Engineering Airframe Lead

JOB TITLE: Engineering Airframe Lead
LOCATION: Mojave, CA
SALARY: $157,000-237,300/year varies based on education background and experience

We are a national aerospace and defense staffing agency seeking highly qualified candidates for a position with a top-tier client.

Job Details:

• Work Schedule: Hybrid schedule available for highly qualified candidates (75–80% onsite / approximately 4 days per week onsite)

• Travel Requirement: Less than 5% travel, as needed

• Industry: Aerospace / Defense / Aviation

• Benefits:

  • 9/80 work schedule

  • Medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage

  • Paid maternity and parental leave

  • 401k company match up to $11,500

  • Tuition reimbursement

Qualifying Questions:

• Are you a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual) as defined under ITAR regulations?

• Do you meet the educational and experience requirements for this role?

• Can you commute to the job location or relocate if necessary?

Summary: 

• Lead a diverse team of mechanical and manufacturing engineers

• Lead structural development of hypersonic flight vehicles, including trade studies and structural layouts

• Serve as the technical authority for the structures subsystem and make final technical decisions

• Lead successful execution of structural design reviews to advance programs through manufacturing and flight testing

• Establish and guide the structural systems engineering approach, including:

  • Structural requirements creation and disposition

  • Mass properties management

  • Configuration management of models

  • Review and approval of documents, reports, and analyses

  • Engineering standards and best practices for the structures team

  • Technical risk assessments and approval/waiver of ground testing

• Collaborate closely with Program Responsible Engineers and the Chief Engineer to ensure successful program execution

• Provide regular program updates and technical communication to the Chief Engineer

• Travel as required to support program objectives

• Demonstrate integrity, accountability, and commitment to program success

Requirements:

• Staff-level ($157,000-$206,000): Bachelor’s degree (B.S.) from accredited institution and 10-20 years of relevant experience, OR equivalent combination of education and experience

• Principal Level ($181,000-$237,300): Bachelor’s degree (B.S.) from accredited institution and 20 years of engineering experience, OR equivalent combination of education and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent combination of education and experience

• Experience in one or more of the following areas:

  • Mechanical design

  • Structural design and analysis

  • Mechanical systems

  • Structural-thermal analysis

  • Aircraft systems and operations

  • Launch vehicle integration

• Significant experience in the rapid development of prototype or experimental flight vehicles, including full lifecycle involvement on at least one program

• Significant experience serving as a design engineering lead and/or analyst on a structures team

• Experience with metallic structures design, analysis, and manufacturing

• Aerospace leadership experience, including coordination with subcontractors and external partners

• Experience with risk management

• Ability to thrive in small engineering teams with cross-functional responsibilities

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance

• 3D CAD experience (Siemens NX and Teamcenter preferred)

• Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

• Configuration management tools such as JIRA, Git, JAMA, or similar systems

• Ability to prioritize work, adapt quickly, and work independently in a fast-paced environment

• Must be a U.S. Person (as defined by ITAR).