Location: Vijayawada (On-site)
Type: Full-Time
Experience: 3+ Years (Launch Vehicle/ Spacecraft / Re-entry Vehicle)
CTC: ₹6–10 LPA (Based on Experience & Expertise)
Start Date: Immediate
Position Open: 1
ABOUT US
At AnduraX, we’re building India’s first private Re-entry vehicle designed to fly to space, carry experiments and payloads, and return them safely to Earth. We believe the future of space isn’t just about going farther; it’s also about coming back safer. By building a platform that can fly frequently, recover gently, and serve a wide range of commercial and defence needs, we’re opening doors to a space-powered industrial future. As part of our growing team, you will gain direct experience working on multidisciplinary flight systems that integrate aerodynamics, avionics, guidance, propulsion, structures, recovery systems, and mission operations.
ROLE OVERVIEW
As a Structures & Materials Engineer, you will be responsible for designing, analysing, and validating the structural systems and material solutions for AnduraX's reusable re-entry vehicle. You will develop lightweight, high-strength aerospace structures capable of withstanding launch, atmospheric flight, re-entry, landing, and repeated operational cycles while maintaining structural integrity and mission reliability. Working closely with Systems Engineering, Aerodynamics, Propulsion, Avionics, Flight Dynamics, Thermal Protection, Manufacturing, and Test teams, you will perform structural design, finite element analysis (FEA), material selection, composite development, structural optimization, and qualification testing. Your work will directly influence vehicle mass, performance, durability, manufacturability, and operational life.
This role requires strong expertise in structural mechanics, aerospace materials, composite structures, finite element analysis, and multidisciplinary design. You will play a critical role in developing the primary load-bearing structure of India's first privately developed reusable re-entry vehicle.
This role combines engineering design, structural analysis, laboratory testing, manufacturing support, integration, and flight-test activities. Candidates should be comfortable transitioning between CAD modelling, structural simulations, fabrication support, and hardware testing.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Structural Design
- Design primary and secondary structural components for the reusable re-entry vehicle.
- Develop lightweight structural architectures optimized for strength, stiffness, and manufacturability.
- Design load-bearing assemblies, internal frames, bulkheads, mounting structures, and payload interfaces.
- Perform structural trade studies for different vehicle configurations.
- Develop structural design standards and best practices.
- Support multidisciplinary vehicle sizing and optimization activities.
Structural Analysis
- Perform linear and nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA).
- Analyse static, dynamic, vibration, buckling, fatigue, and thermal loading conditions.
- Evaluate structural margins of safety throughout all mission phases.
- Perform structural load path analysis.
- Analyse launch, landing, deployment, and recovery loads.
- Validate analytical models against test data.
- Support failure investigations and root cause analysis.
Materials & Composites
- Select structural materials for aerospace applications.
- Develop composite structures using carbon fibre, glass fibre, sandwich panels, and advanced materials.
- Evaluate metallic and non-metallic materials for different mission environments.
- Support adhesive bonding, fastening, and joining methodologies.
- Evaluate material behaviour under thermal cycling, vibration, fatigue, and environmental exposure.
- Develop material qualification plans and test procedures.
Manufacturing & Integration
- Develop manufacturable structural designs.
- Work closely with manufacturing teams during fabrication and assembly.
- Support tooling, fixtures, and assembly procedures.
- Review manufacturing drawings and GD&T requirements.
- Support structural integration with propulsion, avionics, payloads, and recovery systems.
- Resolve manufacturing and integration issues.
Structural Testing & Qualification
- Develop structural verification and qualification plans.
- Support coupon, component, and full-scale structural testing.
- Conduct proof load, vibration, modal, and environmental testing.
- Support composite manufacturing trials and validation.
- Analyse structural test data and correlate analytical models.
- Recommend design improvements based on qualification and flight-test results.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Work closely with Systems Engineering, Aerodynamics, Thermal Protection, Propulsion, Avionics, Flight Dynamics, Manufacturing, and Test teams.
- Support multidisciplinary design reviews and trade studies.
- Mentor junior engineers and interns.
- Support engineering recruitment and technical interviews.
- Contribute to technical reviews including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, and FRR.
REQUIREMENTS
- B.Tech/M.Tech in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, or related disciplines.
- 3–5+ years of experience designing aerospace, automotive, defence, or high-performance mechanical structures..
- Strong understanding of Structural Mechanics, Strength of Materials, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Composite Structures, Aerospace Materials, Fatigue & Fracture Mechanics, Structural Dynamics, Buckling Analysis, Thermal Stress Analysis, Manufacturing Processes.
- Experience performing structural simulations using FEA software.
- Experience designing lightweight mechanical or aerospace structures.
- Strong understanding of engineering drawings, GD&T, and tolerance analysis.
- Excellent analytical thinking and structured problem-solving ability.
- Strong technical communication and documentation skills.
PREFERRED SKILLS
Experience with:
- Aerospace primary structures
- Re-entry vehicle structures
- Composite airframes
- Carbon fibre manufacturing
- Sandwich panel construction
- Structural optimization
- Lightweight structural design
- Environmental qualification testing
- Structural testing and correlation
- Design for Manufacturing & Assembly (DFMA)
Proficiency in:
- SolidWorks
- CATIA
- Siemens NX
- ANSYS Mechanical
- Abaqus
- HyperMesh
- MATLAB
- Python
Familiarity with:
- Thermal Protection Systems (TPS)
- Aerodynamic loads
- Launch vehicle structural environments
- Composite manufacturing processes
- Additive manufacturing
- CNC machining
- NASA, ESA, ECSS, or ISRO structural standards
Prior experience with Indian or international aerospace programs (ISRO, DRDO, private space tech firms, startups) will be considered an added advantage.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
- Ability to work in a fast-paced startup environment where responsibilities evolve with program needs.
- Comfortable working across multiple engineering disciplines and contributing beyond a narrowly defined role.
- Willingness to travel for flight tests, supplier visits, customer meetings, government reviews, conferences, and technical demonstrations as required.
- Ability to work outdoors during integration campaigns, launch operations, and recovery activities under varying weather conditions.
- Comfortable standing, walking, bending, and working for extended periods during hardware integration and testing activities.
- Ability to safely lift and carry engineering equipment and hardware weighing up to 20 kg, with appropriate assistance when required.
- Willingness to occasionally work outside regular business hours during integration campaigns, flight tests, critical milestones, or mission operations.
- Strong commitment to documentation, configuration control, schedule discipline, and maintaining high-quality program records.
- Ability to obtain and maintain any security clearances or background verifications required for defence, strategic, or government-sponsored projects (subject to applicable regulations).
- Demonstrate a strong safety-first mindset and adherence to laboratory, workshop, propulsion, and flight-test safety procedures.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to coordinate multidisciplinary engineering teams.
- Self-driven, proactive, and capable of independently driving complex technical programs from concept through demonstration.
- Close attention to detail, excellent organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
- Passion for aerospace, space exploration, reusable launch systems, and advanced flight technologies, with a willingness to continuously learn and adapt to new challenges.
Pay: ₹600,000.00 - ₹1,000,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
