Where is the Composite Design Engineer role at AppleOne Employment Services based?

This role is based in Santa Ana, CA.

How many years of experience does this Composite Design Engineer role require?

The posting calls for at least 10 years of relevant experience.

One of 4,529 polymer and materials roles on Crosslinked, each read for materials, degree, visa and salary. See roles like this

Composite Design Engineer

AppleOne Employment Services · Santa Ana, CA2w ago

BS-level Product Development roles on Crosslinked list a median of $118k (200 that show pay). This posting does not list pay.

Design aerospace composite structures, laminate schedules and ply books from concept to production

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Composites · Product Development roles, by email

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Worth knowing

Why it is interesting. Own laminate schedules and ply books for high-performance aerospace structures, spanning autoclave, OOA, and RTM processes.

Might not be for you. Requires 10+ years of aerospace composite design experience — not for early-career candidates.

Deep specialist Senior hires only

Adjacent materials roleDevelop laminate schedules, ply books, composite stack-ups; autoclave, out-of-autoclave, resin transfer molding processes

Seniority: Senior
Work: On-site
Type: Full-time
Degree: BS
Experience: 10+ yrs
Industry: Aerospace
Role: Product Development

Materials

composite materials563 roles laminate4 roles

Techniques

finite element analysis67 roles

Role details

We are seeking an experienced

Senior Composite Design Engineer

to lead the development of high-performance aerospace composite structures from concept through production. This role will drive structural optimization and ensure designs meet performance, weight, cost, manufacturability, and certification requirements.

The ideal candidate brings at least 10 years of aerospace composite design experience, advanced CAD proficiency, and a deep understanding of composite materials, laminate design, and manufacturing processes.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the design and development of aerospace composite structures and components.
Create and review 3D models, detailed drawings, and engineering release packages using CATIA, NX, SolidWorks, or similar CAD software.
Develop laminate schedules, ply books, composite stack-ups, and ply-orientation strategies.
Collaborate with stress engineers to validate strength, stiffness, fatigue, and damage-tolerance requirements.
Evaluate structural performance and recommend design improvements that reduce weight while maintaining safety and reliability.
Partner with Manufacturing, Tooling, Quality, Supply Chain, and Program Management to support design for manufacturability.
Support prototype builds, First Article Inspections, production launches, and manufacturing ramp-up activities.
Troubleshoot design and production issues and implement technically sound corrective actions.
Participate in material and process selection, including autoclave, out-of-autoclave, and resin transfer molding processes.
Conduct design trade studies and evaluate technical risks, cost, performance, and manufacturability.
Prepare and maintain specifications, technical reports, engineering change notices, and configuration-management records.
Support customer design reviews, technical audits, and certification activities.
Improve composite design standards, modeling practices, and engineering processes.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related discipline.
At least 10 years of relevant composite structural design experience within the aerospace industry.
Advanced proficiency with CATIA, NX, SolidWorks, or an equivalent CAD platform.
Experience with finite element analysis, engineering drawings, and draftin