Stress Analyst – Aircraft Structures | Fastwater Staffing

📍Location: Costa Mesa, CA
📄Employment Type: 6-Month Contract, with potential for conversion to full-time
🏢Work Arrangement: 100% On-site, Monday–Friday
🚀Start Date: TBD
💰Compensation: TBD — based on skills and experience

Important Screening Requirements

• Must beauthorized to work in the United States.
• Must be aU.S. Citizen and eligible to obtain and maintain an activeU.S. Secret Security Clearance.
• Experience supportingaerospace, defense, or advanced aircraft development programs is highly preferred.
• Must be willing and able to workon-site in Costa Mesa, CA, Monday–Friday.
• Candidates outside Southern California must be willing torelocate and commit to the full-time on-site schedule.
• The team may potentially transition operations to theLong Beach, CA area in approximately one year.

About the Role

We are seeking a skilledStress Analyst – Aircraft Structures to support the structural analysis of advanced aerospace vehicles and components.

This is a hands-on structural analysis role focused on evaluating aircraft structures forstrength, stability, fatigue, damage tolerance, and other structural performance requirements. The ideal candidate has strong experience withFEMAP and NASTRAN, understands both finite element and first-principles methods, and can independently take an analysis from applied loads through finite element modeling, margins of safety, and technical reporting.

You will work closely with multidisciplinary engineering and manufacturing teams in a fast-paced aerospace development environment.

What We’re Looking For

We’re looking for a hands-on structural analyst who can independently own analyses fromloads and assumptions through FEA, results interpretation, margins, and reporting. Strong experience with FEMAP and NASTRAN, combined with practical knowledge of aircraft structural mechanics and the ability to perform first-principles calculations, is essential.

Experience with both metallic and composite structures, advanced aerospace vehicles, rapid prototyping, and manufacturing/integration environments will be particularly valuable.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform structural analysis at thecomponent, assembly, and aircraft levels.
• Develop and evaluate finite element models usingFEMAP and NASTRAN.
• Analyze structures for:
  • Strength
  • Buckling
  • Fatigue
  • Damage tolerance
  • Other applicable failure modes
• Evaluate load paths and structural response using bothfinite element methods and first-principles engineering calculations.
• Perform hand calculations to validate and supplement FEA.
• Analyze bothmetallic and composite aerospace structures.
• Evaluate composite structures for relevant failure modes, including delamination where applicable.
• Review structural loads, boundary conditions, material properties, and modeling assumptions.
• Develop, modify, and reviewNASTRAN input decks and solver cards.
• Interpret FEA results and calculatemargins of safety and other structural performance metrics.
• Prepare clear technical documentation and analysis reports.
• Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, integration, and other technical teams to resolve structural issues.
• Support prototype development, testing, manufacturing, and integration activities as needed.
• Communicate analysis assumptions, findings, risks, and recommendations to technical stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree inAerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 4+ years of relevant experience in aerospace structural analysis, stress analysis, or a closely related field.
• Hands-onFEMAP experience is required.
• Experience withNASTRAN or a comparable structural finite element solver.
• Strong preference for candidates with direct experience working withNASTRAN input decks and cards.
• Strong understanding ofaircraft structural mechanics and stress analysis.
• Experience with structural strength, buckling, fatigue, damage tolerance, load paths, and/or related structural analysis methods.
• Experience analyzingmetallic and/or composite aerospace structures.
• Strong understanding of material properties and structural behavior.
• Ability to perform engineering hand calculations and applyfirst-principles methods.
• Experience taking an analysis fromapplied loads → finite element modeling → results interpretation → margins → technical reporting.
• Strong technical communication and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced engineering environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with bothmetallic and composite aerospace structures.
• Experience withcomposite laminate analysis and delamination assessment.
• Experience withhigh-temperature materials or structures.
• Experience supportinghypersonic or other high-performance aerospace systems.
• Experience withclean-sheet aircraft development.
• Experience working onuncrewed aircraft or other advanced aerospace vehicles.
• Experience in rapid prototype development and manufacturing environments.
• Siemens NX proficiency.
• Hands-on manufacturing or integration experience.
• Broad experience across multiple aircraft programs.
• Practical aircraft knowledge or experience working directly with aircraft systems and structures.

Work Environment

This is afully on-site engineering position in Costa Mesa, California, Monday through Friday. The role involves close collaboration with engineering, manufacturing, and integration teams and may include support for prototype manufacturing and vehicle integration activities.