P) Engineer posted Aug 7
- Senior Thermal Engineer posted Jul 16
- Machine Design Engineer posted May 16
- Senior Mechanical Design Engineer posted Mar 9
- Senior Mechanism Simulation Engineer posted Mar 2
From the team and dates on Space Kinetic's own job board.
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