Tooling Engineer - Composite Materials

PLD Space is an international company whose mission is to transport satellites into space, vertically integrating the engineering, testing, manufacturing, and operations of its reusable and sustainable rockets. Based in Elche and founded in 2011 by Raúl Torres and Raúl Verdú, PLD Space has established itself as a world reference in the small satellite launch vehicle sector. Its MIURA rocket family and its LINCE crew capsule position the company as a leader in European technological sovereignty in space transportation, covering the full range of space missions.

PLD Space has more than 188,000 m² of technical facilities in Elche, Teruel, Kourou (French Guiana), and Duqm (Oman), allowing it to offer complete launch services for satellites and other payloads into space.

Teamwork, courage, determination, and ambition enable PLD Space to guarantee autonomous and reliable access to space for satellites at a globally competitive price. The company is able to offer the best launch services to commercial satellite operators, institutions, and national and international government agencies.

How As a Tooling Engineer, your main mission within the area will consist of the design, development, validation, and improvement of tooling used in the manufacturing of composite material parts. Your function is to ensure that manufacturing tools (molds, templates, fastening devices) ensure the process and repeatability according to the requirements established by Design Engineering.

·       Design tooling for composite manufacturing processes: 

o   Lamination molds.

o   Positioning and assembly tools.

o   Drilling templates.

o   Trimming tools.

·       Define tooling materials: 

o   Steel.

o   Aluminum.

o   Invar.

·       Prepare technical documentation: 

o   Drawings.

o   Specifications.

o   Bill of materials (BOM).

o   User manual.

o   Maintenance manual.

·       Ensure tooling compatibility with processes: 

o   Lay-up.

o   Autoclave (temperature, pressure).

o   Trimming and drilling.

·       Validate tooling: 

o   Initial tests.

o   Dimensional adjustment.

o   Thermal stability 

·       Analysis:

o   Structural calculation.

o   Coefficient of thermal expansion.

·       Collaborate with Manufacturing Engineering on the industrialization of new products. 

·       Provide support to Production in the use and maintenance of tooling. 

·       Manage modifications and improvements to existing tools. 

·       Optimize costs and useful life of tooling. 

·       Engineering degree (Industrial, Mechanical, Aeronautical, or similar).

·       More than 5 years of experience collaborating with composite material manufacturing processes.

·       Mechanical design and CAD (Siemens NX or similar).

·       High knowledge of tooling materials (Invar, aluminum, steel, composites).

·       Thermal behavior and expansions, compensation of coefficient of thermal expansion, spring-back, etc. 

Desired requirements

·       Experience in the aeronautical sector.

·       Attention to detail and precision.

·       Problem-solving.

·       Multidisciplinary teamwork.

·       Physiotherapy within our facilities

·       50% subsidy on your health insurance

·       You will be able to add your family members to the health insurance at a competitive price.

·       Healthy snacks and assorted fruit

·       23 vacation days + December 24th and 31st

·       Flexible working hours

·       We foster practical learning

·       We promote professional development through internal mobility and teamwork

·       On-site nursery

·       Restaurant tickets

·       Transportation

·       Training

We have five fundamental beliefs that guide the way PLD Space is shaping the future of space launch technologies.

·       Teamwork

·       Effort

·       Dynamism

·       Commitment

·       Make it easy

Join us to reinvent the way rockets are built!