---
title: 'Structural Engineer - Composites at Roadrunner Venture Studio'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/structural-engineer-composites-roadrunner-venture-studio-knoxville-3m889bhxgrv9'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-05'
---

# Structural Engineer - Composites at Roadrunner Venture Studio

- **Company:** Roadrunner Venture Studio
- **Location:** Knoxville, TN
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-06-11
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-05
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/roadrunner-studios/289f4f18-9f41-45d2-91e3-34ce637774c8

## Job description

## About Perseus Materials

Perseus Materials is a hard tech composites startup developing next-generation processing equipment and structures for advanced materials manufacturing. We work at the intersection of materials science, structural engineering, and precision fabrication to build things that don't exist yet. Our work is defense-adjacent, technically demanding, and moves fast. We are a small team where everyone contributes directly to the product. There is real ownership, real technical challenge, and no shortage of hard problems to solve.

## What You'll Do

You will be the structural engineering lead for composite structures and processing equipment at Perseus. That means taking a concept from napkin sketch to validated design — running hand calculations, building FEA models, selecting materials, defining layup schedules, and working directly with fabricators to make sure what gets built matches what was designed. Requirements will often be ambiguous. You will be expected to make sound engineering judgments, document your reasoning, and iterate quickly.

## Responsibilities

Lead structural design and analysis of composite structures and processing equipment from concept through qualification Perform first-principles hand calculations for stress, deflection, buckling, fatigue, and joint analysis — independent of simulation tools Develop and execute FEA models to validate designs, identify failure modes, and guide structural optimization Define composite laminate schedules, fiber orientations, and material systems based on structural requirements and manufacturing constraints Collaborate with fabrication teams to ensure designs are manufacturable and that layup, cure, and tooling requirements are clearly specified Select and justify materials — fiber, matrix, core, adhesives — based on mechanical, thermal, and environmental requirements Develop and support structural test plans; correlate test results to analytical predictions and close out discrepancies Maintain clear design documentation: assumptions, load cases, analysis reports, and drawing callouts Contribute to DFM (design for manufacturability) reviews and support continuous improvement of fabrication processes

## Preferred Qualifications

2+ Years Experience in a commercial composites manufacturing environment Degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Civil, or Structural Engineering, or equivalent demonstrated experience Hands-on experience with composite structures in an applied context — aerospace, marine, wind energy, motorsport, or similar Strong foundation in classical lamination theory, anisotropic material behavior, and composite failure criteria (Tsai-Wu, Hashin, max strain, etc.) Proficiency with FEA software (Abaqus, Ansys, Nastran, or equivalent) for linear, nonlinear, and buckling analyses Demonstrated ability to perform and defend structural hand calculations without relying on simulation as a first resort Familiarity with composite fabrication methods: wet layup, prepreg, vacuum infusion, autoclave, out-of-autoclave, filament winding Experience interpreting and generating engineering drawings with appropriate GD&T and composite-specific callouts Exposure to structural testing methods: coupon, element, and full-scale; familiar with DIC, strain gauging, or load frame testing Working knowledge of relevant standards and specifications (ASTM, MIL-HDBK-17 / CMH-17, DNV, or similar) Experience in a regulated or compliance-driven engineering environment is a plus You'll Thrive Here If You have built something structural out of composite materials — a boat hull, a wing, a pressure vessel, a race car tub — and you know what it actually takes to get there You are comfortable reaching for a whiteboard and a free body diagram before opening a simulation tool You have caught a fabrication error because you understood the process well enough to recognize it You can work from a rough performance requirement and fill in the engineering yourself You are energized by ambiguous, novel problems and find excessive process more frustrating than helpful Location & Work Environment This is a full-time, on-site role. Perseus operates in a hands-on lab and fabrication environment — you will be working alongside parts, tooling, and test hardware regularly. Remote work is not available for this position.

## About Roadrunner Venture Studio

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Roadrunner Venture Studios co-founds breakthrough deep-tech ventures with scientists and engineers, accelerating ideas from lab to market.
- **Entity Type**: Private (venture studio; backed by America's Frontier Fund)
- **Headquarters**: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
- **Founded**: 2022
- **Founders**: Co-founded by America’s Frontier Fund (individual founders not publicly named)

## Core Business
- Primary industry: Deep-tech venture studio (energy, space, quantum, advanced materials, manufacturing, high-performance computing)
- Target customers: Scientists, engineers, and innovators (B2B; co-founder/partner model)
- Mission: “Ensure that the U.S. remains the best place in the world to commercialize deep tech” and “burst technology out of labs by identifying, developing, and investing in deep tech companies” [roadrunnerventurestudios.com](https://roadrunnerventurestudios.com/mission)

## Products & Services
- **Venture Studio Services**: Full-stack company creation – provides capital, talent, top-to-bottom advising, product development, commercialization, and recruitment. Acts as a “starter-kit” for founders, taking ideas from whiteboard to venture-backed growth engine. [roadrunnerventurestudios.com](https://roadrunnerventurestudios.com/)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (private venture studio)
- **Key Metric**: 21 total employees (Built In profile); portfolio includes companies like Photon Queue (quantum memory) and Maybell Quantum (quantum device assembly)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: America’s Frontier Fund (co-founder), Playground Global (led Photon Queue seed round), New Mexico Economic Development Department (Maybell Quantum)
- **Growth Signals**: Active hiring for multiple roles (Chief of Staff, Executive/Founder in Residence, Facility Manager, etc.); oversubscribed seed round for portfolio company Photon Queue ($4M); expansion into Albuquerque quantum lab [jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/roadrunner-studios) | [roadrunnerventurestudios.com](https://roadrunnerventurestudios.com/)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Deep-tech specialization**: Focus on hard-science domains (quantum, energy, space) where traditional venture studios rarely operate.
- **Government & private network**: Deep ties to America’s Frontier Fund and federal/state economic development agencies provide unique access to funding and partnerships.
- **De-risking vehicle**: Offers a complete “company creation factory” that reduces the friction of commercializing frontier technologies.

## Strategic Focus
- Continue building a national system of venture studios to catalyze American technological competitiveness.
- Prioritize quantum computing, advanced energy, space technologies, and advanced manufacturing.
- Scale the studio model by hiring domain experts and operators in Albuquerque and Tampa Bay.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Mission-driven environment focused on strengthening U.S. competitiveness; work alongside top scientists and engineers on frontier technologies.
- **Work policy**: Mix of on-site and hybrid roles; offices in Albuquerque, NM (HQ) and Tampa Bay, FL. On-site roles are typical for lab and facility positions.
- **Perks**: Opportunity to be part of a “company starter-kit” and directly shape breakthrough ventures from inception. Small team (21 employees) offers high impact and ownership.
- **Engineering culture**: Emphasis on deep technical work in quantum, energy, and space; roles include R&D technicians, experimental fluid mechanics, and quantum lab management.

## Sources
1. [Roadrunner Venture Studios – Home](https://roadrunnerventurestudios.com/)
2. [Roadrunner Venture Studios – Careers (Lever)](https://jobs.lever.co/roadrunner-studios)
3. [Roadrunner Venture Studios – Built In profile](https://builtin.com/company/roadrunner-venture-studios)
4. [Roadrunner Venture Studios – Team](https://roadrunnerventurestudios.com/team)
5. [Roadrunner Venture Studios – Mission](https://roadrunnerventurestudios.com/mission)

## Other roles at Roadrunner Venture Studio

- [Head of Hardware Engineering - Combustion Systems - Remote](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-hardware-engineering-combustion-systems-remote-roadrunner-venture-jvxzknmrefqk)
- [Head of Venture Creation](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-venture-creation-roadrunner-venture-studio-remote-adwc76p88wmd)
- [Head of Hardware Engineering - Onsite in Albuquerque, NM](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-hardware-engineering-onsite-in-albuquerque-nm-roadrunner-venture-studio-pe7rs6vgaz0a) — Albuquerque, NM
- [Executive/Founder in Residence - Advanced Energy](https://feeny.ai/job/executive-founder-in-residence-advanced-energy-roadrunner-venture-studio-zy8fnkvb1b2f) — Albuquerque, NM
- [Facilities and Operations Manager, Roadrunner Quantum Lab](https://feeny.ai/job/facilities-and-operations-manager-roadrunner-quantum-lab-roadrunner-venture-9gayrv4x5bgy) — Albuquerque, NM
- [Chief Financial Officer](https://feeny.ai/job/chief-financial-officer-roadrunner-venture-studio-tampa-bay-vvje29bagdgr) — Tampa Bay, FL
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