Structural Analyst

ABOUT ROCKET LAB

Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems that keep the world connected, protected, expand humanity’s reach to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We move fast, build real hardware for meaningful missions, and make the impossible routine. Come shape the future with us.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Every launch starts with a question: will it hold? As a Dynamics & Structural Analyst at Rocket Lab, you'll answer it. Using modelling, simulation, and real flight data, you'll predict the violent vibration, shock, and loads that Electron endures from the pad to orbit and prove our structures can take it. From FEA that optimises dynamic response to post-processing flight data that validates every prediction, your analysis is what turns bold designs into reliable launch vehicles. As part of the Electron team, you will contribute to the analysis, design validation and future improvements of Electron vehicles, while also supporting launch operations, ground systems, and propulsion development.

If it flies, you helped prove it could.

WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO

• Perform prediction of launch vehicle modal and vibration environments based on finite element analysis, analytical methods and real flight data.
• Contribute to test plan definition of components (such as electronics) and assemblies, support test activities and interpret test results for dynamic testing (random vibration, acoustics, shock)
• Define, process and interpret static and dynamic ground test and flight data using statistical and analytical methods, following closely to industry standards (Random Vibration, Shock, Quasi-Static, Acoustic).
• Working closely with avionics, mechanical, fluids and propulsion team members to ensure the components, structures and assemblies survive the harsh test and flight loads.
• Working closely with GNC to ensure vehicle control stability
• Working closely with production by supporting production efficiency, closing risks and non-conformances.
• Working towards reducing the environments the vehicle is exposed to (Acoustics, Random Vibration, shock) including different forms of isolation.
• Maintain the qualification database and collect documentation of test environments and qualification status for vehicle components and assemblies.
• Support the analysis of primary and secondary structures, including composites and metallic components, and integrated structural assemblies.
• Build, run, validate, post-process and document FE models and simulations (modal, random vibration, sine harmonic, transient and buckling) to calculate design responses and margins to static, dynamic, and thermal loads
• Contribute to test plan definition of primary and secondary structures, support design with iterating through design concepts and test engineers through defining test requirements.
• Specify ground test and flight instrumentation, including sensor type and location, data acquisition and validation.

YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS

• A degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or a similar field
• 0–6 years industry experience, ideally from Aerospace, Automotive, Mechatronics, or Marine
• A keen physics-based approach to problem solving, with expertise in structural dynamics and structural mechanics
• Demonstrated expertise with one or more industry-standard structural FEA packages: Nastran (FEMAP), ANSYS, Abaqus, or Optistruct/Hyperworks
• Expertise with engineering programming and data analysis, especially in Python
• Good understanding of dynamics fundamentals/vibration theory.
• Good understanding of material engineering fundamentals (mechanics of materials, design best practices, analysis methods, and manufacturing processes)
• Experience predicting component life and structural margins, including ductile metal failure.
• Comfort working independently and in a team, executing to changing deadlines in a high-pressure environment
• Effective communication skills and the ability to build strong working relationships with colleagues and engineering professionals

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE