Staff Structural Analyst – High Performance Hardware

A fast-growing space company is looking for a staff-level structural analyst to support their rocket and spacecraft propulsion programs. This isn’t a role where you sit in a corner running someone else’s model. It’s about owning analysis work end to end, working closely with design engineers, and making sure their systems are safe, functional, and physically sound.

They’re not looking for a typical big aerospace background. If your experience comes from fast-paced environments like smaller aerospace firms, motorsport, or automotive R&D, where you’ve had to wear a few hats and take ownership of the process, this might be the right fit.

What makes this different?

• The design engineers do most of the modeling here. You won’t just be doing heads-down analysis all day. Your job is to help those engineers build and understand their models, guide their decisions, and make sure nothing slips through the cracks.

• You’ll be a trusted technical lead, supporting multiple teams and mentoring others, while still getting hands-on with tools and models yourself.

• You’ll have a chance to influence how analysis is done across the business. The person in this seat will help raise the bar and define how analysis integrates into design.

What they’re looking for

• 5-8+ years in structural and thermal analysis, ideally in high-performance environments like launch vehicles, spacecraft, automotive, or racing.

• A good foundation in physics and engineering fundamentals. They care more about that than tool-specific knowledge.

• Someone who’s worked with a range of tools (they currently use ANSYS, but background with FEA, CFD, thermal modeling, and scripting in Python/MATLAB is all a plus).

• Experience consulting with design teams, mentoring others, and owning work from start to finish.

• Bonus if you’ve worked with complex materials like composites, AM parts, or cryo-rated metals.

Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

Adam Slade