Structural Stress Analysis Engineer — Nastran / Patran

Key working interfaces

The Lead Airframe Design Engineer owns airframe geometry, structural layout, physical packaging and design decisions; the Airframe Design Engineer creates detailed parts and assemblies. Loads supplies aircraft load cases and aeroelastic assessments. Stress evaluates strength, buckling, fatigue and structural margins and recommends design changes. Airframe Design implements and releases geometry changes. Mass Properties maintains weight/CG records. Propeller engineering owns blades and hubs; Aircraft Systems coordinates vehicle requirements and subsystem integration.

What you’ll do

• Build and maintain global and local finite-element models using Patran for model preparation and results review and Nastran for analysis.
• Represent and verify structural load paths, boundary conditions, material properties and joints in analysis models, using geometry and load cases agreed with Airframe Design and Loads.
• Perform static strength, buckling and modal assessments, checking mesh sensitivity, equilibrium and whether idealizations suit the engineering question.
• Evaluate laminates, metallic fittings, fasteners and bonded joints using suitable failure criteria and independent calculations.
• Assess fatigue or damage-tolerance implications for assigned components and coordinate specialist analysis where the substantiation scope requires it.
• Plan structural tests and correlate measured stiffness, strain and modal response with analytical predictions.
• Assess the structural effect of design changes and manufacturing deviations, and document recommended dispositions for authorized review.
• Prepare controlled stress reports covering assumptions, load cases, margins, model validation and unresolved limitations.
• Develop and continually improve verification checks and model-to-test correlation for assigned structural analyses; document acceptance criteria, uncertainty and discrepancies, and use findings to improve repeatability and analysis quality.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering, or equivalent demonstrated structural-analysis expertise.
• 5+ years of aircraft structural stress analysis, including responsibility for documented substantiation.
• Minimum 3 years of hands-on experience with Nastran AND minimum 3 years with Patran, covering finite-element model preparation, solver setup, model checking and engineering interpretation of results.
• Strong understanding of composite and metallic structural behavior, joints, buckling, load paths and failure modes.
• Experience verifying finite-element results with hand calculations and correlating predictions with physical measurements.
• Ability to communicate analysis assumptions and design implications clearly to designers, manufacturing engineers and test teams.

Preferred qualifications

Experience with fatigue and damage tolerance, dynamic-response analysis and composite material allowables. Python or MATLAB automation, model-reduction methods and familiarity with aircraft compliance documentation are valuable. Hands-on experience with Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE CATIA is preferred, not mandatory; no minimum years of CATIA or 3DEXPERIENCE experience are required.

AI tools and automation: Preferred: experience using ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Microsoft 365 Copilot or equivalent tools for technical research, analysis, documentation or reporting. Where relevant, describe use of Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot or equivalent tools for Python/MATLAB scripts, CAD/CAE workflow automation or test-data processing. Provide a specific example, your contribution, any measured time saved or quality improvement, and how you verified the result. Equivalent tools are welcome.

We welcome transferable experience from related industries. You do not need to meet every preferred qualification. Tell us what you have delivered and how your skills apply to this role.

Location & working arrangements

Eagle Field Airport · 11100 W Eagle Ave, Firebaugh, CA 93622

Eagle Field Airport is our primary development and manufacturing location. Palo Alto area or remote arrangements may be considered for engineering work that does not require hands-on access. All current openings require availability to participate in development and flight-testing activities at Eagle Field Airport from time to time, with advance coordination. Flight-test roles require on-site availability for preparation and campaigns. Scheduling and travel arrangements will be discussed for each role.

About ASKA

At ASKA, we are on a mission to build the world’s first AI sensor fusion and digital twin system that manages autonomous driving and autonomous flying in one vehicle. We are bringing ground and air autonomy together to support the warfighter—moving critical supplies, reaching people in need, and reducing exposure in dangerous environments. Our team works across aircraft engineering, intelligent software, electric propulsion, and advanced manufacturing, with development and testing at Eagle Field Airport in California. Bring your expertise. Take ownership. Help build technology that matters.

ASKA welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and relevant experience. For questions or application accommodations, message the recruiting team.