Senior / Staff Loads and Dynamics Engineer

The role

You will use loads and dynamics expertise to drive hardware and product design decisions. You will own loads and dynamics analysis for aircraft and perform dynamic analyses of components. This role involves building finite element models and executing dynamic testing.

What you will do

• Own loads and dynamics analysis for Zipline’s aircraft
• Perform dynamic analyses of aircraft components, including structural modes, random vibration, and forced harmonic vibration
• Define program loads requirements that support flight performance and vehicle safety
• Build finite element models for structural and loads analyses
• Build and run multi-body simulations assessing the dynamics of everything from nominal flight through to parachute deployment
• Collaborate across hardware, software, and vehicle operations to drive aircraft configuration and performance decisions
• Evaluate static strength and fatigue life of aircraft structures using classical hand calculations and finite element analysis
• Execute dynamic testing from start-to-finish including pre-test analysis, instrumentation, testing, data analysis, signal processing and model correlation
• Level-up the engineering organization by providing mentorship, guidance, best practices, and building standardized in-house tools and processes

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or related field
• 7+ years of industry experience in design and analysis of aircraft structures
• Expertise in aircraft loads analysis and structural dynamics
• Deep knowledge of FEMAP/NASTRAN, Siemens Simcenter, or other finite element software
• Experience with Zona, ZAERO, RCAS, NASTRAN SOL144, or other loads analysis tools
• Analytical/scientific programming experience (Python, MATLAB)
• Clear owner mentality with rapid decision cadence
• Tolerance for ambiguity and shifting configurations
• Disciplined documentation habits
• Excellent hardware intuition
• Must be eligible to work in the US

Benefits

• Equity compensation
• Discretionary annual or performance bonuses
• Sales incentives
• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Paid time off

About the company

Zipline is the world’s largest and most experienced drone delivery service. They design, build, and operate an autonomous logistics system to deliver food, medicine, and essential goods.