Senior Staff Airframe Design Engineer
$145,000–$175,000 year
On-site · San Diego, California, United States
Job Summary
Senior Staff Airframe Design Engineer responsible for leading mechanical design of UAV airframe subsystems from concept through production. Role includes ownership of hardware product lifecycle, development of manufacturable airframe designs optimized for flight performance, rigorous analysis and validation, creation of 3D CAD models and manufacturing documentation using SolidWorks with GD&T, and collaboration with electrical, flight-test, and manufacturing teams. You will drive design-for-manufacturability, contribute to test plans (DVP&R), lead structural testing, mentor junior engineers, and participate in cross-functional design reviews in a fast-paced, high-impact environment. On-site in San Diego with travel up to 10% domestically.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline
- 7+ years of mechanical design experience, working directly with aircraft design
- Proven track record of taking complex mechanical assemblies from concept to production
- Proficiency in SolidWorks, including surfacing and GD&T principles
- Experience in design-for-manufacturability (DFM) and integrating with electrical systems (PCBAs, wiring harnesses, sensors)
- Hands-on design engineering experience with structural modeling and analysis, including first-order calculations
- Must be a U.S. Person (citizen or permanent resident) and able to work on-site in San Diego
- Willingness to travel domestically up to 10%
- Ability to lead projects, mentor junior engineers, and perform rigorous design reviews
Additional Requirements
- Must be a U.S. Person (citizen or permanent resident) and able to work on-site in San Diego
- Export control compliance (ITAR/EAR) requirements
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