Staff Engineer, Structural Design (R4955)
Design and develop structural components for next-generation autonomous UAVs from concept through production, working cross-functionally with aerodynamics, propulsion, and manufacturing teams. Requires 7+ years aircraft structural design experience and proficiency in CAD and aerospace structures.
About the job
Responsibilities
- Design and develop structural components and assemblies for next-generation UAV platform, supporting both primary and secondary aircraft structures
- Execute all stages of the design lifecycle including conceptual development, initial CAD modeling, detailed design, and drawing release
- Perform hand calculations for stress or strain with limited basic FEA analysis
- Collaborate with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing teams to support system integration across airframe interfaces
- Support structural validation efforts including coupon testing, subcomponent testing, and system-level verification
- Generate high-quality design documentation, drawings, interface definitions, and analysis reports in compliance with aerospace standards
- Partner with manufacturing and flight test teams to resolve build issues and support hardware through test and deployment
- Participate in design reviews and technical discussions
Requirements
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline
- 7+ years of experience in aircraft structural design or closely related aerospace structures
- Experience designing and releasing structural components in development or production environments
- Working knowledge of composite and metallic structures, including fasteners, bonded joints, and load paths
- Proficiency in CAD tools (NX, CATIA, SolidWorks, or similar)
- Understanding of GD&T, tolerance stackups, and DFMA principles
- Strong written and verbal technical communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to operate in fast-paced, high-ownership engineering environments
Nice-to-Haves
- M.S. degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering
- Experience supporting UAV, DoD, or aerospace vehicle programs
- Familiarity with aerospace standards (MIL-STD, ASME Y14.5, FAA)
- Experience supporting hardware through test, failure analysis, and design iteration
- Exposure to composite design and manufacturing methods
- Experience using FEA tools (ANSYS, Abaqus, NASTRAN, or similar) for linear structural analysis
Skills
CAD, Nx, CATIA, Solidworks, GD&T, Dfma, FEA, Ansys, Abaqus, Nastran, Composite Structures, Metallic Structures
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