Structures Lead
Job Description
Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and enable a new class of capabilities—from powering on-orbit compute, to transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), to delivering secure, high-bandwidth optical data. By rethinking how energy and data are generated and distributed in space, we’re unlocking entirely new ways to operate both in orbit and on Earth.
Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), Cowboy Space Corp. is backed by leading investors and built by a team from top aerospace and defense organizations. We’re moving quickly to solve complex technical challenges and build a new category of space infrastructure.
About the Role:
Own the design, build, and performance of the vehicle’s primary structures. This includes airframe, tanks, thrust structure, as well as structural interfaces for the landing systems, aerodynamic surfaces, and stage separation hardware. Responsible for ensuring the vehicle survives flight, landing, and rapid reuse with minimal mass and maximum reliability.
Responsibilities:
Own the primary airframe—propellant tanks, interstages, and thrust structure—from concept through flight, ensuring hardware survives combined ascent, entry, landing, and reuse environments.
Drive structural design for minimum mass while meeting strength, stiffness, fatigue, and thermal requirements.
Lead structural analysis (classical hand methods, FEA) including static strength margins, buckling, fatigue, and joint assessment; validate predictions with test and flight data.
Define structural load cases and coordinate coupled loads analysis, acoustic, vibration, and shock environments with flight dynamics and environments teams.
Drive material and process trades—metallic alloys, weld methods, composites—with explicit mass impact, manufacturing readiness, and cryogenic/thermal performance as decision criteria.
Define and execute structural test campaigns (component, subscale, full-scale); correlate test results with analytical predictions and close discrepancies.
Work directly with manufacturing to iterate quickly, resolve build issues on the floor, and identify failure modes through rapid design-test-learn cycles.
Mentor and technically guide a team of engineers; establish analysis standards, review work products, and present structural substantiation at program design reviews.
Basic Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related engineering field.
8+ years of experience in structural design, analysis, and hands-on build and operation of flight hardware or high-performance systems.
Mastery of classical stress analysis: static strength margins, buckling (shell, crippling, panel), fatigue, and mechanically fastened or welded joint analysis.
Strong understanding of load paths, structural sizing, and material selection with direct experience managing mass budgets where grams affect vehicle performance.
Proficiency with FEA (Nastran, Abaqus, or ANSYS) and the engineering judgment to know when hand calculation methods are more trustworthy than a mesh.
Proficiency with 3D CAD (NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks) and familiarity with configuration management and drawing release for flight hardware.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with launch vehicles or reusable flight systems; familiarity with tank-specific structures (isogrid, orthogrid, dome design) and qualification of weld processes (FSW, TIG, EBW) or composite layups for flight-critical applications.
Familiarity with cryogenic structures, high-temperature environments, and the associated material challenges (Al-Li alloys, cryo-compatible steels, thermal cycling effects).
Understanding of structural dynamics: natural frequency requirements, modal survey correlation, and response to launch environments (random vibe, acoustic, shock).
Experience with damage tolerance, fracture mechanics, and fracture control programs (NASA-STD-5019 or equivalent); familiarity with NDE/NDI inspection methods.
Knowledge of structural verification standards and material allowables frameworks: MMPDS/CMH-17, NASA-STD-5001, AIAA S-080/081, or ECSS-E-ST-32C.
Compensation and Benefits
The salary range for this position is $150,000 – $225,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.
Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance
401(k) retirement savings plan
Paid time off
10 paid holidays per calendar year
Paid parental leave
Relocation assistance if applicable
Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks
ITAR Requirements
Export Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 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. Learn more about ITAR here.
Disclaimer
This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at Cowboy Space Corp.’s discretion.
Cowboy Space Corp. is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. Cowboy Space Corp. is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions relating to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.
