Stress Engineer Analyst
Location: Newport News, VA
Job Type: Contract-to-Hire
Pay: Starts at $55.00/hour, with higher pay available depending on experience.
Position Overview
We are seeking a skilled Stress Engineer Analyst to support aircraft modification, repair, and certification projects. This position is responsible for performing structural analyses, developing engineering substantiation, and preparing technical documentation to ensure aircraft structures and mechanical systems meet applicable strength, fatigue, damage tolerance, stiffness, and airworthiness requirements.
The ideal candidate will collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams to evaluate structural integrity, support certification efforts, and provide technical guidance throughout the design, manufacturing, testing, and installation process.
Key Responsibilities
Perform structural analyses and develop engineering substantiation for aircraft modifications, repairs, and certification programs.
Conduct static strength, fatigue, damage tolerance, vibration, thermal, and other structural evaluations to support engineering decisions.
Prepare engineering reports, stress reports, margin of safety calculations, compliance documentation, and supporting technical data.
Review engineering drawings, designs, and proposed aircraft modifications to verify structural integrity, manufacturability, maintainability, and compliance.
Develop structural load paths, free-body diagrams, analytical models, and engineering assumptions supporting substantiation activities.
Work closely with mechanical, electrical, design, certification, production, and quality teams to resolve structural challenges.
Support the development of certification documentation, engineering reports, substantiation packages, and test plans.
Provide engineering support during fabrication, assembly, installation, troubleshooting, testing, and aircraft modification activities.
Participate in engineering design reviews and provide recommendations related to structural integrity, reliability, safety, maintainability, and regulatory compliance.
Maintain engineering documentation under configuration control while ensuring compliance with engineering standards and procedures.
Assist with continuous improvement initiatives, engineering methods, design standards, and process enhancements.
Perform other engineering-related duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline from an accredited college or university.
Experience performing structural analyses and developing engineering substantiation for aircraft structures, mechanical systems, or aerospace products.
Strong knowledge of structural mechanics, materials, fatigue, damage tolerance, vibration, engineering evaluation methods, classical hand calculations, and finite element analysis (FEA).
Experience preparing engineering analyses, stress reports, margin of safety calculations, and compliance documentation.
Experience using engineering analysis software such as ANSYS, FEMAP, NASTRAN, Abaqus, Mathcad, or equivalent analytical tools.
Familiarity with aerospace materials, manufacturing processes, fastener systems, composite structures, and aircraft structural repair practices.
Experience working with customers, FAA representatives, suppliers, certification authorities, DERs, or OEMs.
Familiarity with configuration management, engineering release processes, and aerospace quality systems such as AS9100.
Strong analytical, organizational, written, and verbal communication skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
Ability to work in both office and aircraft hangar environments.
U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Resident status.
Preferred Qualifications
Five or more years of experience supporting aircraft modification, repair, integration, or aerospace product development programs.
Experience supporting FAA certification, STC programs, military airworthiness, or other regulated aerospace projects.
Familiarity with MIL-HDBK-516C airworthiness requirements and military aircraft modification programs.
Experience performing static strength, fatigue, damage tolerance, vibration, thermal, or finite element analyses supporting aircraft structures.
Experience preparing engineering reports, substantiation packages, compliance documentation, test plans, and certification support documentation.
Experience supporting aircraft production, modification, installation, ground testing, or flight test activities.
