Cowboy Space
Head of Primary Structures
$195K–$235K
Kent, Washington · On-site · Director · Full-time · Posted Oct 21, 2026
- Experience
- 8+ years.
- Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related engineering field.
- Visa sponsorship
- Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
About the job
Leads the design, build, analysis, testing, and flight performance of a reusable vehicle’s primary structures, balancing minimum mass with strength and reliability.
What you'll do
- Own primary structures, including propellant tanks, interstages, and thrust structure, from concept through flight.
- Lead structural analysis and test campaigns, validating designs with test and flight data.
- Work with manufacturing and flight operations to resolve build issues, investigate anomalies, and improve refurbishment.
What they ask for
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related engineering field.
- 8+ years of experience in structural design, analysis, or mechanisms for flight hardware or high-performance systems.
- Experience with load paths, structural sizing, and material selection.
- Hands-on experience taking hardware from design through build and test; experience leading engineers or a team.
Nice to have
- Experience with launch vehicles or reusable flight systems.
- Background in metallic structures, welding, composites, mechanisms, cryogenic or high-temperature structures, or FEA validation.
Pay
$195,000 – $235,000 annually (base salary)
Tools
FEA
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative