Senior Structures Engineer
Cowboy Space · Kent · $172,000–$203,000 (stated in the posting)
About Cowboy Space Corp:
Mission
Cowboy Space Corporation is solving the global energy crisis by building the infrastructure for abundant, resilient space-based solar energy. We are tackling one of humanity's most complex engineering challenges with a world-class team dedicated to delivering a revolutionary power platform. Cowboy Space Corporation is transforming how civilization powers, computes and connects - from orbit to Earth.
Background
Cowboy Space Corporation is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our modular, scalable satellites collect sunlight in Low Earth Orbit to enable multiple integrated applications: transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit high-performance computing clusters (GPU/TPU), and providing secure, high bandwidth optical data transport.
Current energy and data systems rely on complex logistics and outdated infrastructure. Cowboy Space Corporation overcomes these challenges by enabling direct, on-demand, secure, and scalable energy distribution and data processing from space. This will revolutionize how we operate in orbit and on Earth, supporting the rapidly expanding space industrial base, ISAM (In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing) operations, remote regions, and military bases.
Baiju Bhatt founded Cowboy Space Corporation in 2024. Inspired by his father's work with NASA Langley Research Center, Baiju earned his B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Mathematics at Stanford before co-founding Robinhood, now a public company that has helped over 20 million Americans access the financial system. Cowboy Space Corporation has raised ~$365 million from Index Ventures, Interlagos, Construct Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, and others.
This is an ambitious mission that demands extraordinary talent. Cowboy Space Corporation's team has worked at places like SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space, Astranis and NASA. If you're ready to solve complex technical challenges and help build the most important energy company in the world, we want to hear from you.
About the Role
As a Sr. Structures Engineer, you will own the design and development of primary tanks and welded structures for our launch vehicle—from requirements and first-order sizing through detailed design, fabrication, qualification, and flight. You will turn pressure, thermal, and vehicle load requirements into lightweight, reliable hardware that we can build, inspect, and test.
You will work closely with structural analysis, fluids, propulsion, manufacturing, and test teams to develop structural architectures, define interfaces, and resolve issues as hardware moves from the drawing to the floor. Beyond delivering individual components, you will help establish the design practices and technical judgment the team uses to develop flight structures.
You’ll be expected to move quickly, iterate often, spend time with hardware, and take full ownership of the structures you deliver.
Responsibilities
Own the full lifecycle of primary tanks and welded structures—from requirements, architecture, and preliminary sizing through drawing release, fabrication, testing, and flight readiness.
Design tank barrels, domes, bulkheads, weld joints, penetrations, attachments, and supporting structures with clear load paths and well-defined interfaces.
Perform first-order sizing and design trades to balance structural performance, mass, manufacturability, inspectability, cost, and schedule.
Work with structural analysts to establish design load cases and verify strength, buckling, fatigue, and damage tolerance under pressure, thermal, and vehicle loads. Incorporate analysis and test findings into the design.
Develop and release CAD models, engineering drawings, and specifications, including material requirements, GD&T, weld details, and inspection requirements.
Partner with manufacturing and welding engineers to develop practical fabrication and assembly approaches, accounting for fit-up, tooling access, weld distortion, tolerances, and inspection access.
Define hardware verification requirements and support proof, burst, leak, and structural testing, including test configurations, fixtures, instrumentation needs, and acceptance criteria.
Support fabrication and test operations directly. Investigate anomalies, evaluate nonconformances and proposed repairs with analysis, manufacturing, and quality teams, and drive design improvements.
Lead design reviews, manage structural interfaces and configuration changes, and mentor engineers in structural design and hardware development.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
7+ years of experience designing and developing structures for flight vehicles, propulsion systems, or other high-performance hardware.
Demonstrated ownership of metallic tanks, pressure vessels, or thin-walled welded structures from design through manufacturing and test.
Strong fundamentals in solid mechanics, structural stability, materials behavior, and joint design, including an understanding of pressure loading, buckling, fatigue, and the effects of welding on structural performance.
Proficiency with mechanical CAD, engineering drawings, GD&T, and tolerance analysis.
Ability to substantiate design decisions with classical hand calculations and interpret structural analysis results in partnership with analysts.
Experience working directly with manufacturing, inspection, and test teams to resolve hardware issues.
Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.
Preferred Qualifications
Direct experience designing launch vehicle primary structures or cryogenic propellant tanks.
Experience with stainless-steel tank construction, sheet and plate forming, and welded assemblies.
Experience developing weld-joint designs and supporting weld-process qualification, including consideration of material properties, heat-affected zones, distortion, defects, and nondestructive inspection.
Experience with reusable or repeatedly pressurized hardware, including thermal cycling, fatigue life, inspection access, and repair considerations.
Experience supporting structural qualification campaigns, pressure testing, and failure investigations.
Familiarity with relevant aerospace structural standards, pressure-vessel requirements, and material allowables sources such as MMPDS.
Experience taking hardware from early development into repeatable production and improving designs based on fabrication and test results.
Compensation and Benefits
The salary range for this position is $172,000 – $203,000 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.
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