Staff Structural Analyst

How You'll Fulfill Your Mission
The
Sr Staff Structural Analyst
is a senior, technical leader responsible for the comprehensive execution, quality, and technical integrity of all complex engineering analyses across the company's rocket and spacecraft propulsion programs. This role will
set the technical standard
for analysis methodologies, lead the most challenging technical investigations, and serve as the company's
principal expert
in relevant analytical domains (e.g., structural, thermal, fluid dynamics, propulsion performance). This is a
hands-on role
focusing on technical excellence, mentorship, and critical design review leadership.
Technical Leadership & Execution:
Act as the
principal subject matter expert
and technical authority for all high-fidelity engineering analyses (FEA, CFD, thermal, kinematic, multi-physics). Personally lead and execute the most critical and complex analyses to drive primary design decisions for launch vehicle and spacecraft propulsion systems.
Methodology & Standards:
Define, standardize, and institutionalize best practices, tools, and methodologies for engineering analysis across all programs. Ensure analyses are grounded in
first principles physics
and are appropriately validated against test data.
Technical Oversight & Review:
Provide technical oversight and final sign-off on critical analysis reports and technical memorandums. Lead
internal design review boards
(PDR, CDR) specifically focused on analysis fidelity and margin assessment.
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
Partner closely with Design, Manufacturing, Test, and Safety teams to ensure analysis models accurately reflect real-world boundary conditions, material properties, and manufacturing tolerances.
Mentorship & Development:
Act as a
technical mentor
and guide for analysis engineers. Develop training materials and conduct internal seminars to raise the overall technical competency of the analysis team.
Risk & Uncertainty Quantification:
Establish and drive the use of advanced methods for
quantifying uncertainty and margin
in analytical models, feeding into system-level reliability assessments.
Why We Value You
Education:
Master's degree or Ph.D. in Aeronautical, Mechanical, or Civil Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
Experience:
Minimum of
8 years of progressive, hands-on experience
in engineering analysis within the aerospace, defense, or high-performance industry, with a significant focus on launch vehicles, spacecraft, or turbomachinery.
Domain Expertise:

Deep, demonstrated expertise
in two or more of the following:
Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
for structural dynamics and non-linear material behavior;
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
for reacting flows, propulsion, or high-speed aerodynamics;
Thermal Analysis
and heat transfer in extreme environments.
Software Proficiency:
Expert proficiency in industry-standard analysis software packages (e.g.,
NASTRAN/Patran, Abaqus, ANSYS, STAR-CCM+, OpenFOAM
).
Coding Skills:
Proven ability to develop custom analysis scripts and tools using languages such as
Python, MATLAB, or C++
.
Regulatory Knowledge:
Familiarity with standard aerospace analysis requirements, standards, and safety factors (e.g., NASA, DoD, or FAA/AST guidelines).
Desired Multipliers
Advanced Materials:
Experience analyzing systems utilizing advanced materials such as composites, additive manufacturing parts, and superalloys in cryogenic or high-temperature environments.
Test-Correlation Experience:
Proven track record of planning, executing, and critically correlating analysis models with ground and flight test data.
IC Leadership:
Prior experience functioning as a recognized
Senior Engineer,
in an Individual Contributor capacity.
Geometric Modeling:
Working knowledge of modern CAD systems (e.g., NX, SolidWorks, CATIA) and best practices for analysis model generation.
The pay range for this role is:
$160,000-220,000
The stated compensation range reflects only the targeted base salary range in the
San Francisco Bay Area
and excludes additional earnings such as bonus and benefits. If your salary requirements fall outside of the range, we still encourage you to apply.
You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply for this position. Here at Astra, we know that diverse perspectives foster the innovation we need to be successful, and we are committed to building a team that encompasses a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.
San Francisco Applicants:
Astra will consider applicants with arrest and conviction records (criminal histories) in a manner consistent with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.
ITAR Requirements:
This position requires compliance with U.S. Government space technology  trade restrictions, specifically the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and additional regulations governing satellite, launch vehicle, missile, and other related technologies. All jobs restricted by these regulations will be contingent upon the applicant’s status as a documented U.S. Person or their ability to receive a trade license from the cognizant government agency; in addition to any required company background checks and in compliance with applicable U.S. and California laws. Similarly, positions requiring the ability to work on government contracts or a security clearance are also contingent upon the applicants ability to receive the appropriate clearance and be allowed to work on U.S. government contracts.

Astra’s mission is to improve life on Earth from space by creating a healthier and more connected planet. Today, Astra offers one of the lowest cost-per-launch dedicated orbital launch services, and one of the industry’s leading flight-proven electric propulsion systems for satellites, the Astra Spacecraft Engine.