Head of Primary Structures

The role

This person will own the design, build, and performance of the vehicle's primary structures. They will manage the airframe, tanks, thrust structure, interstages, raceways, strakes, and thermal protection.

What you will do

• Own the primary airframe including propellant tanks, interstages, and thrust structure from concept through flight
• Drive structural design for minimum mass while meeting strength, stiffness, fatigue, and thermal requirements
• Ensure hardware survives combined ascent, entry, landing, and reuse environments
• Lead structural analysis and validate with test and flight data
• Define and execute structural test campaigns
• Work directly with manufacturing to iterate quickly and resolve build issues on the floor
• Identify and close failure modes through rapid design-test-learn cycles
• Support flight operations, anomaly investigation, and post-flight inspection/refurbishment improvements

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related engineering field
• 8+ years of experience in structural design, analysis, or mechanisms for flight hardware or high-performance systems
• Experience with load paths, structural sizing, and material selection
• Hands-on experience taking hardware from design through build and test
• Experience leading engineers or a team

Nice to have

• Experience with launch vehicles or reusable flight systems
• Strong background in metallic structures, welding, and/or composites
• Experience designing mechanisms (deployment, separation, hinges, latches)
• Familiarity with cryogenic structures and/or high-temperature environments
• Proficiency with FEA tools and ability to validate with real-world data

Benefits

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and eligible dependents
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Paid time off
• 10 paid holidays per calendar year
• Paid parental leave
• Relocation assistance if applicable
• Daily lunch in the office
• Fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks

Before you apply

• Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Depar

About the company

Cowboy Space Corporation is building the infrastructure for abundant, resilient space-based solar energy. The company is based in San Carlos, CA.