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Lead Structures Engineer

Lead the design and architectural decisions for composite and metallic structures in a growing aerospace company.

Location
San Francisco
Compensation
Not disclosed
Level
lead
Type
full time

Posted by employer 1 month ago

First seen on Joblaze 1 month ago

Last verified on the company career page 1 day ago

What you'll build

  • Architect primary and secondary composite and metallic structures
  • Define technical direction for aircraft structures
  • Support fabrication, assembly, ground testing, and flight test
  • Lead technical reviews and resolve complex structural design problems
  • Establish and drive engineering standards and design practices

Must have

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering
  • 10+ years designing aircraft structures
  • Demonstrated experience taking structural designs from concept through release
  • Strong understanding of metallic and composite structural design
  • Expertise with Siemens NX or equivalent CAD software
  • Excellent communication skills

Requirements

Experience
10+ years
Education
Bachelor's degree

Not disclosed in this posting: compensation, work arrangement, visa sponsorship.

Joblaze summary

The Lead Structures Engineer at Astro Mechanica is responsible for designing and architecting both composite and metallic structures, making critical decisions on materials and manufacturing approaches. This role requires extensive experience in aircraft structure design, particularly in leading projects from concept to testing, and proficiency in CAD software like Siemens NX. Ideal candidates will have over a decade of relevant experience and a strong background in mentoring engineers while maintaining hands-on technical involvement. The position plays a key role in shaping the engineering standards and processes as the company scales.

Joblaze insights

  • Listed about a month ago — first seen on Joblaze September 13, 2026. Last confirmed on Astro Mechanica's careers page October 29, 2026.
  • Mechanical Engineering appears in 2.2% of 628 comparable lead other roles in United States; Nastran appears in 0.2% of 628 comparable lead other roles in United States.

Quick facts

How much experience is required?
At least 10 years of relevant experience for this Lead Structures Engineer role.
What's the tech stack?
Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: Aerospace Engineering, FEA, FEMAP, Mechanical Engineering, Nastran, Siemens NX.
What seniority level is this role?
Astro Mechanica targets lead candidates for this position.
Is this full-time or contract?
Full-time for this Lead Structures Engineer role at Astro Mechanica.

From the original posting

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

  • Architect primary and secondary composite and metallic structures, making key decisions on load paths, joints, materials, structural arrangement, and manufacturing approach.

  • Define technical direction for aircraft structures and drive key architectural decisions across structural modules, aerodynamics, propulsion, systems, manufacturing, and flight test .

  • Define and drive the structures organization’s execution plan, including headcount and capability needs, work allocation, engineering processes, and operating rhythms; communicate priorities, risks, and decisions effectively both up and down the organization.

  • Support fabrication, assembly, ground testing, and flight test, rapidly incorporating lessons learned into improved designs.

  • Lead technical reviews and resolve complex structural design problems, providing technical direction when requirements, analysis, manufacturing constraints, or test results conflict.

  • Mentor engineers through technical guidance, design reviews, and day-to-day collaboration.

  • Establish and drive engineering standards, design practices, and development processes as the organization grows.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR:

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.

  • 10+ years designing aircraft structures, with ownership of significant flight hardware.

  • Demonstrated experience taking structural designs from concept through release, manufacturing, and test.

  • Demonstrated experience leading the technical development of major aircraft structures and driving design decisions across multiple engineers and disciplines.

  • Strong understanding of metallic and composite structural design, structural load paths, manufacturing methods, and joining techniques.

  • Expertise with Siemens NX or equivalent CAD software.

  • Strong first-principles engineering skills, including structural sizing and hand calculations, with a working knowledge of FEA tools such as Femap/Nastran.

  • Sound engineering judgment and the ability to make decisions with incomplete information and evolving requirements.

  • Excellent communication skills and the ability to drive technical decisions across multiple engineering disciplines.

  • A track record of mentoring engineers while remaining a hands-on technical contributor.

Standard company text repeated across Astro Mechanica's postings is omitted here.

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