The Destinus engineering team is seeking a Stress Engineer to support structural sizing and simulation with a focus on non-linear and thermomechanical analysis of solid rocket motor structures.
A core part of this role is the structural simulation of propellant grains, liner bonds, thermal protection systems (TPS), and propellant–liner–casing interfaces – combining FEA with material characterization and test correlation to build substantiated models of energetic material assemblies.
What You’ll Do· Conduct stress analysis using both classical hand-calculation methods and FEA – linear and non-linear, static and dynamic· Simulate solid rocket motor structures: propellant grain stress and strain fields, bond integrity at propellant–liner and liner–casing interfaces, TPS thermomechanical response, and igniter/nozzle attachment loads· Conduct non-linear simulations covering geometric non-linearity, material non-linearity (plasticity, hyperelasticity for propellant and elastomeric materials), and contact mechanics· Perform thermomechanical analysis across metallic, composite, bonded, and polymeric structures under thermal cycling and operational loads· Support experimental characterisation of propellant, liner, and bonded joint materials; feed test results (lap shear, peel, tensile, and DMA data) into material models and allowables· Correlate FE predictions against strain gauge, load, and thermal test data; validate and update models accordingly· Prepare stress reports, margin-of-safety calculations, and design justification documentationRequirementsWhat You’ll Need· Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field· 3–5 years of industry experience in stress analysis of aerospace or mechanical structures· Proficiency with FEA packages: NASTRAN (Femap or equivalent), Abaqus, or Optistruct/HyperWorks for both linear and non-linear analysis· Strong classical stress analysis.