Principal Engineer

Principal Engineer

Isar Aerospace

Ottobrunn, Germany

As a Principal Engineer, you will be at the center of product design activities within the Launch Vehicle Structures Department and across Isar Aerospace. The Department is responsible for the design, analysis, modification, integration, and ground and flight testing of all structures of the operational Spectrum Launch Vehicle, as well as its next generation successor currently under development.

The successful candidate will be a selfstarter and strong team player, capable of independently researching and resolving complex technical issues while also contributing effectively within a large, multidisciplinary engineering environment. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential, along with the interpersonal skills required to coordinate across a wide range of technical disciplines.

This role combines deep technical expertise with systemslevel thinking, design authority, and engineering mentorship, playing a key role in driving technical excellence and mission success.

Qualification Checklist

The Principal Mechanical Engineer should have deep knowledge and experience with launch vehicle structural design/analysis as well as the variety of military, space, or aerospace standards commonly used in the defense and aerospace realm.

• 10+ years of experience in hardware design and development
• Min. master’s degree in aerospace engineering or similar.
• Advanced proficiency in CAD (e.g., CATIA, NX, SolidWorks)
• Strong experience with CAE tools (e.g., NASTRAN, Optistruct, Simcenter)
• Experience in static, dynamic, modal, nonlinear, stability and fatigue analyses.
• Experience with qualification testing, failure investigations, and root cause analysis
• Experience in System Design and Systems Engineering practices (e.g. Requirements Management, Change Management, Interface Control)
• Experience with product lifecycle management (PLM) and product data management (PDM)
• Strong knowledge in various manufacturing methods
• Strong engineering judgment and decision-making capability
• Ability to work across disciplines and influence without authority
• Comfortably operating in ambiguous or high-pressure program environments
• Passion for aerospace innovation, safety, and mission success
• Fluent in English

Bonus Skills

• Deep knowledge of composite manufacturing processes (winding, hand layup)
• Experience with Mechanisms for aerospace application
• Experience with Thermal Subsystems for aerospace applications
• Knowledge of Launch Vehicle Propulsion and Avionics Systems
• Involvement in Launch Vehicle Development programs