About Electra

Air travel is about to become something more: more direct, more accessible, and more connected to the places where people live, work and want to be. Every day in the U.S., people make 35 million trips of 50–500 miles, stuck in traffic or routed through crowded hubs. Chances are, you've been one of them. At Electra, we're changing that with the EL9, a nine-passenger, hybrid-electric aircraft that takes off and lands in just 150 feet. Our Ultra Short technology opens up thousands of new places to fly, beyond conventional runways, congested airports and long drives. We're backed by Lockheed Martin, Honeywell and Safran. Operators worldwide have signed intent-to-purchase agreements for the first 2,200 aircraft we produce, and we're moving toward first test flights in 2027.

Getting a new kind of aircraft airborne takes more than ambition. It takes our kind of bold: people who think big while working in the real world. Who move ideas into action and collaborate without silos. Who put people first and make room at the table for everyone. Who challenge one another without diminishing one another.

Sound like you? Then look beyond what you thought were your own limits, and help us take flight beyond runways.

About Electra

At Electra, we're building hybrid-electric Ultra Short Takeoff and Landing aircraft that redefine regional air travel. Our technology enables aircraft to take off and land in soccer field-sized spaces, unlocking thousands of new operating locations and enabling what we call Direct Aviation: quiet, efficient, point-to-point travel closer to where people live and work.

A global company headquartered in Manassas, VA, with additional operations in Switzerland, Electra is backed by industry leaders and is advancing toward certification. We're a growing team of innovators working at the forefront of sustainable aviation-every hire plays a critical role in shaping the future of flight.

The Role

As a Senior or Principal Airframe Stress Engineer, you will lead structural analysis efforts supporting the development, certification, and production of Electra's flagship hybrid-electric eSTOL aircraft. This role is responsible for ensuring the structural integrity of metallic and composite airframe components through detailed analysis, testing, and certification substantiation.

You will work closely with design engineering, loads, materials & processes, manufacturing, structural test, suppliers, and certification teams to develop robust airframe structures that meet performance, safety, and FAA certification requirements. The ideal candidate combines deep structural analysis expertise with strong engineering judgment and the ability to influence aircraft design decisions throughout the product lifecycle.

What You'll Do

Support development of major airframe structures from preliminary design through certification, production launch, and manufacturing ramp-up
Perform static strength, fatigue, and durability analyses for metallic and composite aircraft structures
Develop structural substantiation methods and analysis plans supporting FAA Part 23 type certification
Create and validate finite element models using FEMAP/Nastran or equivalent analysis tools
Perform detailed hand calculations using industry-standard methodologies and references including:
Bruhn
Niu
Roark
ESDU
Classical mechanics of materials approaches
Collaborate with loads, design, materials & processes, manufacturing, structural test, and certification teams throughout the entire development process
Support trade studies and structural design optimization activities
Define structural analysis requirements and certification substantiation plans
Review and approve design dispositions and engineering analyses
Support component, subassembly, and full-scale structural testing activities, including:
Test planning
Requirements definition
Instrumentation support
Data review
Test reporting
Prepare structural substantiation reports and certification documentation
Present structural analyses and recommendations during internal and external design reviews