Aircraft Structural Stress Analyst

Aircraft Structural Stress Analyst

Location: Newport News, VA
Job Type: Contract-to-Hire
Starting Pay: $55/hour, with higher pay available based on experience

Position Overview

Seeking a Stress Analyst to perform structural analysis and engineering substantiation for aircraft structures and mechanical systems involved in modifications, repairs, integration, and certification programs. The role evaluates strength, stiffness, fatigue, damage tolerance, vibration, and airworthiness requirements while supporting engineering documentation and certification activities.

Responsibilities

• Perform structural analyses to support aircraft modifications, repairs, and certification programs.
• Evaluate static strength, fatigue, damage tolerance, vibration, thermal, and other structural requirements.
• Develop load paths, free-body diagrams, analytical models, engineering assumptions, and supporting calculations.
• Prepare stress reports, engineering analyses, margin of safety calculations, compliance documentation, and substantiation packages.
• Review engineering designs, drawings, and aircraft modifications for structural integrity, manufacturability, maintainability, and compliance.
• Support certification artifacts, test plans, engineering reports, and technical documentation required for regulatory and customer approval.
• Work with Mechanical Engineers, Mechanical Designers, Electrical Engineers, Certification Engineers, Production, Quality, and external stakeholders to resolve structural issues.
• Provide engineering support during fabrication, assembly, installation, troubleshooting, testing, and aircraft modification activities.
• Participate in design reviews and provide recommendations related to structural integrity, safety, performance, reliability, maintainability, and regulatory compliance.
• Maintain analyses and engineering documentation under configuration control.
• Support improvements to engineering methods, design standards, and lessons learned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline from an accredited college or university.
• Experience performing structural analysis and engineering substantiation for aircraft structures, mechanical systems, or aerospace products.
• Knowledge of structural mechanics, materials, fatigue, damage tolerance, vibration, FEA, classical hand calculations, and engineering evaluation methods.
• Experience preparing stress analyses, engineering reports, margin of safety calculations, and compliance documentation.
• Experience with commercial engineering analysis software such as ANSYS, FEMAP, NASTRAN, Abaqus, Mathcad, or equivalent tools.
• Familiarity with aerospace materials, manufacturing processes, fastener systems, composite structures, and aircraft structural repair practices.
• Ability to read and evaluate engineering designs and drawings.
• Strong analytical, organizational, written, and verbal communication skills, including Microsoft Office proficiency.
• Ability to work in both office and aircraft hangar environments.
• U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Resident status.
• Familiarity with configuration management, engineering release processes, and aerospace quality systems such as AS9100.
• Experience working with customers, DERs, FAA representatives, OEMs, suppliers, or certification authorities.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years supporting aircraft modification, repair, integration, or aerospace product development programs.
• Experience with FAA certification, STC programs, military airworthiness, or other regulated aerospace projects.
• Familiarity with MIL-HDBK-516C and military aircraft modification programs.
• Experience with static strength, fatigue, damage tolerance, vibration, thermal, or finite element analysis of aircraft structures.
• Experience preparing certification support documentation, compliance packages, test plans, and engineering substantiation.
• Experience supporting aircraft production, modification, installation, ground testing, or flight testing.