Airframe Design Engineer — CATIA / 3DEXPERIENCE

Aska Fly; Firebaugh (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

ASKA seeks an experienced Airframe Design Engineer to develop airframe geometry, composites and mechanical interfaces for the eVTOL program. You will model in CATIA, prepare drawings and support prototype manufacture, working under the Lead Airframe Design Engineer.

This role requires hands-on airframe or aircraft mechanical design on an eVTOL program, with collaboration across stress, loads, and systems teams, and on-site participation in flight-test readiness at Eagle Field.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering or equivalent
• 5+ years hands-on aircraft mechanical or airframe design experience
• Hands-on airframe or aircraft mechanical design on an eVTOL program
• 3+ years CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE CATIA experience creating controlled parts and drawings
• Experience designing composite and metallic structures with attention to weight and manufacturability
• Ability to apply GD&T and tolerance analysis across assemblies

Responsibilities

• Develop airframe concepts and detailed fuselage, wing, frame, panel, joints and attachments.
• Create parametric parts and assemblies in CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE with controlled drawings.
• Design packaging and interfaces for propulsion, batteries, landing and folding mechanisms.
• Develop load-path concepts with stress and materials specialists and implement analyses.
• Check clearances, tolerances, assembly sequence and access for maintenance.
• Support prototype builds and release design improvements with manufacturing teams.

Skills

Aerospace design

CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE

GD&T

Load-path analysis

Prototype support

Education

Bachelor’s in mechanical or aerospace engineering

Tools

CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE

Job description

Create the aircraft hardware that brings driving and flying together. Turn ASKA’s airframe concepts into lightweight, manufacturable parts and assemblies, working directly with the team building and testing the vehicle.

Design ASKA’s airframe and its mechanical installation interfaces as a hands-on mechanical or aerospace engineer. Working under the Lead Airframe Design Engineer, you will create aircraft geometry, composite and metallic structures, detailed CATIA models, drawings and assembly definitions, then support prototype manufacture and integration. Previous hands-on aircraft and eVTOL design experience is required.

Employment Full-time proposed

Location & work arrangement Eagle Field · Palo Alto area / remote for analysis and design to be defined; hands-on integration and test visits to be discussed

Detailed airframe geometry, composite and metallic mechanical design, installation packaging and controlled design releases for assigned assemblies.

Key working interfaces

The Lead Airframe Design Engineer owns airframe geometry, structural layout, physical packaging and design decisions; the Airframe Design Engineer creates detailed parts and assemblies. Loads supplies aircraft load cases and aeroelastic assessments. Stress evaluates strength, buckling, fatigue and structural margins and recommends design changes. Airframe Design implements and releases geometry changes. Mass Properties maintains weight/CG records. Propeller engineering owns blades and hubs; Aircraft Systems coordinates vehicle requirements and subsystem integration.

What you’ll do

• Develop airframe concepts and detailed fuselage, wing, frame, panel, joint, fitting and attachment designs against allocated geometry, load and integration requirements.
• Create and maintain parametric parts, surfaces and assemblies in Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE CATIA, including controlled drawings, GD&T, bills of material and composite ply definitions where applicable.
• Design physical packaging and structural interfaces for propulsion, batteries, landing and road systems, folding mechanisms and equipment installations with their subsystem owners.
• Develop composite and metallic load-path, laminate and joint concepts with stress and materials specialists; implement their analysis-driven design recommendations.
• Check clearances, tolerances, assembly sequence, fastener access, inspectability and repair or maintenance access in the complete vehicle configuration.
• Work with manufacturing and tooling engineers through prototype builds, resolve fit and assembly problems and release controlled design improvements.
• Maintain design rationale and revision history, and deliver assigned design packages for review by the Lead Airframe Design Engineer.
• Develop and improve repeatable checks for CAD, drawings, interfaces and assembly fit within assigned design work; document review findings and use prototype discrepancies to strengthen design-quality checks with the lead engineer.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering, or equivalent demonstrated aircraft mechanical-design expertise.
• Typically 5+ years of hands-on aircraft mechanical or airframe design, with personally delivered parts or assemblies taken into prototype manufacture or aircraft integration.
• Required previous hands-on airframe or aircraft mechanical-design work on an eVTOL development program; identify the program, components and design deliverables you personally owned.
• Minimum 3 years of hands-on Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE CATIA experience creating controlled parts, surfaces, assemblies and engineering drawings.
• Experience designing aircraft composite and metallic structures, joints and attachments, with practical understanding of load paths, manufacturing processes and weight-sensitive design.
• Ability to apply GD&T, tolerance analysis, packaging and assembly-access requirements and maintain released product definitions through PLM change control.
• Experience collaborating with stress, loads, aerodynamics, materials, manufacturing and systems engineers and supporting physical aircraft prototype builds.

Preferred qualifications

Experience with folding-wing or other convertible aircraft configurations, composite ply-design tools, bonded and mechanically fastened joints, large aircraft assemblies and ENOVIA workflows. Experience supporting ground and flight-test hardware changes is valuable.

AI tools and automation: Preferred: experience using ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Microsoft 365 Copilot or equivalent tools for technical research, analysis, documentation or reporting. Where relevant, describe use of Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot or equivalent tools for Python/MATLAB scripts, CAD/CAE workflow automation or test-data processing. Provide a specific example, your contribution, any measured time saved or quality improvement, and how you verified the result. Equivalent tools are welcome.

We welcome transferable experience from related industries. You do not need to meet every preferred qualification. Tell us what you have delivered and how your skills apply to this role.

Location & working arrangements

Eagle Field Airport · 11100 W Eagle Ave, Firebaugh, CA 93622

Eagle Field Airport is our primary development and manufacturing location. Palo Alto area or remote arrangements may be considered for engineering work that does not require hands-on access. All current openings require availability to participate in development and flight-testing activities at Eagle Field Airport from time to time, with advance coordination. Flight-test roles require on-site availability for preparation and campaigns. Scheduling and travel arrangements will be discussed for each role.

About ASKA

At ASKA, we are on a mission to build the world’s first AI sensor fusion and digital twin system that manages autonomous driving and autonomous flying in one vehicle. We are bringing ground and air autonomy together to support the warfighter—moving critical supplies, reaching people in need, and reducing exposure in dangerous environments. Our team works across aircraft engineering, intelligent software, electric propulsion, and advanced manufacturing, with development and testing at Eagle Field Airport in California. Bring your expertise. Take ownership. Help build technology that matters.

ASKA welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and relevant experience. For questions or application accommodations, message the recruiting team .