{"schemaVersion":"jobsearcher.job.v1","id":"b7b17573d9204f8b8c6e52db","url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/b7b17573d9204f8b8c6e52db","canonicalUrl":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/b7b17573d9204f8b8c6e52db","title":"Spacecraft Structures Engineer","description":"About The RoleYou'll be our first structures engineer for Dispatch’s reusable reentry vehicles designed for mass manufacturing and the person responsible for turning a heat shield and avionics stack into a flying spacecraft. This is a founding role - you'll own the structural design, mechanisms, and integration of our reentry vehicle from CAD to qualification testing to launch.At our stage, this means you're doing the analysis and the hands-on build. You'll work directly with both founders on a daily basis. Both founders are ex-Astranis - Andrew led the avionics team, Payton was chief engineer on their next-gen satellite line.Responsibilities- Design the primary vehicle structure (load paths, interfaces, payload volume)- Own mechanical systems: deployment mechanisms, recovery/parachute systems, payload integration hardware- Run structural analysis (FEA) for launch and reentry load environments- Produce engineering drawings with GD&T for fabricated and machined parts- Build and test prototype hardware- Support environmental qualification testing (vibration, thermal vacuum)Required Qualifications- 3+ years designing and building flight hardware (spacecraft, launch vehicles, hypersonics, or missiles)- Strong mechanical design skills: structures, mechanisms, packaging in constrained volumes- Proficiency in CAD (SOLIDWORKS or similar) and FEA tools (Femap or similar)- Hands-on prototyping experience - you've machined, assembled, and tested your own designs- Comfortable working across disciplines at an early-stage companyNice to Have- Experience with reentry vehicles, capsule structures, or high-load environments- Recovery system design (parachutes, airbags, flotation)- Familiarity with rideshare mechanical interface standards (ESPA, Exolaunch deployers)- Thermal protection system integration experience","company":"Dispatch Yc P26","rawCompany":"dispatch yc p26","city":"Millbrae","state":"CA","isRemote":false,"isActive":false,"createdAt":"2026-08-22T11:30:24.030Z","occupations":[{"code":"17-2011.00","title":"Aerospace Engineers","slug":"aerospace-engineers"},{"code":"17-2141.00","title":"Mechanical Engineers","slug":"mechanical-engineers"},{"code":"17-2199.00","title":"Engineers, All Other","slug":"engineers-all-other"}],"industries":[{"code":"336414","title":"Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing","slug":"guided-missile-and-space-vehicle-manufacturing"},{"code":"336419","title":"Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing","slug":"other-guided-missile-and-space-vehicle-parts-and-auxiliary-equipment-manufacturing"},{"code":"927110","title":"Space Research and Technology","slug":"space-research-and-technology"}],"jobPosting":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"JobPosting","title":"Spacecraft Structures Engineer","description":"About The RoleYou'll be our first structures engineer for Dispatch’s reusable reentry vehicles designed for mass manufacturing and the person responsible for turning a heat shield and avionics stack into a flying spacecraft. This is a founding role - you'll own the structural design, mechanisms, and integration of our reentry vehicle from CAD to qualification testing to launch.At our stage, this means you're doing the analysis and the hands-on build. You'll work directly with both founders on a daily basis. Both founders are ex-Astranis - Andrew led the avionics team, Payton was chief engineer on their next-gen satellite line.Responsibilities- Design the primary vehicle structure (load paths, interfaces, payload volume)- Own mechanical systems: deployment mechanisms, recovery/parachute systems, payload integration hardware- Run structural analysis (FEA) for launch and reentry load environments- Produce engineering drawings with GD&T for fabricated and machined parts- Build and test prototype hardware- Support environmental qualification testing (vibration, thermal vacuum)Required Qualifications- 3+ years designing and building flight hardware (spacecraft, launch vehicles, hypersonics, or missiles)- Strong mechanical design skills: structures, mechanisms, packaging in constrained volumes- Proficiency in CAD (SOLIDWORKS or similar) and FEA tools (Femap or similar)- Hands-on prototyping experience - you've machined, assembled, and tested your own designs- Comfortable working across disciplines at an early-stage companyNice to Have- Experience with reentry vehicles, capsule structures, or high-load environments- Recovery system design (parachutes, airbags, flotation)- Familiarity with rideshare mechanical interface standards (ESPA, Exolaunch deployers)- Thermal protection system integration experience","datePosted":"2026-08-22T11:30:24.030Z","dateModified":"2026-08-22T11:30:24.030Z","hiringOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Dispatch Yc P26","sameAs":"https://jobsearcher.com"},"jobLocation":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Millbrae","addressRegion":"CA","addressCountry":"US"}},"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"JobSearcher","value":"b7b17573d9204f8b8c6e52db"},"url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/b7b17573d9204f8b8c6e52db"}}