Staff Airframe Stress Engineer

Company Overview

Imagine a piloted air taxi that takes off vertically, then quietly carries you and your fellow passengers over the congested city streets below, enabling you to spend more time with the people and places that matter most. At Joby, we've been working to make that dream a reality since 2009 and we're now in the final stages of certifying our aircraft with the FAA. With plans to launch our aircraft in the US and Dubai, we're now scaling manufacturing and preparing for the launch of our commercial service.

Overview

Joby Aviation is seeking an experienced staff level Fatigue & Damage Tolerance (F&DT) engineer who believes in the ability of urban air mobility to positively impact our cities. This role is an exciting position within the structures engineering team, as it allows for the engineer to interface with many disciplines within the company and assume a major role in the design of the aircraft. Prototypes are designed quickly and efficiently, meaning attention to detail is critical. This team member will have extensive experience leading fatigue and damage tolerance efforts through aircraft development and certification programs and will serve as a subject matter expert for structural durability and airworthiness.

Responsibilities

Lead fatigue and damage tolerance substantiation of aircraft primary structures

Develop fatigue and damage tolerance methodologies, certification strategies, and compliance approaches for aircraft certification programs

Perform fatigue life assessments using analytical and numerical methods

Conduct crack initiation, crack growth, and residual strength analyses using fracture mechanics principles and industry-standard tools such as NASGRO

Support structural design development by identifying fatigue-critical features and recommending design improvements

Develop structural fatigue and durability test programs, including coupon, element, subcomponent, and full-scale test strategies

Author fatigue and damage tolerance test plans, reports, and certification documentation

Define inspection intervals, structural maintenance requirements, and continued airworthiness programs based on damage tolerance assessments

Required

B.S in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or another related discipline

8+ years of working experience in aerospace industry with significant emphasis on fatigue and damage tolerance

Demonstrated experience performing fatigue and damage tolerance substantiation of primary aircraft structures

Strong knowledge of fatigue, fracture mechanics, and damage tolerance methodologies

Experience performing crack growth analyses using NASGRO or equivalent fracture mechanics software

Experience developing fatigue substantiation strategies, certification plans, and compliance documentation for aircraft certification programs

Experience developing and executing structural durability and fatigue test programs, including authoring test plans, test reports, and analysis reports

Experience developing structural inspection programs and continued airworthiness requirements

Experience developing mission spectra and fatigue load spectra for structural durability and damage tolerance assessments

Experience supporting full-scale fatigue test campaigns and certification activities

Working knowledge of FAA Part 23 and/or Part 27 airworthiness requirements and associated guidance material

Ability to work onsite in Santa Cruz, CA

Desired

M.S. or Ph.D. in relevant discipline

12+ years of working experience in aerospace industry

Experience with both metallic and composite airframe structures

Experience supporting rotorcraft, or other highly fatigue-critical aerospace structures

Familiarity with military and commercial fatigue and damage tolerance standards

Experience leading fatigue and damage tolerance activities through a complete aircraft certification program

Additional Information

Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $185,300 - $254,800/yr. The compensation package will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Joby also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan with a company match, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.