The Role
As a Stress Engineer at Hypersonica, you'll establish stress engineering methods, perform structural sizing, conduct hand calculations and FEA, and collaborate closely with design and materials engineers to deliver robust aerospace structures.
Summary Generated by Built In
Help Build Europe's Hypersonic Capability
At Hypersonica, we’re redefining what’s possible in European defence technology. We exist to deliver speed, resilience, and technological independence at a pace that sets a new standard. We are a small, elite team working on problems that matter, and solving them fast.
As our Stress Engineer, you’re not stepping into a predefined role. You’re joining a talent dense environment where every individual shapes the direction of the company. Our philosophy is to hire a small number of exceptional people with broad, deep technical capability, strong judgement, and the ability to operate autonomously.
We hire for talent, not rigid boxes. This role represents a business need, but the way it evolves will be shaped by the individual. If you’ve achieved what others said was impossible, or you bring a unique combination of skills that doesn’t fit a traditional mould, we want to hear from you. The work you do here directly contributes to Europe’s technological independence.
What you'll do
- Establish and own the stress engineering capability at Hypersonica, defining methods, standards, and ways of working from the ground up.
- Own structural sizing and margins for flight and ground hardware across extreme thermal, dynamic, and load environments.
- Perform first principle hand calculations alongside FEA to rapidly iterate designs and unblock hardware decisions.
- Partner closely with design, materials, and test engineers to translate real world loads into robust, manufacturable structures.
- Use test data and flight results to validate models, close assumptions, and drive fast design iteration.
- Work closely with top tier engineers and operators across disciplines to deliver real systems at speed.
- Apply creative problem solving to challenges with no existing playbook.
- Take ownership from concept through execution, testing, and iteration.
Who you are
- A stress or structural analysis engineer with 4+ years’ experience in aerospace, defence, or other high-load, high-temperature engineering domains.
- Deeply comfortable with first-principles structural reasoning, not just tool-driven analysis.
- Someone who understands how loads, materials, manufacturing, and test realities interact in real hardware.
- Fluent moving between hand calculations and FEA, using each where it adds the most value.
- Confident making engineering judgements with incomplete data, and standing behind them.
- Motivated by environments where structures are pushed to limits, not padded by conservatism.
- Able to think across concept, detail design, and test feedback, not treating analysis as a one-off activity.
- Energised by building a stress capability from the ground up in a small team where your decisions directly affect flight success.
What we offer
- A mission driven environment with the opportunity to work on one of Europe’s most consequential defence challenges, with direct impact on sovereign capability and security.
- Daily collaboration with top experts across engineering, operations, and defence, with real opportunity to learn from the best, contribute, and grow.
- High ownership and autonomy; no time tracking, no micromanagement, just clear objectives and accountability for outcomes.
- A fast paced environment where good ideas are implemented quickly, and feedback from test and flight drives real decisions.
- A culture that values clarity, integrity, and excellence, and supports people who take initiative and push boundaries responsibly.
- Competitive compensation and real share options aligned to responsibility and impact, not tenure or hierarchy.
At Hypersonica, every hire raises the bar. We are deliberately small, intensely capable, and deeply mission-driven. If this role feels like a strong fit, or if you believe you bring something exceptional that goes beyond the description, we encourage you to apply.
Hypersonica is an equal-opportunity employer and assesses candidates solely on merit, capability, and potential.
You can apply directly to this role or reach out to Nathan Sweeney, Head of Talent. We review every application and aim to respond to all candidates within two weeks, whether the answer is yes or no.
Skills Required
- 4+ years' experience in aerospace, defence, or high-load engineering
- Experience with first-principles structural reasoning
- Ability to perform hand calculations and FEA
- Comfortable making engineering judgements with incomplete data
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The Company
What We Do
Hypersonica is a mission-driven European defense and aerospace company that develops next-generation hypersonic systems for military and civilian applications. Founded in 2023, the company aims to equip European allies with sovereign, cost-effective hypersonic strike capabilities. By utilizing a modular architecture and rapid iteration, they significantly reduce development costs and timelines, focusing on enhancing Europe's defense autonomy and technological independence in a complex global security environment.
