Mechanical sizing engineer - MEB

MaiaSpace is a European space tech company, designing, manufacturing and operating competitive and sustainable solutions for space mobility. We are driven by the belief that access to space is a major enabler for a better and more sustainable life on Earth, addressing the challenges faced by humanity: climate, resources, connectivity, and data. Our aim is to successfully design and test a cost-effective and reusable mini-launch vehicle by 2026.

Mechanical sizing engineer

We are looking for a mechanical sizing engineer to join our Main Reusable Stage Team. Our team design, manufacture and test the cryogenic reusable rocket stage and the necessary ground support equipment.

You will be in charge of the mechanical justification of the Multi-Engine Bay structure (mainly metallic) from the preliminary design to testing and flight worthiness justification.

Your tasks will be the following:

• Perform preliminary sizing (FEA/FEM) of the stage main structures using analytical or simple finite element analysis to support architecture choices
• Elaborate the load specification document based on the stage life phases, functional data (structures temperature and pressures), thermal, dynamic and flight loads.
• Calculation of local equipment loads using analytical or finite element models
• Define sizing worklogics consistent with the maturity of the project and contribute to the overall stage development logic via identification of necessary tests
• Perform analytical or finite element analysis (static, buckling, dynamic, damage tolerance) to support the design, optimization and justification of structures. Finite element analysis may be linear or non-linear.
• Ensure the consistency between the hypothesis used for the mechanical calculations of the various structures of the stage
• Perform simulations, analyze their results, and combine load cases in order to be consistent with stage life phases during integration, transport or in flight.
• Justify stage bolted junctions
• Identify main contributors and perform sensitivity studies
• Write mechanical justification files
• Propose and define mechanical test plans of subscale or full test specimens, participate to the tests in collaboration with the test team, exploit test results and update company knowledge database and stage mechanical justification accordingly
• Contribute to the treatment of production anomalies

🛸 Specific competences & abilities:

• Strong knowledge and experience in structural mechanics
• Experience in finite element modelling and analysis (ideally ANSYS or NASTRAN), ideally applied on large lightweight structures
• Experience with programming languages (Python, VBA)
• Knowledge on metallic material properties and manufacturing processes (composite appreciated)
• English level sufficient to read and write technical documentation, to perform oral technical presentation and to interact on technical topics

🎓 Qualification:

• Mechanical engineering degree (+5 years post-Baccalaureate) ideally specialized in sizing and mechanical justification

🎬 Working at MaiaSpace

You will be joining a friendly multi-disciplinary team, comprised of multi-skilled people, following Agile and Scrum methodologies. This means that your role and responsibility may evolve over time with varied assignments and challenges depending on priorities and competences. Your work will be hands-on and in close contact with the final product. We are open-minded, transparent, pragmatic, result oriented and people centric. Teamwork is at the heart of how we work together and our co-workers share the same fundamental values: respect, humility, reactivity and autonomy with a passion for technical excellence. Our newly acquired office space at La Defense is located within the heart of Europe’s largest purpose built business and commercial district with easy access to public transport.

Written and spoken communication is in French and English.