Senior Mechanical Engineer (Flight Structures)

We are looking for a Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead the design and development of the flight structures for our launch vehicles. You will work across primary and secondary structures, taking hardware from requirements and early concepts through detailed design, analysis, manufacturing, testing, and flight readiness. This is a hands-on role for an experienced engineer who can make sound design decisions, work closely with structural analysis and manufacturing, and take ownership of hardware through the full development cycle. You will help create structures that are lightweight, reliable, manufacturable, and ready to perform in demanding flight environments. About us We’re a Germany-based rocketry startup currently in stealth mode, scaling up rapidly to meet the demand for high-performance, reliable, and scalable solid propulsion technologies for space and defense applications. We are already launching suborbital and ballistic rockets on a regular basis, have just crossed €10m in revenue for our first operating year and are applying our knowledge toward the development of an orbital rocket. We are working hard to build something truly spectacular. To thrive here you will need to be comfortable working at pace, with the autonomy to make decisions and execute on them quickly. If you’re excited by hard technical challenges and want a role where you will make a real difference each day to the future of the company, we may be the place for you. At our company, job titles and career progression are earned, not determined by years of experience alone. They reflect the responsibility you take on and the dedication you bring to each project. If you’re ready to rise to the challenge, we’d love to hear from you. Key responsibilities • Own the mechanical design and development of primary and secondary flight structures from requirements through to hardware release. • Develop structural concepts, layouts, components, joints, interfaces, and load paths for flight hardware. • Work closely with structural analysis to define design requirements, interpret results, and resolve margins, failure modes, and design risks. • Create and maintain release-quality CAD models, assemblies, drawings, tolerances, and configuration-controlled design data. • Work directly with manufacturing, suppliers, workshop, and test teams to build, inspect, test, and improve flight structures. • Provide technical leadership through design reviews, trade studies, hardware decisions, mentoring, and the development of design methods and standards. What we are looking for • A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related discipline. • Significant experience designing and developing mechanical or structural hardware for aerospace, space, defence, motorsport, or another demanding engineering environment. • Strong mechanical-design skills, including concept development, sizing, joints, interfaces, tolerancing, hand calculations, and engineering judgement. • Experience with metallic and/or composite flight structures and their associated manufacturing processes. • Strong CAD skills, with experience creating robust assemblies, production drawings, and release-quality engineering documentation. • A practical, accountable, and collaborative approach, with the ability to take ownership of complex hardware and work effectively across disciplines. Desirable experience • Launch vehicles, rockets, spacecraft, missiles, aircraft, or other flight-critical structures. • Composite or filament-wound pressure vessels, composite manufacturing, or bonded and mechanically joined structures. • Experience with structural testing, qualification, acceptance testing, or correlation between design analysis and hardware results. • Famili