Staff Design Engineer, Solid Rocket Motor Cases

Employer description

The future of aerospace and defense starts here. 

Ursa Major was founded to revolutionize how America and its allies access and apply high-performance propulsion, from hypersonics to solid rocket motors, satellite maneuvering and launch. We design and deliver propulsion and defense systems that solve the most urgent and critical national security demands. 

Ursa Major’s solid rocket motor (SRM) team is hiring multiple Staff Design Engineers to own the design, development, and qualification of solid rocket motor primary structures (motor cases) and key secondary structures. This is a senior, highly technical role with end-to-end responsibility: from clean-sheet concept through qualification and scalable production. 

You will be a technical owner for SRM design at Ursa Major, defining structural architectures and interfaces, leading composite or metallic case design, and driving test campaigns. You’ll play a key role in establishing the design methods, standards, and processes that enable scalable, high-rate production of solid rocket motor structures. 

This isn’t purely a desk job. You’ll be expected to be on the build floor working with technicians, integrating hardware, and resolving build issues in real time. Our engineers work across a variety of programs and roles, so you’ll have the opportunity to contribute beyond your title and take on new challenges as they arise. 

What You’ll Do 

• Own clean-sheet design of composite or metallic rocket motor cases and mechanical interfaces (e.g., attachment points, skirts, fin clips/rails).  

• Translate customer requirements and mission needs into robust, manufacturable structural designs that meet performance, reliability, cost, and schedule targets.  

• Lead design trades across materials, layup architectures, manufacturing processes, and structural configurations. 

• Develop and execute test campaigns (coupon through full-scale testing) to derisk new case designs and mature them into qualified products.  

• Review test data to verify performance against predictions, identify anomalies, and drive design or process changes when needed.  

• Provide hands-on support for hardware assembly and test, including troubleshooting manufacturing, integration, and structural performance issues.  

• Lead cross-functional collaboration with analysis, manufacturing, test, systems, and supply chain teams to ensure case designs meet all stakeholder needs.  

• Establish and maintain aggressive but realistic development schedules, identifying technical and programmatic risks early and implementing mitigation plans.  

• Generate, review, and approve CAD models and engineering drawings in accordance with internal standards and ASME Y14.5‑2009/2018.  

• Maintain rigorous technical documentation: requirements, design reviews, test plans and reports, verification/validation evidence, and customer deliverables.  

• Serve as a technical mentor for less-senior engineers, providing guidance on structural design, analysis, materials, manufacturing, and integration.  

• Codify best practices by authoring design standards, guidelines, checklists, and processes to drive consistency and quality across the SRM case and structural portfolio. 

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related field.  

• Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience with rocket motors, solid propulsion elements, pressure vessels, or high-performance structural interfaces.  

• Ability to execute clean-sheet rocket motor case designs, including initial structural analyses to inform geometry, materials, and sizing. 

• Proficiency with CAD and engineering analysis tools (e.g., structural/FEA, pressure vessel analysis, basic thermal analysis).  

• Strong engineering fundamentals, including in-depth knowledge of structural mechanics, materials, and stress analysis; familiarity with thermodynamics and fluid dynamics as they relate to solid rocket motor design.  

• Clear, effective written and verbal communication skills for cross-functional collaboration, design reviews, customer discussions, and documentation.  

• Eligibility for a U.S. DoD Secret Clearance is required and maintaining that eligibility is a condition of employment. 

Desired Experience 

• Master’s degree or PhD in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related technical discipline.  

• Experience: 

• designing for, and working with, elastomeric materials (e.g., seals, boots, liners, vibration isolation).  

• conducting insensitive munitions testing and product qualification for solid rocket motors or related systems.  

• designing hardware for high-rate, automated production, including DFM/DFA and process automation. <span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983&q...