# Staff Mechanical Engineer

**Company:** [Skyways](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/skyways)
**Location:** Austin, TX
**Role:** Hardware Engineering
**Skills:** CAD, Solidworks, Ansys, Composite Structures, Aircraft Structures, Mechanical Design, FEA, Prototyping, Manufacturing Processes, Lightweight Materials
**Posted:** 2026-03-17

> Leads architecture, design, integration, and validation of critical aircraft structures and hardware from concept through flight testing. Requires deep mechanical engineering expertise, system-level thinking, and hands-on prototype build experience.

## Job Description

## What You'll Do

- Lead the architecture, design, integration, and validation of critical aircraft structures
- Own complex aircraft hardware from early concept through detailed design, prototype build, ground test, flight test, and iteration
- Drive system level integration across structures, avionics, propulsion, and payload systems, to resolve interface, packaging, and performance tradeoffs
- Partner closely with manufacturing to ensure designs are buildable, testable, and capable of scaling from prototype to repeatable production
- Participate in aircraft builds, integration efforts, and flight test campaigns
- Mentor engineers and help define engineering standards and best practices
- Help identify and resolve system level design challenges across the aircraft

## What You'll Bring

- **Bachelor’s or Master’s degree** in Mechanical Engineering or a related field
- Deep experience with mechanical design, structures, and subsystem integration
- Experience taking hardware from concept through build, testing, and deployment
- Strong system level thinking and ability to resolve complex integration challenges
- Strong track record of working directly with prototype builds, hardware integration, and test campaigns, not just analysis or documentation
- Ability to collaborate across engineering, manufacturing, and flight operations teams

## Bonus Points

- Experience designing aircraft structures or flight hardware
- Experience with composite structures or lightweight aerospace systems
- Experience leading hardware development in robotics, aerospace, or autonomous systems
- Experience working in startup or rapid hardware development environment

## Similar roles

- [Staff Hardware Systems Engineer](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/7e81320a-d04f-4250-a314-be3507991eff) - Crusoe - San Francisco, CA - $208k – $253k/yr
- [Data Center Research & Development Engineer, Mechanical](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/67b8006d-118e-4fb7-a617-38de4372ef9c) - OpenAI - San Francisco, CA - $260k – $385k/yr
- [Data Center Design Engineer, Electrical](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/125a4f4b-ac4e-48f0-99b8-25605a9d0e20) - OpenAI - San Francisco, CA - $360k – $530k/yr
- [Staff Engineer, Landing Gear Systems](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/f4c6dcab-0ed9-4a01-b943-45d83ca544d1) - Shield AI - Dallas, TX - $130k – $200k/yr
- [Staff Engineer, Mechanical & Actuated Systems](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/dcad3765-09af-406c-8921-9c213d7cc09b) - Shield AI - Dallas, TX - $130k – $200k/yr

**Apply:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/40f5ec50-31b2-44c0-86b1-ef079daf1b16
**Canonical:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/40f5ec50-31b2-44c0-86b1-ef079daf1b16