Senior Propulsion Analysis Engineer

Ursa Major was founded to address a critical shortfall in the U.S. industrial base and bring a new model to aerospace and defense systems: we design and manufacture the world’s leading propulsion systems for space, hypersonic applications, and missile systems.

Our products and technologies require an extraordinary team – a team that will mold tomorrow’s technologies while deploying today’s best. We are an intrinsically motivated team that has a passion for solving problems and empowering each other every day to develop our skills, knowing that there is always room for growth.

As a Senior Propulsion Analysis Engineer, you will primarily focus on structural analyses across all our engines. You will be exposed to all systems on our engines and the unique challenges each component presents. We are looking for experienced analysts who bring new skills and best practices from their prior experience to Ursa and who, in time, will mentor younger employees as the team grows. You will be expected to assess risks posed by the hardware and to provide proactive feedback to our design team regarding how to improve their components based on the results of your work. Lastly, as Ursa ramps up its production rate and begins development on new engine platforms, you will be expected to assess nonconforming hardware, introduce approaches that could improve our team’s efficiency, and potentially venture into fluid analysis to support our fluids analysts when large volumes of workflow their way. You will report to our Propulsion Analysis Team Lead.

Responsibilities:

• You will perform coupled thermal-stress analysis to assess material response under extreme conditions.
• You will evaluate our designs through static, dynamic, fatigue, and fracture analyses and provide recommendations when needed to achieve our objectives.
• You will collaborate with other engineering teams to develop our engines while ensuring they meet our system-level requirements and comply with the structural standards we follow.
• You will work closely with our test team to request the instrumentation necessary to anchor our analytical models.
• You will collaborate with our manufacturing team to assess nonconforming hardware for development and flight engines and provide recommended dispositions and repairs.
• You will improve our analytical methods and seek out new approaches and tools.
• You will provide professional development, mentorship, and technical guidance to peers.

Minimum Experience/Requirements:

• Thermal-Structural static analysis (particularly dealing with nonlinear materials and large strains). Thermal-Structural Stress analysis experience is required.
• B.S. degree in mechanical, aerospace engineering, or a comparable field.
• 8+ years of experience performing structural analysis.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, startup environment.
• Prior experience working on safety-critical systems in production environments.
• Experience performing Finite Element Analysis (FEA / FEM) using commercial codes (e.g., ANSYS, Abaqus, of NASTRAN-based solvers).
• High Cycle Fatigue Analysis (HCF, crack initiation predicted by a stress-life / SN approach).
• Low Cycle Fatigue Analysis (LCF, crack initiation predicted by a strain-life / e-N approach).

Ideal Experience/Requirements:

• M.S. degree or higher in Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering, or a comparable field, ideally focusing on solid mechanics, fatigue, fracture, or structural dynamics.
• Dynamic analysis methods (modal, random vibration, shock response).
• Fracture analysis (crack growth / safe-life and assessing for instability via LEFM, ideally with prior experience using NASGRO).
• A strong theoretical background in heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and/or compressible flow.
• Experience with the ANSYS FEA suite.
• Experience with NCode.
• Experience anchoring analytical models to physical testing.
• Knowledge of turbomachinery-related analytical methods (e.g., generating Campbell diagrams to assess margins on rotordynamics or structural modes or rotating hardware).
• Prior professional experience working on either rocketry or turbomachinery.
• Experience supporting failure investigations and root-cause analysis.
• A track record of working efficiently in fast-paced engineering environments.
• A track record of effective oral and written communications to support your recommendations.
• Fluid analysis (e.g. Computational Fluid Dynamics / CFD or 1-D transient analysis using SINDA/FLUINT or ROCETS).
• Knowledge of composite materials, insulation, and ablative thermal protection systems.
• Working experience in loads development.

Colorado law requires us to tell you the base compensation range of this role, which is $130,000 - $160,000, determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. What we can’t quantify for you are the exciting challenges, supportive team, and amazing culture we enjoy. Click here for more information about our awesome benefits.

Classification: Full-time Exempt

Benefits Include:

• Unlimited PTO - Vacation, Sick, Personal, and Bereavement
• Paid Parental and Adoptive Leave
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Tax Advantage Accounts (HSA/FSA)
• Employer Paid Short and Long Term Disability, Basic Life, AD&D
• Additional Benefit Options Including Voluntary Life and Emergency Medical Transport
• EAP Program
• Retirement Savings Plan - Traditional 401(k) and a Roth 401(k)
• Equity Grants in the Company