Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Manna Air Delivery; Dublin; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Manna is building and operating the future of autonomous drone delivery. The Senior Mechanical Design Engineer - Airframe & Structures will own mechanical design from concept through production release, focusing on lightweight, robust structures for safe, scalable flight.

The role requires hands-on expertise in airframe design, CAD/FEA, and cross-functional teamwork to deliver production-ready aircraft platforms for real-world operations.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in mechanical design (airframes/robotics/aerospace)
• Proficient in 3D CAD tools (CATIA/SolidWorks/NX/Creo)
• Experience with FEA/CFD and hand calculations
• Experience with manufacturing processes (CNC, sheet metal, composites)
• Strong understanding of tolerance analysis, GD&T, drawings, BOMs
• Hands-on prototyping, test rigs, environmental testing, mechanical validation
• Ability to work cross-disciplinarily with electrical/software teams and flight requirements
• Excellent communication to explain trade-offs, risks, and recommendations
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in fast-moving hardware development

Responsibilities

• Lead design of structural and mechanical systems for aircraft platforms.
• Own concepts through CAD, analysis, prototype build, test, release.
• Design airframe structures, brackets, interfaces, and integrated systems.
• Analyse structures under static, dynamic, fatigue, thermal, and operational loads.
• Use CAD/FEA/CFD and test data to make engineering decisions.
• Drive lightweight, robust, manufacturable designs meeting safety requirements.
• Apply DFM/DFA across machined parts, sheet metal, composites, additive parts, assemblies.
• Conduct tolerance analysis and apply GD&T for production-ready designs.
• Develop and support mechanical test plans, DVPs, test rigs, and data analysis.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, quality, supply chain, electrical, software, and operations teams.
• Support suppliers to ensure parts are scalable and production-ready.
• Lead root cause investigations and corrective actions for mechanical issues.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to design standards and reviews.

Skills

3D CAD

FEA/CFD

GD&T

Mechanical design

Prototyping

Cross-functional

Tools

3DExperience

CATIA

SolidWorks

NX

Creo

Job description

AtManna, we're changing how the world receives things — by taking delivery to the skies.

Our mission is simple but ambitious:to make high-speed suburban delivery affordable, green, and safe. We design and build our ownaviation-grade dronesthat deliver food, coffee, groceries, and more — directly from local stores and vendors to people's doors in just a few minutes.

We're a team thatDrive with Impact, areSafety Focused, and knows that the best ideas come fromTeam Playerswho show up as theirAuthentic Selves. We move fast, we are passionate about what we do, and we're always pushing a growth mindset tobe better— in everything we do.

If you want to build world-changing technology with real-world impact (and have a bit of fun while doing it), you'll love it here.

Welcome to Manna — where we deliver the future.

About the Role

Manna is building and operating the future of autonomous drone delivery. Our aircraft are designed, manufactured, tested, and operated in real-world commercial environments, where reliability, safety, manufacturability, and performance matter every day.

We are looking for a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer - Airframe & Structures to take a leading role in the design, analysis, validation, and production readiness of our next-generation aircraft platforms.

This is a hands-on senior engineering role for someone who wants to own meaningful mechanical design work, solve complex structural and integration challenges, and see their designs move rapidly from concept through test, production, and operational deployment.

You will work across aircraft structures, airframe design, mechanical integration, materials, manufacturing processes, and validation. You will be expected to bring strong engineering judgement, first-principles thinking, and practical design experience to help deliver aircraft that are robust, lightweight, scalable, and suitable for safety-critical operations.

What You'll Do

Lead the design and development of structural and general mechanical systems for Manna's aircraft platforms.

Own mechanical design work from concept through CAD, analysis, prototype build, test, design release, and production support.

Design airframe structures, brackets, interfaces, mechanisms, enclosures, and integrated mechanical systems.

Analyse structures under static, dynamic, vibration, fatigue, thermal, and operational loading conditions.

Use CAD, FEA, CFD, hand calculations, and test data to make clear engineering decisions.

Drive lightweight, robust, manufacturable design solutions that meet aircraft-level performance and safety requirements.

Apply DFM/DFA principles across machined parts, sheet metal, composites, moulded components, additive parts, and assemblies.

Conduct tolerance analysis and apply GD&T to ensure repeatable, production-ready designs.

Develop and support mechanical test plans, DVPs, test rigs, validation builds, and data analysis.

Work closely with manufacturing, quality, supply chain, electrical engineering, software, test, and operations teams to resolve system-level challenges.

Support suppliers and manufacturing partners to ensure parts are scalable, cost-effective, and production ready.

Lead root cause investigations and corrective actions for mechanical issues found during build, test, or operation.

Mentor junior engineers and contribute to stronger design standards, better reviews, and improved engineering practices.

Requirements

7+ years of experience in mechanical design, ideally with a focus on structures, airframes, aerospace, robotics, automotive, or complex electromechanical systems.

Strong 3D CAD capability using tools such as 3DExperience, CATIA, SolidWorks, NX, Creo, or equivalent.

Strong understanding of structural design, materials, load paths, stiffness, strength, fatigue, vibration, and mechanical robustness.

Experience using FEA, CFD, thermal analysis, hand calculations, and physical test data to validate designs.

Experience designing parts and assemblies for real manufacturing processes, including CNC machining, sheet metal, composites, injection moulding, additive manufacturing, or production assembly.

Strong knowledge of tolerance analysis, GD&T, engineering drawings, BOMs, and release documentation.

Hands‑on experience with prototyping, test rig development, environmental testing, vibration testing, or mechanical validation.

Ability to work across disciplines and understand mechanical interfaces with electrical systems, manufacturing processes, software constraints, and aircraft-level requirements.

Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain technical decisions, trade-offs, risks, and recommendations clearly.

Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving hardware development environment.

Nice to Have

Experience in drones, aerospace, aviation, robotics, or another safety-critical hardware environment.

Experience with airframe design, lightweight structures, composite structures, propulsion integration, or aircraft environmental protection.

Familiarity with aerospace standards, environmental test standards, or regulated product development.

Experience supporting products through prototype, validation, design release, and production ramp.

Experience mentoring engineers or leading technical workstreams.

What Success Looks Like

You will be successful in this role if you can turn complex aircraft-level problems into simple, robust mechanical designs; support those designs with sound analysis and test evidence; and work effectively with manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and operations to get them built and flying reliably.

This role is ideal for a senior engineer who wants real ownership, high technical challenge, and the opportunity to help shape the next generation of autonomous aircraft.