Solid Rocket Motor Thermostructures Engineer
| Company | The Aerospace Coporation |
|---|---|
| Location | Hill AFB, UT, USA, Colorado Springs, CO, USA, Chantilly, VA, USA, Huntsville, AL, USA, El Segundo, CA, USA |
| Salary | $100300 – $175900 |
| Type | Full-Time |
| Degrees | Bachelor’s |
| Experience Level | Mid Level, Senior |
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related technical field is required
- A minimum of (3) years of increasingly responsible professional or industry experience in structural engineering is required
- Experience performing finite element analyses
- Experience or coursework in structural mechanics such as nonlinear materials, plates and shells, energy and finite element methods, fracture, and fatigue
- Experience with the design, qualification, and testing of solid rocket motor structures
- Strong attention to detail and time management skills
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to explain complicated subjects in a simple and cogent manner to decision makers
- Willing to travel occasionally to work locations or customer sites (approximately 20%), domestically or internationally
- This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance
Responsibilities
- Evaluate the design, analysis, and test methodologies related to solid rocket motor structures, solid propellant, composite motor cases, skirts, nozzles, exit cones, joints, O-ring seals, and igniters
- Offer technical consultation to management, customers, contractors, and government organizations in formulating and assessing test plans, procedures, objectives, and success criteria
- Develop and assess design and analysis criteria, requirements, and specifications for solid rocket motor structures
- Contribute to the development and execution of test programs for development, qualification, and acceptance of solid rocket motor structures
- Improve agility of the mission assurance process in assessing the structural integrity and survivability of solid rocket motor structures
- Maintain state-of-the-art skills in activities related to design, evaluation, and testing of solid rocket motor structures; skills include expertise in structural mechanics analysis techniques, failure criteria, composite design criteria, fracture and fatigue, damage tolerance, concept ideation and development, and advanced finite element analysis methods
- Communicate with both inter-organizational personnel, program offices, and customers when necessary to scope, plan, and resolve technical issues
- Coordinate with technical experts at contractor facilities to address and resolve concerns of emerging risks
- Work within interdisciplinary teams to address cross-disciplinary issues
- Provide timely technical recommendation to line management and customers through technical briefing and reports
Preferred Qualifications
- Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related technical field is required
- (10) years of increasingly responsible professional or industry experience in structural engineering is required
- Proficiency with the design, qualification, and nonconformance assessment of solid rocket motor structures, solid propellant, composite motor cases, skirts, nozzles, exit cones, joints, O-ring seals, and igniters
- Technical proficiency in several of the following areas: ablative composite technology (failure criteria, material characterization, and erosion and progressive damage analysis), fracture mechanics and fatigue analysis (damage tolerance/safe life analysis and fracture control), nondestructive inspection criteria, probabilistic analysis and uncertainty quantification, and structural stability margin assessment
- Demonstrated ability to represent the physics of structures during the analysis idealization stage, and to translate results into a conclusive assessment
- Demonstrated ability to coordinate technical assignments and lead project teams
- Proficient with NASTRAN, Abaqus, or other commercial finite element tools, and direct experience correlating finite element model predictions with test results
- Understanding of flight qualification strategies from a structural perspective