Structural Engineer (Spacecraft)

Location: Hybrid in Reading (London), United Kingdom, with one dedicated remote day per week

Company

hirify.global Space develops ultra-low Earth orbit satellite platforms and ion propulsion technology to advance global connectivity and insight.

What you will do

• Perform structural analysis of spacecraft structures, propulsion subsystems, and mechanical assemblies across static, modal, random vibration, sine, shock, and quasi-static load cases.
• Develop and validate finite element models, perform preliminary hand calculations, and support structural sizing, stiffness optimisation, and load-path analysis.
• Plan and execute vibration, shock, and structural qualification test campaigns, including test planning, hardware instrumentation, data interpretation, model correlation, and qualification reporting.
• Instrument flight hardware with accelerometers and strain gauges and correlate test results with analytical models.
• Review engineering drawings and collaborate with mechanical, thermal, propulsion, systems, AIT, and design teams on structural decisions.
• Support structural verification and qualification against GEVS, ECSS, and NASA requirements throughout development, integration, and testing.

Requirements

• B.S. or M.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 3 years of structural analysis experience on flight hardware such as spacecraft, launch vehicles, missiles, or other high-performance structures.
• Experience analysing spacecraft structures and subsystems, including electronic boxes, propulsion systems, hydraulics, or solar panels.
• Hands-on FEM experience, including the ability to justify modelling assumptions and approaches; proficiency with NASTRAN, ANSYS, or Abaqus is required.
• Experience with design for manufacturing, launch environments, environmental testing, accelerometers, strain gauges, and model correlation.
• Confidence reading and reviewing engineering drawings and working directly with design engineers on structural decisions.

Nice to have

• Experience with Altair OptiStruct.
• Experience analysing composite materials.
• Experience with metallic and composite material testing.

Culture & Benefits

• Work on pioneering ion propulsion and VLEO satellite technology.
• Ownership of work across the full satellite technology lifecycle.
• Equity participation and a competitive salary.
• Private health insurance with dental and optical coverage, plus annual healthcare check-ups.
• Visa sponsorship and relocation support are available for applicants joining from abroad.