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Salary: USD 115,000 - 195,000 / annual
Mach Industries, founded in 2023, is a rapidly growing defense technology company with ~350 employees focused on developing next-generation autonomous defense platforms. This role is responsible for structural dynamics and aeroelasticity analysis across the full product development cycle of unmanned aircraft platforms.
You will own structural-dynamic and aeroelastic finite element models from concept through flight clearance, including mass, stiffness, and damping of airframes, control surfaces, stores, and landing gear. Key responsibilities include establishing aeroelastic design criteria and flutter/divergence margins; performing normal-modes, static aeroelastic, flutter, and aeroelastic loads analyses; assessing control-surface mass balance and failure modes; and supporting configuration trades with aeroelastic screening.
You will develop and execute comprehensive test programs, including static, modal, and aeroelastic test plans, procedures, load schedules, and instrumentation layouts. This includes designing structural test fixtures, reaction frames, and load-introduction systems; specifying and installing instrumentation (strain gages, displacement transducers, load cells, accelerometers, thermocouples); conducting proof, limit, ultimate, and component qualification tests; and planning/executing Ground Vibration Tests and modal surveys.
Additional responsibilities include supporting wind-tunnel and flight-flutter testing; monitoring structural response during testing and assessing safety in real time; correlating measured loads, strains, deflections, frequencies, and mode shapes with analytical predictions; and preparing analysis, test, flutter, and certification documentation for airworthiness review.
You will work cross-functionally with design, stress, flight sciences, flight controls, manufacturing, and instrumentation teams to produce airworthy structure and a flight-cleared envelope. The role requires availability for extended hours and weekends as needed, and ability to travel to support ground and flight-test activities in laboratory, wind-tunnel, and flight-line environments.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or closely related engineering discipline
- Minimum 3–8 years of experience in aircraft structural dynamics, aeroelasticity, flutter, modal testing, or related aerospace analysis and test
- Demonstrated ability to perform and interpret structural-dynamic and aeroelastic analyses (normal modes, flutter, aeroelastic loads)
- Experience planning, executing, and documenting structural or modal test programs
- Experience correlating test results with finite-element models and refining analysis predictions
- Proficiency with finite-element analysis tools (MSC Nastran or equivalent) and engineering scripting in MATLAB or Python
- Working knowledge of aerospace test instrumentation and data-acquisition systems
- Understanding of digital signal processing as applied to structural dynamics and modal testing
- Ability to develop test and analysis plans and write clear technical reports
- Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and communication skills; ability to work across multiple disciplines
- ITAR eligibility: must be U.S. citizen, national, lawful permanent resident, Refugee, or Asylee, or eligible to obtain required authorizations from U.S. Department of State
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Master's degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering with emphasis in structural dynamics, aeroelasticity, or flight sciences
- Experience creating and maintaining Global Finite Element Models (GFEM)
- Direct experience clearing a flight envelope (flutter analysis, GVT correlation, flight-flutter-test support)
- Hands-on experience with Ground Vibration Testing, Experimental Modal Analysis (EMA), Operational Modal Analysis (OMA)
- Experience with static and dynamic wind-tunnel testing, including aeroelastic and flutter-model testing
- Experience with aeroservoelasticity, control-surface freeplay, actuator modeling, and closed-loop flutter
- Familiarity with airworthiness and loads/flutter criteria (MIL-A-8870, JSSG-2006, MIL-STD-1530, 14 CFR 23/25.629)
- Experience with high-aspect-ratio or flexible unmanned airframes and rapid prototype programs
- Proficiency with FEMAP, HyperMesh, ANSYS, ZAERO, Nastran SOL 144/145/146, LabVIEW, NI DIAdem, Simcenter Testlab, Dewesoft, or equivalent tools
