Structural Design Engineer - Senior - Fiber Materials

FMI, A Spirit AeroSystems Company | solutions for the most extreme places in the universe

Spirit Maine's manufacturing facility has been a leading solutions provider of high temperature materials and composites for more than 50 years, serving the Department of Defense and NASA. The focus in Maine is on multidirectional reinforced Carbon/Carbon (C/C) and Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs) that enable high-temperature components such as: thermal protection systems, re-entry vehicle nose tips as well as rocket motor throats and nozzles. 

Our materials are being used on ground-breaking space initiatives such as the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and the heat shield for NASA's Mars 2020 mission, important missile programs, airfoils in commercial and military jet engines, and as lightweight armor for U.S. military ground vehicles. 

Your role: Spirit Maine is seeking an innovative, experienced Senior Structural Design Engineer who will focus on the development and prototyping of high performance, lightweight thermal protection systems and hot structures.  As the Senior Structural Design Engineer, you will be responsible for technical execution of design and analysis efforts with an emphasis on design for manufacturability with advanced high temperature carbon and ceramic composites.  Activities will encompass the full design cycle and include the opportunity to have a foundational impact on advanced high temperature composite design system creation. For this role you will need to be able to work independently as well as in a small team and understand how to succeed in a development environment.

Job Responsibilities:

• Apply sound engineering principles and relevant experience to create innovative high speed flight structures from explicit and derived customer requirements.
• Employ knowledge of advanced high temperature composite and metallic material behavior and performance to ensure designs are manufacturable and production scalable.
• Execute thermal/structural analysis of designs and define/coordinate verification testing from coupon to prototype levels under representative loading and relevant environments.
• Lead the effort to provide guidance, feedback and evaluation during the development of new modeling and simulation tools.
• Capture, document and train best practices and guidelines for design with advanced high temperature composites to grow the discipline.
• Participate in the development and maturation of novel material systems through requirements derivation and performance simulations.
• Prepare technical reports to capture all knowledge generated and share with the greater team.
• Embody a culture of continuous improvement and promote safe work habits at all times.

What we need from you:

• Degree in the field of Science or Engineering and a minimum of 6 years relevant experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of one or more: structural design, thermal/structural analysis, hypersonic flight environment, advanced high temperature materials, structural testing, high speed environmental testing.
• CAE experience; 3D modeling (Catia V5, SolidWorks, NX, etc.) and Finite Element Analysis (HyperSizer, ABAQUS, NASTRAN, etc.).
• Knowledge of GD&T best practices.
• Ability to work independently and prioritize tasking to align with department and company goals.
• Basic program planning and management skills.
• Strong verbal and written skills.
• Ability to obtain a security clearance.

What you'll get from us:

• 16 ETO days
• 12 paid holidays (including Winter Closure!)
• Medical / Dental / Vision effective on day of hire
• 401k Company Match
• Tuition Reimbursement
• $1000 Sign-On Bonus