LTA is seeking a Mass Properties Engineer to join our Mechanical Engineering team. They will assist with the development and flight testing of our latest airship. In this role, you will be collaborating with Mechanical, Flight Testing, and Guidance, Navigation and Control engineering departments by planning and supporting Flight Test Activities. You will also play a crucial role preparing weight and balance plans, reviewing stability performance, creating tools and developing guidelines to ensure safe and efficient airship ground and flight operations.
Our ideal candidate has 3-5+ years of experience working in the aviation/aerospace industry, with a focus on Weight & Balance, aircraft ground and flight operations.
Responsibilities
- Collaborate in the weight statement tracking and maintenance.
- Collaborate in the development of tools to help predict airship performance.
- Evaluate impact of modifications on the weight and balance of the airship.
- Support day to day airship operations for indoor and outdoor activities.
- Provide W&B data for flight planning, including cargo and lift distribution.
- Collaborate with FTE and Pilots to ensure a safe and efficient load configuration.
- Use/create specialized tools for precise calculations and simulations.
- Ensure that all calculations and practices adhere to internal performance and structural requirements.
- Work closely with multidisciplinary teams, including ME, GNC, FTE departments as well as PM, Ground and Flight Operations.
Qualifications
- BS in Aerospace, Mechanical, Aviation or similar.
- Ability to calculate and analyze weight distribution, center of gravity, center of buoyancy.
- Ability to analyze flight test data to refine W&B calculations and procedures.
- Understanding of materials, load limits and their impact on aircraft performance.
- Experience using MATLAB/Python.
- Experience using MS Excel/Sheets.
- Experience using SolidWorks and PDM software.
- Familiarity with aerodynamics and buoyancy principles.
- Familiarity with aircraft maintenance, ground and flight operations.
- Attention to detail.
- Good communication skills (verbal and written)
- Exceptional interpersonal communication and organizational skills.
- Proven abilities in multitasking and prioritization in a fast paced environment.
Preferred Qualifications
- MS in Aerospace, Mechanical, Aviation or similar.
- Flight test experience.
- Experience working with lighter than air vehicles.
What We Offer!
- Relocation assistance
- Excellent medical, dental, and vision insurance through a PPO plan (100% premium paid for individuals, ~70% for dependents)
- Company-paid life, AD&D, long-term disability, and short-term disability insurances
- Parental leave
- Generous PTO + 10 paid holidays
- 401(k) matching up to 6%
- Lunch and snacks provided every day, including accommodations for all dietary restrictions
- Monthly wellness stipend
- Monthly cell phone stipend
- Yearly education stipend to obtain certifications or take classes in your field
- Fun events, swag, and the occasional airship ride
- An opportunity to change the world and work with some of the smartest and the most talented experts from different fields
Compliance Requirements
- Criminal background check clearance
- Drug test clearance wherever applicable
LTA Research & Exploration welcomes all candidates to apply including those with limited experience. We understand that candidates with a growth mindset and passion for working on the next chapter in aviation advancement can outweigh experience alone. We celebrate diverse origins and journeys and understand their importance in developing new technology. Rooted in our humanitarian mission, we want to serve the entire globe and have a team that represents those we wish to serve.
Lighter Than Air is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, veteran status or any other discriminatory factors prohibited by law.
Top Skills
What We Do
Lighter Than Air (LTA) Research is an aerospace research and development company building experimental and certified manned and remotely piloted airships.
We are developing advanced technologies to dramatically increase the capabilities and lower the cost of 21st century airships. With these next-generation airships, we strive to improve humanitarian aid delivery and reduce carbon emissions, while providing economic opportunity and new jobs to Americans.
LTA airships will have the ability to complement — and even speed up — humanitarian disaster response and relief efforts, especially in remote areas that cannot be easily accessed by plane and boat due to limited or destroyed infrastructure. We ultimately aim to create a family of aircraft with zero emissions that, when used for shipping goods and moving people, would substantially reduce the global carbon footprint of aviation.
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