Haystack
← Back to Jobs
Engineering

Structural Dynamics Engineer

Impulse SpaceRedondo Beach, CA🇺🇸United StatesPosted 14 Aug 2026

Quick Overview

Salary
$120k - $180k/yr
Work Type
Hybrid
Level
Mid Senior

Job Description

Structural Dynamics Engineer

Department: Vehicle Engineering

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Redondo Beach

Compensation: $120,000 - $180,000 / year

Description

As a Structural Dynamics Engineer at Impulse, your core responsibility will be to determine and validate loads and environments for full vehicles and component subsystems. You will work closely with a fast-paced, agile team that strives to make a high-performance spacecraft from a clean sheet design.

Responsibilities
  • Determine critical loads during launch, deployment, on-orbit operation, and ground handling
  • Generate and apply forcing functions for engine-borne dynamic excitation
  • Determine appropriate environments from vibration, acoustic, and shock sources
  • Develop and improve finite element models of primary structures and mechanisms
  • Develop and integrate Craig-Bampton reduced models for launch vehicle integration
  • Generate rigid-body deployment simulations and validate with deployment testing
  • Analyze and direct dynamic testing from pre-test analysis to post-test correlation
  • Effectively communicate results to Responsible Engineers and Designers and collaborate on improvements and solutions

Minimum Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering
  • 4+ years of demonstrated experience with structural dynamic analysis of high performance systems
  • Proficient with at least one industry standard structural FEA package (Femap/Patran/NASTRAN, ANSYS, Abaqus, etc.)
  • Demonstrated experience solving structural dynamic or vibration driven problems
  • Demonstrated experience with time and frequency domain analysis
  • Demonstrated proficiency with Matlab, Python or similar applications
  • Demonstrated proficiency with CAD software and the ability to learn new tools
  • Ability to communicate technical challenges, explain rationale and/or resolve concerns

Preferred Skills and Experience
  • A graduate degree (MS / PhD) in engineering or related field working with numerical methods
  • 6+ years hands-on experience with dynamic structural testing, including: random vibration, acoustics, sine vibration, sine burst, shock, and modal survey
  • Hands-on experience with sensor selection, test parameter selection, and data analysis
  • Working knowledge of launch vehicle loads
  • Demonstrated experience with acoustic vibration analysis software such as VA One
  • Demonstrated experience working on a launch vehicle or satellite development effort
  • Previous experience in a startup or agile development environment

Additional Information:

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.

Learn more about the ITAR here.

Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Skills

ANSYS
Abaqus
Agile
CAD
FEA

Similar jobs