The Structural & Composites Engineer will own the end-to-end design, analysis, and manufacture of composite airframe structures from raw material and mould design through layup execution, cure, and post-cure validation. Composites is the core of this role: you will be the person who physically builds the parts, owns the tooling, and drives manufacturing quality, while also bringing enough structural and analytical rigour to define requirements and validate designs. You will collaborate closely with aero structures and propulsion teams to ensure every structural component is flight-worthy, lightweight, and manufacturable at pace.
Key Skills for This Role
CAD
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About the Role
The Structural & Composites Engineer will own the end-to-end design, analysis, and manufacture of composite airframe structures from raw material and mould design through layup execution, cure, and post-cure validation. Composites is the core of this role: you will be the person who physically builds the parts, owns the tooling, and drives manufacturing quality, while also bringing enough structural and analytical rigour to define requirements and validate designs. You will collaborate closely with aero structures and propulsion teams to ensure every structural component is flight-worthy, lightweight, and manufacturable at pace.
Required Qualifications
3+ years of experience in a relevant role
Core Responsibilities
1) Composite Part Design & Mould Making Design composite parts from concept to detailed drawing: define ply book, fibre orientation, stack sequence, and core configuration to meet stiffness, strength, and weight targets. Select appropriate material systems CFRP, GFRP, aramid, pre-preg, wet layup, vacuum infusion based on loading environment, geometry, and production volume. Design and fabricate moulds and tooling from scratch: plugs, female moulds, caul plates, and vacuum fixtures using foam, tooling board, fibreglass, or CF-faced tooling as appropriate. Develop and document master geometry control; maintain dimensional accuracy through mould validation and trial layups before production release. Specify surface release systems, mould treatment schedules, and post-cure mould maintenance procedures. Identify and resolve sink, spring-back, or warp anomalies through geometry correction or process adjustment; own the loop from defect to root cause to fix.
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2) Manufacturing Process & Layup Execution Execute composite layups hands-on: wet layup, vacuum bagging, pre-preg consolidation, and infusion processes for structural airframe parts this is a doing role, not a supervising one. Write, own, and iterate manufacturing process instructions (MPIs): ply-by-ply layup sequences, cure cycles, consumable stack-ups, and inspection gates. Set up and operate oven cure and room-temperature cure processes; control and document cure parameter records for traceability. Perform and oversee non-destructive inspection (NDI): visual, tap-test, and ultrasonic methods; disposition anomalies against accept/reject criteria. Specify and carry out secondary bonding, co-bonding, and co-curing operations; design bond-line control features and surface preparation protocols. Develop post-cure machining, trimming, and drilling sequences for composite parts; specify tooling and feeds/speeds to prevent delamination and fibre pull-out. Drive continuous improvement in first-pass yield, cycle time, and scrap rate through systematic root-cause analysis of manufacturing defects.
3) Structural Design & Analysis Translate aerodynamic load envelopes and mission profiles into internal load cases; derive strength, stiffness, and stability requirements for all primary and secondary structures. Size structural members spars, ribs, bulkheads, skins, longerons using classical laminate theory, beam-column methods, and first-principles hand calculations. Perform stress, buckling, and fatigue analysis using FEA tools; define and execute model verification and validation plans. Generate and maintain a structural margins-of-safety document across the full flight envelope, including boost loads, recovery shock, and handling cases. Develop and refine mass budgets; identify structural weight-reduction opportunities without compromising integrity or repairability. Interface with aerodynamics to assess aeroelastic sensitivities flutter, divergence, control reversal and feed results back into the structural design loop.
4) Integration, Testing & Technical Leadership Define and support structural test programmes: coupon-level material characterisation, sub-component testing, and full-article proof/ultimate load tests. Provide structural inputs to design reviews, configuration control boards, and airworthiness assessments; maintain traceability from requirement to test evidence. Partner with propulsion and aero structures teams on structural interface design motor mounts, avionics bays, parachute attachment, and separation mechanism interfaces. Specify fastener systems, inserts, and potted hardware for composite joints; analyse bearing, pull-through, and shear-out failure modes. Mentor junior engineers in composite manufacturing best practices, structural analysis discipline, and quality inspection methods.
Required Abilities Hands-on experience executing composite layups not just designing them including vacuum bagging, infusion, and pre-preg processes; this is non-negotiable. Demonstrated ability to design and build moulds and tooling from scratch, from plug geometry through mould release and validation. Deep familiarity with composite material systems: CFRP, GFRP, aramid, core materials, and adhesives including selection rationale based on structural and process requirements. Strong understanding of composite failure modes: fibre fracture, matrix cracking, delamination, bearing, and pull-through, and how manufacturing decisions affect them. Strong first-principles structural analysis capability: classical laminate theory, beam theory, buckling, and joint analysis. Fluency in 3D CAD, CATIA, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or equivalent. Background in aerospace or automotive composites strongly preferred. Solid understanding of structural load paths and aero structural interaction in thin-walled flight vehicle structures.
Nice to have: FEA experience (ANSYS, Abaqus, Nastran, or equivalent) for stress, buckling, and fatigue analysis; exposure to aerodynamics and how aero surfaces drive structural requirements; familiarity with NDI methods tap testing, ultrasonic inspection and defect disposition; additional manufacturing process knowledge in CNC machining, metal bonding, sheet metal, or additive manufacturing.
Should You Really Join Us? If you like learning, if you like figuring things out by yourself without others telling you how to do it and thrive under work pressure to ship missiles then this is for you. Join us to take ownership of your work. We are a lean team there is no rule book to what we're doing. You have an end goal which is based on a real product and you need to get it done your own way. It's hard, and we all love it here.
About HyPrix
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