Structural Engineer

About SailGP Technologies:

SailGP Technologies is the high performance design, engineering and manufacturing arm of SailGP, the global purpose-led sail grand prix championship.

The Rolex SailGP Championship is the most exciting racing on water, where anything can happen in short, adrenaline-fueled battles between national teams at iconic stadium destinations worldwide. Top athletes fly in identical high-tech F50 catamarans faster than the wind, at speeds in excess of 100km/h (60mph). Founded in 2018, SailGP is one of the world’s fastest-growing sports and entertainment properties, now in its sixth season.

SailGP’s constantly evolving design, composites engineering, software and data expertise is rooted in decades of experience at the forefront of cutting-edge sail racing. Previously established and located in New Zealand since 2001, SailGP Technologies has relocated to Southampton, UK, with the new state of the art facility which opened in Spring 2024.

Job Summary:

As a Structural Engineer at SailGP Technologies, you will take ownership of critical structural developments for both the existing F50 race platform and next-generation concepts.

Operating at the intersection of first-principles engineering and practical simulation, you will deliver structurally robust, safety-critical composite and metallic components. You will take ownership of the development and evolution of the global structural model of the F50 platform and play a key role in our fleet-wide safety upgrade programme.

This role spans the full engineering lifecycle — from initial sizing and validation through to manufacture and active fleet support — requiring strong engineering judgement and the ability to operate in a fast-paced, delivery-focused environment.

Programme Context

You will join an active and rapidly evolving development programme prioritised through our Design & Build Authority (DABA).

The immediate focus is a structured safety upgrade programme across the F50 fleet, covering crash energy management, intrusion control, and targeted structural reinforcements. This work requires high-confidence engineering delivered at pace.

Alongside this, you will contribute to future platform developments including a youth/feeder league boat and next-generation appendages. These programmes will expand as current safety-critical work is delivered.

Key Responsibilities: 

Own, maintain, and develop global and local structural models of the F50 platform

Perform structural sizing using first-principles methods (hand calculations, Excel-based models) alongside practical FEA workflows (primarily linear/static, with non-linear capability advantageous)

Define laminate schedules, material selections, and ply strategies for complex composite structures

Develop and validate load cases, boundary conditions, and correlation approaches to ensure simulation reflects real-world behaviour

Work in a tight iteration loop with design engineers — reviewing results, guiding geometry and laminate updates, and rapidly reassessing performance

Drive structural work through the full lifecycle: concept development, load path definition, analysis, validation, and manufacturing handover

Support and execute physical validation activities, including defining test intent, setting up in-house testing, and interpreting results

Contribute to failure investigations, structural integrity assessments, and robust repair methodologies for the active fleet

Support material and laminate development through test definition and data interpretation

Work closely with mechanical designers to ensure structural intent is accurately translated into manufacturable geometry and drawings

Continuously refine structural methods, tools, and data to improve accuracy and efficiency

Key Expectations: 

High Ownership – Take accountability for the structural integrity and performance of delivered solutions

Technical Rigor – Apply strong first-principles thinking and avoid reliance on simulation as a black box

Engineering Judgement – Make sound decisions under uncertainty, balancing performance, safety, and delivery timelines

Agility & Pace – Deliver validated solutions within rapid concept-to-manufacture cycles

Collaborative Engineering – Work closely with designers in a highly interactive workflow, iterating quickly between CAD and structural validation

Delivery Focus – Maintain momentum across multiple concurrent workstreams within a prioritised programme environment

About you: 

Typically 5+ years’ experience in a high-performance engineering environment (e.g. F1, America’s Cup, aerospace or similar), or equivalent capability

Hold an Engineering Degree or equivalent qualification

Strong understanding of composite materials, laminate behaviour, structural load paths, and failure modes

Confident applying hand calculations and building Excel-based engineering models

Strong capability in practical FEA workflows (linear/static as a foundation), with good judgement on model fidelity and assumptions

Experience working across the full design lifecycle, from concept through to manufacture and in-service support

Experience with crash structures or impact loading is advantageous, but not required

Comfortable working in a fast-paced, evolving engineering environment with high levels of ownership

SailGP Technologies is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace committed to building a team culture that celebrates diversity and inclusion.