Senior Staff Aerostructures Design Engineer

About the role

We are seeking a highly motivated engineer to support the design, development, integration, and fielding of a next‑generation autonomous aircraft system. This role balances technical rigor, rapid decision‑making, and hands‑on engineering to transition concepts into operational capability.

Key responsibilities

• Lead design and development of primary and secondary structural components for a next‑gen UAV platform.
• Own the structural design lifecycle from concept generation, CAD modeling, detail design, to drawing release.
• Perform linear and nonlinear FEA, stress analysis, and margin assessment under operational loads.
• Collaborate with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing teams to ensure seamless system integration.
• Guide material selection, focusing on composites, aluminum alloys, and advanced manufacturing approaches.
• Oversee structural validation testing at coupon, sub‑component, and full‑system levels.
• Develop design documentation, analysis reports, interface definitions, and verification plans in compliance with MIL‑STD, FAA, and internal standards.
• Mentor junior engineers and review work for technical rigor, performance, and manufacturability.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in aircraft structural design with ownership of components or systems.
• Deep understanding of composite and metallic structures, material behavior, joints, and environmental effects.
• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional engineering efforts and communicate technical information clearly.
• Ability to obtain a Secret/SAR level security clearance (desired).

Required skills

• NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks CAD tools
• ANSYS, Abaqus, or NASTRAN FEA tools
• Composite material analysis
• Metallic structure analysis
• DFMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly)
• GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing)
• Tolerance stack‑up analysis
• Stress and fatigue analysis
• Design optimization techniques