Sr Structural Engineer – Fatigue and Damage Tolerance Lead

Company: Sierra Nevada Corporation
Location: Plano
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

The ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance), Aviation, and Security (IAS) business area is a leader in ISR and aviation, it is a leading prime manned and unmanned aircraft systems integrator for innovative, high-performance ISR and aviation systems. Its end-to-end Command, Control, Computers, Communications and Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities encompass design, integration, test, certification, ground/flight training and complete logistics support. IAS tailors solutions to customer cost, performance, and schedule requirements and designs to consistently exceed expectations – with an unrivaled record of on time and on (or under) budget deliveries. SNC has led thoughtful and disruptive change in the aerospace and defense industry for the past 60 years and now, we’re applying this tenacity and expertise to the U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) mission. Join the SNC-led SAOC team and be a part of exciting and meaningful work to modernize and deliver the next-generation SAOC aircraft trusted by the President, Secretary of Defense and Chairs of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to ensure continued critical command, control and communication during national emergencies. If you’re passionate about building the airborne command post of the future, consider SNC for your next mission. Learn more about NC3 and SAOC here . If you like solving problems and working with complex materials and systems, join our amazing team! As a Structural Engineer, you will be using your skills and expertise to design, evaluate, and certify our cutting edge products and services. You'll examine complex metallic structures and systems. Your technical duties involve analysis and development of fatigue and damage tolerance analysis and certification. Responsibilities: Perform structural fatigue and damage tolerance analysis of aircraft modifications, including preparation of technical documentation required for airworthiness Develop mission profiles and usage spectrums for use in service life analysis Lead a team of F&DT engineers and serve as an expert for fatigue and fracture Possesses expertise in industry best practices for analyzing and designing airframe primary structures and load paths Collaborates with customers and regulatory agencies to establish and uphold certification processes that ensure compliance with requirements. Skilled in creating free body diagrams, calculating reaction forces, analyzing internal load distributions, identifying local stress concentrations, and evaluating operational usage environments Developing and disseminating processes, methods, and tools specifically for fatigue and damage tolerance analysis Guiding and mentoring colleagues Working to certify analysis methods and structures of various aircraft Coordinate with certification team and certification authorities to architect program F&DT plan, ultimately ending in FAA (or other authority, ie USAF, NAVAIR, etc) certified products Qualifications You Must Have: Bachelor's of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Civil Engineering or other related discipline and typically 10 or more years of relevant experience Higher education may substitute for relevant experience Thorough understanding of engineering principles and practices Advanced knowledge of Fatigue and Damage Tolerance Analyses - Miner's Rule Experience performing fatigue and damage tolerance analysis utilizing tools such as NASGRO or AFGROW Ability to author substantiation reports Ability to work in multi-disciplinary design and development teams Background in the Aerospace and Defense Industry Qualifications We Prefer: Ability to perform classical analysis using industry standard hand calculation methods Knowledge of industry-standard mechanical design principles, to include, but not limited to model-based definition, material hardware selection, manufacturing and production processes Author process development documents At Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) we deliver customer-focused technology and best-of-breed integrations in the aerospace and defense sectors. SNC has been honored as one of the most innovative U.S. companies in space, a Tier One Superior Supplier for the U.S. Air Force, and as one of America’s fastest-growing companies. Learn more about SNC This posting will be open for application for a minimum of 5 days and may be extended based on business needs. SNC offers annual incentive pay based upon performance that is commensurate with the level of the position. SNC offers a generous benefit package, including medical, dental, and vision plans, 401(k) with 150% match up to 6%, life insurance, 3 weeks paid time off, tuition reimbursement, and more . IMPORTANT NOTICE: This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret U.S. Security Clearance. U.S. Citizenship status is required as this position needs an active U.S. Security Clearance for employment. Non-U.S. citizens may not be eligible to obtain a security clearance. The Department of Defense Consolidated Adjudications Facility (DoD CAF), a federal government agency, handles the adjudicative aspects of the security clearance eligibility process for industry applicants. Adjudicative factors which affect the outcome of the eligibility determination include, but are not limited to, allegiance to the U.S., foreign influence, foreign preference, criminal conduct, security violations and illegal drug use. Learn more about the background check process for Security Clearances. SNC is a global leader in aerospace and national security committed to moving the American Dream forward. We’re known and respected for our mission and execution focus, agility, and disruptive and rapid innovation. We provide leading edge technologies and transformative solutions that support our nation’s most critical security needs. If you are mission-focused, thrive in collaborative environments, and want to make our country stronger with state-of-the-art technologies that safeguard freedom, join our team! SNC is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to an environment free of discrimination. Employment decisions are made based on merit without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran or other characteristics protected by law.

Keywords: Sierra Nevada Corporation, Plano , Sr Structural Engineer – Fatigue and Damage Tolerance Lead, Engineering , Plano, Texas