Design Engineer – Advanced Concepts & Prototypes – Aerospace Research

GE Aerospace; Elgin Township (IL); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance provided

Job summary

GE Aerospace is seeking an early-career Design Engineer to develop mechanical designs and build prototype hardware, advancing technologies from lab concepts to demonstrations. You will work from the GE Aerospace Research office in Niskayuna, NY, interacting with cross-functional teams to deliver buildable prototypes and support design reviews.

You will gain structured development over three years, with mentorship, coursework, and hands-on projects, potentially requiring U.S.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a STEM discipline is required.
• Willingness to work from GE Aerospace Research office in Niskayuna, NY.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain security clearance are required.
• Background check and drug screen required.

Responsibilities

• Design moderately complex prototype components, brackets, fixtures, and test articles using CAD tools and manufacturing principles.
• Create and maintain 3D models, drawings, BOMs, and PLM records per GE Aerospace practices.
• Evaluate design impacts on interfaces, assembly, manufacturability, safety, and test fidelity; identify risks and mitigations.
• Troubleshoot design issues related to tolerances, clearances, fit, and assembly sequencing.
• Develop design alternatives, including COTS vs custom hardware; conduct feasibility assessments.
• Collaborate with researchers, analysts, machinists, and assembly teams to convert objectives into buildable hardware.

Skills

Hands-on design

Prototype hardware

Manufacturing

Education

Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science/Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, or related STEM discipline

Tools

3D CAD

GD&T tools

PLM tools

Job description

Job Description Summary

GE Aerospace Research seeks an exceptional early career engineer to join the Advanced Concepts & Prototypes team as a Design Engineer. In this role, you will develop expertise in mechanical design and build Research leadership skills while creating prototype hardware that helps move new technologies from laboratory concepts toward application-focused demonstrations.
Located in Niskayuna, New York, central to the New York Capital District, GE Aerospace Research builds on more than 125 years of industrial research heritage. Multidisciplinary teams tackle challenging engineering problems and deliver innovative technologies for GE Aerospace and its customers.
The Advanced Concepts & Prototypes team works with researchers across GE Aerospace Research to demonstrate early technologies in more complex, application-focused prototypes. These demonstrations accelerate adoption of new technologies in GE Aerospace products.

Your first three years at Research include structured development to accelerate your growth: establishing your technical foundation in your home lab, strategic stretch assignments that provide breadth across our capabilities, and connection to a cohort of early career peers.

Through independent research, structured projects, coursework, and mentorship, you’ll progress from foundational researcher to recognized
technical contributor ready for long-term impact in aerospace innovation.

Job Description

Essential Responsibilities

• Independently design moderately complex prototype components, brackets, fixtures, and test-article features using computeraided design tools, design-for-manufacturing principles, material standards, and basic tolerance analysis.


• Create and maintain accurate three-dimensional models, engineering drawings, bills of material, and product-lifecyclemanagement records in accordance with GE Aerospace design practices.


• Evaluate how component and subassembly designs affect system interfaces, alignment, assembly, manufacturability, safety, and test fidelity; identify related design risks and develop practical mitigations with the team.


• Troubleshoot moderate design issues involving tolerance stack-ups, clearances, fit, and assembly sequence; seek guidance from experienced engineers on complex or unfamiliar problems.


• Develop and compare design alternatives, including commercial-off-the-shelf versus custom hardware, and conduct focused feasibility assessments to support design decisions.


• Collaborate with researchers, analysts, test engineers, machinists, manufacturing teams, and assembly technicians to convert prototype objectives into buildable hardware and support design reviews, manufacturing, assembly, hardware checkout, and test activities.


• Take responsibility for assigned design deliverables and communicate decisions, status, technical issues, and schedule risks using drawings, tolerance analyses, clearance assessments, and other engineering evidence.


• Seek and apply feedback, adapt when requirements change, and contribute ideas that improve computer-aided-design and product-lifecycle-management workflows

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science/Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related STEM discipline.


• Must be willing to work from the GE Aerospace Research office in Niskayuna, New York.


• Projects may require active U.S. Government security clearance. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.


• Due to project requirements and potential access to Controlled Unclassified Information or classified information, U.S. citizenship and proof of U.S. citizenship are required for employment.


• Any offer of employment is conditioned upon successful completion of a background investigation and drug screen.

Desired Characteristics

• Prior internship, co-op, or research experience involving hands-on mechanical design, prototype hardware, manufacturing, assembly, inspection, troubleshooting, or testing.


• Experience with three-dimensional computer-aided design, engineering drawings, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, tolerance analysis, design for manufacturing and assembly, or product-lifecycle-management tools.


• Exceptional academic performance with a research orientation, including thesis work, publications, presentations, patents, or open-source contributions.


• A humble and inclusive working style that seeks learning, feedback, and diverse technical perspectives.


• A focused, rigorous, and transparent approach that uses data, hypotheses, experiments, clear communication, and cross disciplinary collaboration to reach evidence-based technical decisions and connect engineering work to program impact.


• Demonstrated initiative through technical projects, university activities, professional organizations, or community involvement.

Additional Information

The primary work location for this role is GE Aerospace Research in Niskayuna, New York. Relocation assistance is available. Some travel may be required for prototype builds, testing, partner meetings, or customer meetings.

Compensation and Benefits

The base pay range for this position is $80,000 to $110,000 USD annually. The specific pay offered may be influenced by a variety of factors, including the candidate’s experience, education, and skill set. This position is also eligible for the GE Aerospace AIR bonus program. This posting is expected to close on 10/30/2026.

GE Aerospace provides a comprehensive benefits package that provides access to plans which support the overall wellbeing of our employees and their dependents. These benefits include, but are not limited to, health care coverage (medical, dental, vision, pharmacy), a retirement plan that includes Company Retirement Savings and a 401K with Company matching, Life Insurance options, Disability coverage, paid time-off, EAP, and more.

This role requires access to U.S. export-controlled information. Therefore, employment will be contingent upon the ability to prove that you meet the status of a U.S. Person as one of the following: U.S. lawful permanent resident, U.S. Citizen, have been granted asylee or refugee status (i.e., a protected individual under the Immigration and Naturalization Act, 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)).

Additional Information

GE Aerospace offers a great work environment, professional development, challenging careers, and competitive compensation. GE Aerospace is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

GE Aerospace will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen (as applicable). Employees may also be subject to random and reasonable-suspicion drug and alcohol testing.

Relocation Assistance Provided: Yes