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.
As a Staff Loads and Dynamics Analysis Engineer, you will primarily focus on load development across vehicles and propulsion systems. Your secondary focus will either be Global Finite Element Modeling or GN&C. You will be exposed to multiple vehicles, systems, and engines, along with the unique challenges each present. We are looking for experienced analysts who bring new skills and best practices from their prior experience to Ursa and who, in time, will mentor others. You will be expected to lead verification and validation efforts and to provide proactive feedback to our design team based on the results of your work. Lastly, as Ursa ramps up its production rate and begins development on new engine platforms, you will be expected to assess nonconforming hardware, introduce approaches that could improve our team’s efficiency, and potentially venture into engine stress analysis to support others in our multi-disciplinary analysis team. You will report to our Propulsion Analysis Team Lead.
Responsibilities:
- You will perform loads development for vehicles and engine programs
- You will lead load spectrum development for service life assessment
- You will perform vehicle dynamics analysis
- You will verify and validate your models
- You will work closely with our test team to request the instrumentation necessary to anchor our analytical models
- You will support GFEM development for vehicles and propulsion systems
- You will propagate loads to vehicle and engine components
- You will collaborate with other engineering teams to develop our systems while ensuring they meet requirements and comply with the structural standards we follow
- You will collaborate with our manufacturing team to assess nonconforming hardware for development and flight components and provide recommended dispositions and repairs
- You will improve our analytical methods and seek out new approaches and tools
- You will provide professional development, mentorship, and technical guidance to peers
Minimum Experience/Requirements:
- B.S. degree in mechanical, aerospace engineering, or a comparable field
- 8+ years of experience performing L&D analysis
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, startup environment
- Expertise in dynamic analysis methods (structural dynamics, dynamic loads, acoustics , modal, random vibration, shock response)
- Working experience in loads development for vehicle and/or engine applications
- Experience anchoring analytical models to physical testing
Ideal Experience/Requirements:
- M.S. degree or higher in Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering, or a comparable field, ideally focusing on solid mechanics, fatigue, fracture, or structural dynamics
- Experience with flutter analysis
- GFEM development and model grounding experience
- Knowledge of turbomachinery-related analytical methods (e.g., generating Campbell diagrams to assess margins on rotordynamics or structural modes or rotating hardware).
- High Cycle Fatigue Analysis (HCF, crack initiation predicted by a stress-life / SN approach)
- Low Cycle Fatigue Analysis (LCF, crack initiation predicted by a strain-life / e-N approach)
- Experience performing Finite Element Analysis (FEA / FEM) using commercial codes (e.g., ANSYS, Abaqus, or NASTRAN-based solvers)
- Experience with Femap/Nastran
- Fracture analysis (crack growth / safe-life and assessing for instability via LEFM, ideally with prior experience using NASGRO)
- Experience with the ANSYS FEA suite
- A strong theoretical background in heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and/or compressible flow
- Prior experience working on safety-critical systems in production environments
- Prior professional experience working on either rocketry or turbomachinery
- Experience supporting failure investigations and root-cause analysis
- A track record of working efficiently in fast-paced engineering environments
- A track record of effective oral and written communications to support your recommendations
- Thermal-Structural static analysis (particularly dealing with nonlinear materials and large strains
- Fluid analysis (e.g. Computational Fluid Dynamics / CFD or 1-D transient analysis using SINDA/FLUINT or ROCETS)
- Knowledge of composite materials, insulation, and ablative thermal protection systems
Colorado law requires us to tell you the base compensation range of this role, which is $140,000 - $170,000, determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. What we can’t quantify for you are the exciting challenges, supportive team, and amazing culture we enjoy.
Classification: Full-time Exempt
Benefits Include: (Please note, Interns are not eligible for benefits)
- Unlimited PTO - Vacation, Sick, Personal, and Bereavement
- Paid Parental and Adoptive Leave
- Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
- Tax Advantage Accounts (HSA/FSA)
- Employer Paid Short and Long Term Disability, Basic Life, AD&D
- Additional Benefit Options Including Voluntary Life and Emergency Medical Transport
- EAP Program
- Retirement Savings Plan - 401k with Company Match
- Equity Grants in the Company
How To Apply:
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply by filling out the application below and clicking "Submit Application". This position will be posted for a minimum of 3 days and will remain open until filled or adjusted based on the volume of applicants.
Skills Required
- B.S. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or comparable field
- 8+ years performing loads and dynamics (L&D) analysis
- Expertise in structural dynamics, dynamic loads, acoustics, modal, random vibration, and shock response
- Working experience in loads development for vehicle and/or engine applications
- Experience anchoring analytical models to physical testing
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, startup environment
- Eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance
- Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident)
- Experience leading verification and validation of models and providing engineering feedback
- Ability to collaborate with manufacturing to assess nonconforming hardware and recommend dispositions/repairs
- M.S. degree or higher in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering or comparable field (preferred)
- GFEM development and model grounding experience (preferred)
- Experience with FEA/FEM using commercial codes (ANSYS, Abaqus, NASTRAN-based solvers) (preferred)
- Femap/Nastran experience (preferred)
- Experience with ANSYS FEA suite (preferred)
- Experience with fracture analysis and NASGRO (preferred)
- Knowledge of turbomachinery analytical methods (Campbell diagrams, rotordynamics) (preferred)
- High Cycle Fatigue (HCF) and Low Cycle Fatigue (LCF) analysis experience (preferred)
- Experience with flutter analysis (preferred)
- Thermal-structural analysis experience, nonlinear materials and large strains (preferred)
- CFD or fluid analysis experience; SINDA/FLUINT or ROCETS familiarity (preferred)
- Knowledge of composite materials, insulation, and ablative thermal protection systems (preferred)
- Prior experience on rocketry or turbomachinery and safety-critical production systems (preferred)
- Strong oral and written communication skills to support recommendations (preferred)
What the Team is Saying
Ursa Major Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off is structured with an unlimited PTO policy plus two companywide paid breaks (mid‑summer and year‑end), creating predictable downtime alongside flexibility. Company holidays and shutdowns are consistently highlighted across employer materials and third‑party profiles.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as comprehensive, including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life/AD&D, and short‑term disability, with mental‑health resources also noted. These elements appear on the company’s careers page and are echoed by external listings.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental and adoptive leave are emphasized, alongside family supports such as an onsite Mother’s Room and company‑sponsored family events. External profiles characterize the parental offering as generous.
Ursa Major Insights
What We Do
Ursa Major was founded to address a critical shortfall in the U.S. industrial base and bring a new model to aerospace and defense systems: we design and manufacture the world’s leading propulsion systems for space, hypersonic applications, and missile systems. Our products and technologies require an extraordinary team – a team that will mold tomorrow’s technologies while deploying today’s best. We are an intrinsically motivated team that has a passion for solving problems and empowering each other every day to develop our skills, knowing that there is always room for growth.
Why Work With Us
We believe that each unique team member fuels the creativity necessary to build the world’s best propulsion systems. This is realized as a deeply held commitment to celebrating individuality, hiring talent across all backgrounds and experiences, building a culture of inclusion, and constantly challenging ourselves to improve.
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Ursa Major Offices
OnSite Workspace
Most employees work on-site with some positions allowing hybrid and/or remote work.
