Structural Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

DESE Research is seeking a highly skilled Structural Engineer to support the development of sustainable lunar transportation systems. In this role, you will apply your technical expertise, leadership skills, and commitment to quality to support the design, development, and testing of aerospace hardware for safe human spaceflight. You will work closely with NASA and national team partners as part of the Human Landing System (HLS) Sustaining Lunar Development (SLD) program, contributing to the advancement of lunar infrastructure that will enable extended human presence beyond Earth.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, develop, and test primary and secondary structures, including composites, metallic piece parts, and integrated structural assemblies.

• Create 3D models, detailed part drawings, assemblies, installations, and interface control documents.

• Provide manufacturing and production support for designed hardware.

• Offer technical guidance for system integration.

• Support configuration development and conduct trade studies.

• Apply practical approaches to hardware fabrication with consideration of cost impacts.

• Develop test plans, specifications, and supporting documentation for flight hardware.

• Collaborate with vertically-integrated teams responsible for materials and manufacturing processes to produce world-class aerospace hardware.

• Participate in subsystem test planning, execution, data reduction, and analysis.

• Plan, coordinate, conduct tests, and review resulting data.

• Participate in the development and procurement of new equipment and tooling.

• Maintain and report on activity schedules, budgets, and technical status.

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. degree in Engineering.

• 8+ years of experience in automotive, aircraft, spacecraft, or launch vehicle structures.

• Experience with recently developed aircraft or launch vehicles in areas including:

  • Structural design of metallic components and assemblies

  • Vehicle load path distribution and first-order strength assessment and sizing

  • Material selection, compatibility, and manufacturing techniques

• Strong mechanical design and integration skills using 3D CAD software.

• Familiarity with GD&T analysis (ASME Y14.5).

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to rapidly apply structural mechanics principles using hand calculations and finite element analysis.

• Understanding of material and design considerations in cryogenic operating environments.

• Experience with the full product lifecycle from design through test and production.

• Proficiency with Creo (Pro/E) Wildfire 5 or later, and Windchill 10.

• Knowledge of design and fabrication considerations for composite structures.

• Familiarity with classical hand analysis methods (e.g., Bruhn, Niu, Roark's).

• Experience with analysis codes such as Nastran, ANSYS, Optistruct, Abaqus, HyperMesh, or Hypersizer.

Security Clearance Requirements
Applicants must be U.S. citizens and be eligible to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance.

About DESE

For the past 43 years, DESE has provided industry-leading technical and engineering solutions in the fields of Defense, Energy, Space, and Environment. As a small, family-oriented business, DESE provides a compelling benefits package including a generous profit-sharing plan, competitive salaries, and perhaps most importantly, the opportunity to work alongside talented professionals leveraging cutting-edge technologies to solve complex and engaging problems.

Why employees love working for DESE:

At DESE, we are committed to creating a company that is known for its respect and care for employees. We understand that happy employees are what keeps our business going and we strive to provide the best opportunities for each individual working on our team! Here are a few reasons you will love working here:

• Competitive health, dental and vision insurance with affordable premiums

• Flexible work schedules

• Two different flexible spending account options

• Company paid life insurance with options for employee paid additional

• Performance bonus program

• Education reimbursement program

• Company paid personal leave for approved philanthropic activities

• Vacation, Sick & Holiday leave

• Robust 401k profit sharing plan

• Opportunities for internal promotions

• Employee referral incentive program

• Rewards and gifts for service anniversaries

Disability Accommodation for Applicants – DESE Research, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and provides reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in its job application procedures. If you have any difficulty using our online system and you need an accommodation due to a disability, you may use the following alternative email address or phone number to contact us about your interest in employment with us: [email protected] or 256-837-8004x123 .