Principal / Lead Stress Engineer - Contractor / Consultant

Job Details: Job Location: Seattle Engineering Center

• SEC
• Seattle, WA, Position Type: Full Time, Salary Range: Undisclosed, AeroTECs Engineering Services Division supports and provides comprehensive, full-service aerospace engineering services to customers in aircraft design and certification. The Engineering Services Department is responsible for providing engineering consulting services related to aircraft performance, similarity analysis, reviewing and supporting certification activities, determining test requirements, and planning and documenting testing to meet customer needs. The Engineering Services Department provides several areas of expertise in Flight Sciences, Electrical Systems, Mechanical Systems, Powerplant & FIFA, Air Systems, Cabin Safety, Structures and Liaison Engineering.

About The Role

We are seeking a Principal/Lead Stress Engineer to join our team in Seattle. This role will lead structural stress analysis efforts across aircraft and/or space vehicle programs, with significant responsibility for certification activities and direct coordination with the FAA. The ideal candidate brings deep hand-calculation expertise, strong engineering judgment, and the leadership skills to mentor junior engineers and manage project deliverables.

In This Role You Will: Perform stress, fatigue, and damage tolerance (FDT) analysis on aircraft or space vehicle structures. Conduct hand calculations to support design, certification, and substantiation of metallic and composite structures. Support Modifications (Mods) and Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs), from initial analysis through certification.

Support aircraft certification efforts, including direct coordination with the FAA. Prepare and present technical substantiation data to the FAA. Respond to FAA technical questions and support resolution of compliance findings. Support test programs, manufacturing, and certification activities, including coordination across engineering, test, and production teams.

Develop and improve engineering tools and methods, including FEM-based tools and Excel macros, to increase analysis efficiency and consistency. Track analysis tasks and deliverables across assigned projects. Lead and mentor junior and mid-level engineers. Support project management activities, including scheduling, scope tracking, and coordination across disciplines.

Perform finite element analysis (FEA) in Femap, including linear, nonlinear, modal, and buckling analysis of metallic and composite structures using both detailed and global finite element models (GFEMs).

Qualifications

Level Requirements (Minimum): Education Bachelor's degree, master's or PhD in aerospace, Mechanical Engineering or Equivalent. Experience 10+ years of experience performing stress, fatigue, and damage tolerance analysis on aircraft or space vehicles (15+ years preferred). Strong hand-calculation skills across metallic and composite structures.

Strong working knowledge of Finite Element Analysis Tools such as Femap or other (Patran, Ansys, Abaqus, ...), including linear, nonlinear, modal, and buckling analysis of both detailed FE models and global finite element models (GFEMs). Demonstrated experience supporting aircraft certification programs, including Mods and STCs.

Direct experience coordinating with the FAA, including preparing/presenting substantiation data and resolving compliance findings. Experience supporting test, manufacturing, and certification activities. Experience developing engineering tools and methods, FEM-based tools, Excel macros, and Python codes. Experience tracking engineering tasks and supporting project execution.

Experience mentoring or leading other engineers. Physical Requirements: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and/or hear.

The employee is frequently required to sit, stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. Must have the ability to sit for long periods of time. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Travel up to 10% (flying and driving) to various international and domestic worksites may be required. Driving personal vehicle for errands required. State drivers license and clean driving record required.

AeroTEC is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. This position must meet export control compliance requirements. To meet export control compliance requirements, a “U.S. Person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. §120.15 is required. “U.S. Person” includes U.S. Citizen, Lawful Permanent Resident, Refugee, or Asylee.