Senior Aircraft Structural Engineer

About Kea Aerospace

We are developing the Kea Atmos - a solar-powered, autonomous stratospheric UAV designed to fly continuously for months at a time. Operating at around 20km altitude, it will deliver aerial intelligence for maritime surveillance, environmental monitoring, disaster management, and more. We are a mission-driven team based in Christchurch, pushing the limits of what's possible in unmanned aerospace.

What You'll Do

You'll own the analysis of our unmanned aircraft on a platform unlike anything else being built in this part of the world - from requirements and concept through to ground testing and flight test support.

• Push the limits of structural design with respect to minimising take-off mass and managing aeroelastic effects - the aspects that make continuous flight possible.
• Build a fast, iterative design and analysis toolchain by linking external and in-house software, then finetune and validate it against flight data from our prototype aircraft. This work forms part of Kea Aerospace's Digital Twin.
• Perform analysis using numerical methods (FEA/FEM) alongside hand calculation, analytical, and semi-empirical methodologies.
• Identify structural and aeroelastic parameters of prototypes in conjunction with the flight test and ground testing team.
• Plan and run structural ground tests, including the design of required test benches and processes, following structured verification and validation processes.
• Define and refine project and design requirements and specifications, and document methodologies, designs and algorithms to aerospace quality and certification standards.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical or a related engineering discipline (or equivalent experience).
• 8+ years' experience in aircraft structural design and analysis.
• Excellent knowledge of structural aircraft design and related aeronautical design aspects of composite and metallic aerospace structures.
• Exceptional understanding of classical design calculations and numerical methods for aerospace structures.
• In-depth knowledge of composite and metallic materials, including tooling and fabrication.
• Solid expertise with CAD and related structural workbenches.
• Track record of delivering clean-sheet structural designs from concept through to analysis, testing, integration, and verification.
• Demonstrated leadership capability, with the ability to delegate, mentor, and build rapport and performance within a technical team.
• Good writing and communication skills, with the acumen to build trust across disciplines.
• High safety standards and a genuine commitment to deadlines and quality.

What Will Give You A Headstart

• Excellent knowledge of aeroelasticity and aircraft flight vibration environments.
• Experience in static and dynamic testing of aircraft structures and components.
• Proven experience with UAVs, high-altitude platforms, or other extreme lightweight or low-mass structures.
• Proficiency in scripting and programming languages such as Python for parametric design, automation, or analysis workflow development.
• Breadth across multiphysics disciplines (aerodynamics, thermal, structural dynamics) is highly valued - we're a small team, and engineering versatility is a major advantage.
• Familiarity with New Zealand's UAV regulatory framework, including CAR Part 101/102.

For security and safety reasons, any offer will be conditional on satisfactory background checks and the legal right to work in New Zealand.