Staff Mechanical Engineer, Structural

About us

One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities. At Viasat, we’re on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the globe communicate. We’re looking for people who think big, act fearlessly, and create an inclusive environment that drives positive impact to join our team.

What you'll do

Viasat is seeking a highly motivated Staff Structural Analysis Engineer to join our growing space infrastructure team. In this role, you will perform structural analysis and verification to ensure hardware survives launch, deployment, and operational environments with adequate margin. You will serve as a key technical contributor across the full product lifecycle, driving innovative analysis solutions for challenging spaceflight applications while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and program management.

The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise in spacecraft structural analysis with the ability to independently solve complex problems, influence technical direction, and mentor developing engineers.

The day-to-day

In this role, you will lead and contribute to projects and programs of significant scope and complexity, applying advanced engineering principles to ensure structural integrity across satellite hardware and systems.

You will

• Perform structural analysis and verification to ensure hardware survives launch, deployment, and operational environments with adequate margin.
• Lead structural analysis efforts for satellite structures, mechanisms, electronics packaging, and deployable systems.
• Perform and direct structural, vibration, dynamic, shock, and environmental analyses to validate flight hardware designs.
• Independently define problems, evaluate trade studies, and develop engineering solutions that balance performance, schedule, cost, and risk.
• Own structural verification from concept development through qualification, production, integration, and on-orbit support.
• Develop engineering requirements, specifications, procedures, and qualification plans related to structural performance.
• Lead hardware structural testing, environmental testing, and anomaly resolution activities.
• Drive Design Reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR, FRR) and provide technical recommendations to program leadership.
• Collaborate closely with systems, thermal, electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, reliability, and supply chain teams to ensure successful product execution.
• Evaluate new technologies, materials, and manufacturing processes to improve structural performance and scalability.
• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to junior engineers and designers.
• Serve as a recognized subject matter expert in spacecraft structural analysis.

What you'll need

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
• 10+ years of mechanical engineering experience, including significant experience developing and analyzing spaceflight hardware.
• Demonstrated experience leading structural analysis and subsystem development for spacecraft, satellites, launch vehicles, or other aerospace systems.
• Strong understanding of structural, dynamic, shock, and environmental requirements for space applications.
• Experience with engineering analysis tools including ANSYS, Nastran, Simcenter, or equivalent.
• Experience designing or interacting with flight hardware using CAD tools such as Creo, SolidWorks, NX, or equivalent.
• Experience with environmental qualification and acceptance testing, including vibration, shock, thermal vacuum, and thermal cycling.
• Ability to independently solve complex technical problems with limited direction.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including presentation of technical analysis data to management and customers.
• Experience working within cross-functional product development teams.
• U.S. Citizenship required.

What will help you on the job

• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.
• Experience with small satellite, broadband constellation, or spacecraft bus development programs.
• Experience analyzing composite structures, lightweight designs, and deployable mechanisms.
• Knowledge of launch vehicle structural interfaces and spacecraft integration processes.
• Familiarity with DFM/DFA principles and production scaling of aerospace hardware.
• Experience with Teamcenter, Windchill, or other PLM systems.
• Knowledge of spaceflight standards, workmanship requirements, and structural environmental qualification methodologies.
• Experience performing root cause investigations and driving corrective actions.
• Previous experience mentoring engineers and providing technical leadership across teams.

Salary range

$141,500.00 - $224,000.00 / annually. For specific work locations within San Jose, the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range for this role is $176,000.00- $264,000.00/ annually

At Viasat, we consider many factors when it comes to compensation, including the scope of the position as well as your background and experience. Base pay may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Additional cash or stock incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position offered. Learn more about Viasat’s comprehensive benefit offerings that are focused on your holistic health and wellness at https://careers.viasat.com/benefits.

EEO Statement

Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic. If you would like to request an accommodation on the basis of disability for completing this on-line application, please click here .