Structural Analyst - Space Launch Project

About Dawn Aerospace and the Role

Dawn Aerospace is pioneering rapid, routine access to space with its Aurora spaceplane program, developing a reusable, rocket-powered aircraft to revolutionize space travel. We are seeking a Structural Analyst to join our Christchurch team, contributing directly to flight-critical structures that support scalable and sustainable space access.

Responsibilities

• Conduct structural analyses and verification on composite and metallic airframe structures and their components.
• Create and refine analytical and finite element models to forecast structural behavior under flight, ground, and test loading scenarios.
• Assess static strength, stiffness, stability, fatigue life, and damage tolerance of aerospace structures.
• Develop structural load cases and methods for certification compliance.
• Plan and lead materials testing programs to define and confirm material properties relevant to analysis, optimization, and certification.
• Support planning, executing, and correlating structural tests; investigate any anomalies or failures.
• Collaborate with design engineers to optimize structure weight, function, and manufacturability.
• Participate in design reviews and influence technical decisions throughout the product lifecycle.
• Advance structural analysis techniques, design workflows, tools, and engineering standards continuously.
• Work cross-functionally to deliver integrated vehicle solutions from conceptual design through to flight.

Qualifications & Experience

• A relevant degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related field.
• A minimum of three years professional experience in structural analysis within aerospace, aviation, motorsport, or comparable high-performance engineering sectors.
• In-depth knowledge of composite materials, laminate theory, and manufacturing methods.
• Proficiency with structural analysis tools such as 3DEXPERIENCE CATIA/SIMULIA (preferred), Abaqus, Ansys, or equivalents.
• Experience in structural testing of both composites and metals at material, component, or assembly level.
• Familiarity with aerospace structural verification, validation and certification processes.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience in fast-paced, rapid development or prototype flight-test environments.

Desirable Skills

• Expertise in defect assessment and damage tolerance evaluation of composite structures and management of hardware non-conformances.
• Competence in linear and nonlinear buckling analysis.
• Experience in composite joint design methodologies.
• Knowledge of selecting sensors, data acquisition, and interpreting structural test outputs including load cells, strain gauges, accelerometers, and LVDTs.

Personal Attributes

You thrive on solving complex engineering challenges and converting analysis into actionable engineering decisions. Comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-moving environment, your contributions directly affect hardware, testing, and flight results. You are collaborative, proactive, communicative, and able to balance rigorous engineering with rapid development demands. This role is best suited to those who prefer a broad scope over narrowly defined tasks and lengthy development cycles.

Diversity and Inclusion

Dawn Aerospace embraces diversity and fosters an inclusive environment where all backgrounds and perspectives are encouraged and valued.

About Dawn Aerospace

Our mission is to enable the next generation of space users by delivering sustainable, scalable space transportation solutions. We focus on three key areas: in-space green propulsion with over 170 flight-proven units, in-space satellite servicing and refueling enhancing satellite lifespan, and our spaceplane project aiming for high-frequency, cost-effective runway-launched suborbital flights. Our teams operate globally with offices in the Netherlands, France, New Zealand, and the USA.

Additional Information

If you feel you meet the criteria but don’t tick every box, we encourage you to apply. Recruitment agencies are requested not to submit resumes or inquiries as unsolicited resumes will not be accepted or remunerated.