Materials / Soft Goods Engineer
Denver, CO
Full Time
Mid Level
About Urban Sky:
Urban Sky is a venture-backed aerospace startup that pioneers utilization of the stratosphere and reimagines the way humans view and analyze the earth. We design, build, operate, and sell stratospheric balloon systems, and the data we collect supports a wide range of applications, from real-time wildfire monitoring to urban mapping. Our technology is also employed by government customers including the Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, and others. Urban Sky sends flight vehicles to the stratosphere multiple times per week.
Our team consists of engineers, makers, developers, and doers who believe in the power of human potential when passion meets empowerment within a small, supportive team. At Urban Sky we strive to create a team culture grounded in candor, inclusion, respect and empowerment.
We aim to build the next chapter of stratospheric history in Denver and are seeking self-starting, open-minded, and hard-working team members.
About The Role:
Urban Sky is seeking an innovative Materials Engineer to help design and advance the next generation of high-performance stratospheric balloon systems. Our ideal candidate has hands-on experience with soft goods in systems like balloons, aerostats, airships, or blimps. Other backgrounds in non-aircraft soft goods, such as ultralight outdoor equipment (tents, backpacks, inflatables), paired with a strong foundation in physics and material sciences, would also be a good fit for this position.
In this role, you will explore the nuanced interplay of material properties such as permeability, leakage, and seam integrity, along with how environmental factors like UV degradation and extreme cold affect performance of ultralight films. You’ll dive deep into the science and art of ballooning, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with trial-and-error testing and first principles thinking. From seaming processes to the principles of buoyancy, your expertise will shape groundbreaking aircraft systems.
This is not a role for those seeking a well-trodden path—our work involves solving problems with no clear precedent, designing novel solutions, and iterating rapidly in ambiguous and fast-paced environments. You should be comfortable experimenting with new designs, flying prototypes that may fail (always with safety and regulatory compliance in mind), and embracing the autonomy to innovate at the cutting edge of aerospace.
Key Responsibilities:
Qualifications:
Benefits:
This position may require the candidate to deal with commodities, software, technology, defense articles, and/or technical data which are subject to the Export Administration Regulations and/or the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Additional information may be requested so as to determine whether export authorization is required from the Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. If authorization is required, employment will be contingent upon the Company successfully obtaining such authorization from the relevant government agency.
Urban Sky is an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.
Urban Sky is a venture-backed aerospace startup that pioneers utilization of the stratosphere and reimagines the way humans view and analyze the earth. We design, build, operate, and sell stratospheric balloon systems, and the data we collect supports a wide range of applications, from real-time wildfire monitoring to urban mapping. Our technology is also employed by government customers including the Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, and others. Urban Sky sends flight vehicles to the stratosphere multiple times per week.
Our team consists of engineers, makers, developers, and doers who believe in the power of human potential when passion meets empowerment within a small, supportive team. At Urban Sky we strive to create a team culture grounded in candor, inclusion, respect and empowerment.
We aim to build the next chapter of stratospheric history in Denver and are seeking self-starting, open-minded, and hard-working team members.
About The Role:
Urban Sky is seeking an innovative Materials Engineer to help design and advance the next generation of high-performance stratospheric balloon systems. Our ideal candidate has hands-on experience with soft goods in systems like balloons, aerostats, airships, or blimps. Other backgrounds in non-aircraft soft goods, such as ultralight outdoor equipment (tents, backpacks, inflatables), paired with a strong foundation in physics and material sciences, would also be a good fit for this position.
In this role, you will explore the nuanced interplay of material properties such as permeability, leakage, and seam integrity, along with how environmental factors like UV degradation and extreme cold affect performance of ultralight films. You’ll dive deep into the science and art of ballooning, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with trial-and-error testing and first principles thinking. From seaming processes to the principles of buoyancy, your expertise will shape groundbreaking aircraft systems.
This is not a role for those seeking a well-trodden path—our work involves solving problems with no clear precedent, designing novel solutions, and iterating rapidly in ambiguous and fast-paced environments. You should be comfortable experimenting with new designs, flying prototypes that may fail (always with safety and regulatory compliance in mind), and embracing the autonomy to innovate at the cutting edge of aerospace.
Key Responsibilities:
- Material Selection & Characterization:
- Identify and evaluate lightweight, high-strength fabrics and bonding materials for high-altitude balloon applications.
- Analyze material properties such as tensile strength, permeability, UV resistance, thermal stability, and durability in low-pressure environments.
- Collaborate with suppliers to source and test novel materials.
- Testing & Validation:
- Develop and execute mechanical and permeability tests to validate material performance.
- Design test protocols to simulate real-world stratospheric conditions, including pressure, temperature, and environmental stresses.
- Conduct lab-scale and environmental chamber testing to refine material selection.
- Prototyping & Scaling:
- Design and fabricate scaled-down balloon prototypes to validate material behavior before full-scale production.
- Analyze flight data from prototype launches to refine material selection and bonding techniques.
- Collaborate with manufacturing teams to include production scaling aspects while maintaining material integrity and performance.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
- 3+ years of experience in fabric/material selection, testing, and bonding for aerospace, textiles, or high-performance applications.
- Hands-on experience with mechanical and permeability testing methods.
- Strong understanding of polymer science, coatings, and adhesives used in high-performance fabrics.
- Experience with prototyping and iterative testing.
- Knowledge of finite element analysis (FEA) for material stress testing.
- Ability to work independently and manage material development from R&D to production.
- 7+ years developing systems made of thin films or fabric
- Experience with stratospheric or aerospace materials.
- Familiarity with environmental testing techniques (vacuum chambers, UV exposure, thermal cycling, etc.).
- Hands-on experience with fabrication and bonding techniques (RF welding, adhesives, thermal bonding, etc.).
- Experience in flight testing and data analysis for material validation.
- Field experience flying balloons
- Must be US Citizen or Permanent Resident
- Must be located near Denver, CO or willing to relocate to Denver, CO
- Our office is at 4800 Race St. In Denver, CO and this role is on-site
Benefits:
- Salary $120,000 - $160,000 per year
- We are required to post this salary range per Colorado law. Your salary will be determined based on your abilities and experience.
- Stock Options
- Medical, Vision and Dental
- Unlimited Vacation Days
- Cell Phone Bill Stipend
This position may require the candidate to deal with commodities, software, technology, defense articles, and/or technical data which are subject to the Export Administration Regulations and/or the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Additional information may be requested so as to determine whether export authorization is required from the Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. If authorization is required, employment will be contingent upon the Company successfully obtaining such authorization from the relevant government agency.
Urban Sky is an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.
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