At Stoke, we believe a thriving space economy will enable a vibrant, sustainable, and equitable future here on Earth. That is why we’re building Nova, our fully and rapidly reusable launch vehicle. Designed for daily flight, Nova tackles the core challenges of space transportation by reducing cost, increasing availability, and improving reliability. By radically lowering launch costs and increasing flight cadence, we’re helping create a truly scalable space industry.

Our team is mission-driven, collaborative, and empowered to take ownership of their work. If you want to work alongside some of the most dedicated and talented people on Earth, we’d love to have you join us.

Description

As the first dedicated Flight Safety Analyst and part of a small and agile GNC team, you will own the development of simulation modeling capabilities and will produce analysis artifacts demonstrating that Nova will launch, reenter, and land both the first and second stages reliably while also protecting public safety. This includes modeling of potential failure scenarios, breakup and debris modeling, propagation of debris trajectories after failure scenarios, and calculation of expected casualties from malfunction scenarios. You will work with Design Reliability and System Safety engineers to deliver the complete story of how Nova operations protect public and range safety to the FAA, Space Force, launch service customers, and Stoke leadership. You must be ready to stay focused, move fast, self-direct, and learn on the fly.

Key Responsibilities

Develop models to simulate vehicle functional failure modes and integrate those models with the core Nova GNC simulation
Perform Monte Carlo simulations to determine statistical probabilities of various trajectory outcomes after certain vehicle functional failures
Develop a model of debris generated from various vehicle breakup scenarios and model the propagation of debris to impact with the ground
Develop a model of expected casualties from various failure scenarios given the debris impact area and a model of the population distribution
Partner with Design Reliability and System Safety engineers to determine the probability of certain vehicle functional failures, inform overall expected casualties for Nova flight operations, and ensure that expected casualties remain within acceptable limits
Communicate analysis results, discuss feedback, and refine analysis approaches with external entities including FAA, Space Force, launch service customers, and others

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering or similar field
5+ years of experience in an engineering role on a complex product requiring high performance, high reliability, and a rapid development process
Exceptional command of fundamentals of flight dynamics and statistics
Familiarity with fundamentals of orbital mechanics and orbital trajectory design
Experience with simulation and modeling of physical systems
Excellent written and verbal communication
Ability to lead and follow

Preferred Qualifications:

Master’s degree or PhD in aerospace engineering or similar field
Experience with launch and/or reentry licensing with the FAA per 14 CFR Part 450
Experience with flight safety analysis with the Space Force per SSCMAN 91-710 Vol. 2
Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink

Benefits

Equity – We are pleased to offer equity in the form of stock options to all full-time employees.
Comprehensive benefits program including subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance
Company-paid life and disability insurance
401(k) plan with employer match
4 weeks’ Paid Time Off
Holidays – 11 days (including an end-of-year closure)
Paid Parental Leave
On-site gym or monthly wellness stipend (depending on location)
Dog friendly offices!

Compensation

Target Levels:

Level 3: $129,150 - $193,620

Level 4: $151,305 - $252,105

Level 5: $176,505 - $327,810

Our job posts are intentionally written to attract a wide variety of experience levels, and we make decisions about the right fit on a per-candidate basis.