Principal Airframe Design Engineer
$153,000–$206,000 year
On-site · San Diego, California, United States
Job Summary
Lead mechanical design for UAV airframes and own the hardware product lifecycle from concept through production. Design, analyze, and validate primary structure and related mechanisms, driving mass-optimized solutions and ensuring manufacturability. Create and maintain high-quality 3D CAD models and manufacturing drawings using SolidWorks with GD&T. Collaborate cross-functionally with electrical, flight-test, and manufacturing teams to integrate electromechanical systems. Drive rapid design and analysis cycles, support prototyping and testing, mentor junior engineers, and contribute to design reviews and company-wide engineering standards. Based on on-site work in San Diego, with hands-on prototype-building, testing, and documentation activities.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
- 10+ years of mechanical design experience, working directly with aircraft design.
- Proven track record of taking complex mechanical assemblies from concept to production.
- Strong foundation in mechanical engineering fundamentals; structures, fluid systems, thermal management, and mechanisms.
- Hands-on design engineering experience, with proven application of design-for-manufacturability (DFM) principles.
- Demonstrated ability to perform structural modeling and analysis of mechanical components and assemblies.
- Proficiency in first-order structural analysis and hand calculations, including free body diagrams, statics, and mechanics of materials.
- Experience in SolidWorks, including surfacing, top-down design, and advanced modeling techniques, plus strong knowledge of GD&T principles.
- Experience integrating mechanical designs with electrical systems, including PCBAs, wiring harnesses, and electromechanical components such as servos and sensors.
- Direct application of DFM and designing for additive, traditional, and composite manufacturing methods, including tooling and fixturing for composite assemblies.
- Demonstrated technical leadership, with a proven record of mentoring junior and mid-level engineers, conducting rigorous design reviews, and elevating the technical standards of a growing engineering organization.
- Must be a U.S. Person (citizen or permanent resident) and able to work on-site in San Diego.
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