Mechanical Engineer – Drone Development, Design & Test

Jobtailor

San Diego (CA)

On-site

USD 100,000 - 140,000

Full time

2 days ago

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Job summary

Jobtailor is seeking a mechanical engineer to lead the maturation of Locust, an advanced unmanned aircraft system, from prototype to production-ready LRIP. You will design components, assemblies, and structures for UAS, own designs from concept through testing, and collaborate with shops and suppliers to rapidly produce hardware.

You will perform structural, thermal, and vibration analyses, develop test fixtures, and drive manufacturing documentation and DT issu es.

Qualifications

BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline.
3+ years of mechanical product development experience.
Strong 3D CAD and mechanical design experience.
Experience taking hardware from concept through prototype and testing.
Hands-on experience assembling, modifying, troubleshooting, and testing electromechanical systems.
Strong understanding of materials, fasteners, tolerancing, structures, and manufacturing processes.
Experience designing parts for CNC machining, sheet metal, composites, additive manufacturing, or similar fabrication processes.
Experience developing test fixtures and executing mechanical validation testing.
Ability to independently troubleshoot hardware failures and drive design changes.
US Citizenship and US security clearance eligibility.
Preferred: UAVs, drones, UAS, aircraft, robotics, or autonomous vehicles experience.

Responsibilities

Lead the technical maturation of Locust from prototype to DoD fieldable LRIP platform.
Design mechanical components, assemblies, structures, enclosures, mounts, and mechanisms for unmanned aerial systems.
Develop concepts and detailed designs using 3D CAD.
Own mechanical designs from initial requirements through prototype, test, iteration, and production release.
Build and assemble prototype vehicles and subsystems.
Work directly with machine shops, fabrication vendors, and suppliers to rapidly produce prototype hardware.
Develop engineering drawings, tolerances, interfaces, and manufacturing documentation.
Perform structural, load, thermal, vibration, tolerance, and basic mechanical analyses.
Design lightweight structures balancing strength, stiffness, manufacturability, cost, and weight.
Develop and execute mechanical test plans.
Conduct structural, vibration, environmental, durability, and system-level testing.
Diagnose mechanical failures and implement design improvements.
Support flight testing and vehicle-level integration.
Collaborate with electrical, embedded, autonomy, controls, manufacturing, and test engineers.
Design for manufacturability, assembly, serviceability, and field repair.
Participate in vehicle builds, troubleshooting, test campaigns, and engineering validation.
Serve as primary technical authority for Locust production readiness.
Work with manufacturing partners, government customers, and cross-functional engineering teams to keep production on schedule and within budget.

Skills

Mechanical Design

3D CAD

Prototype Development

Mechanical Analysis

CNC Machining

Additive Manufacturing

Test Fixture Development

Troubleshooting

Design for Manufacturability

Structural Analysis

Education

BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Mechanical CAD Software

Fabrication Tools

Testing Equipment

Job description

Lead the technical maturation of Locust, an advanced unmanned aircraft system, from demonstrated prototype to a DoD fieldable LRIP platform
Design mechanical components, assemblies, structures, enclosures, mounts, and mechanisms for unmanned aerial systems
Develop concepts and detailed designs using 3D CAD
Own mechanical designs from initial requirements through prototype, test, iteration, and production release
Build and assemble prototype vehicles and subsystems
Work directly with machine shops, fabrication vendors, and suppliers to rapidly produce prototype hardware
Develop engineering drawings, tolerances, interfaces, and manufacturing documentation
Perform structural, load, thermal, vibration, tolerance, and basic mechanical analyses
Design lightweight structures balancing strength, stiffness, manufacturability, cost, and weight
Develop and execute mechanical test plans
Conduct structural, vibration, environmental, durability, and system-level testing
Diagnose mechanical failures and implement design improvements
Support flight testing and vehicle-level integration
Collaborate with electrical, embedded, autonomy, controls, manufacturing, and test engineers
Design for manufacturability, assembly, serviceability, and field repair
Participate in vehicle builds, troubleshooting, test campaigns, and engineering validation
Serve as primary technical authority for Locust production readiness
Work with manufacturing partners, government customers, and cross-functional engineering teams to keep production on schedule and within budget

Requirements

BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline
3+ years of mechanical product development experience
Strong 3D CAD and mechanical design experience
Demonstrated experience taking hardware from concept through prototype and testing
Hands-on experience assembling, modifying, troubleshooting, and testing electromechanical systems
Strong understanding of mechanical design fundamentals including materials, fasteners, tolerancing, structures, and manufacturing processes
Experience designing parts for CNC machining, sheet metal, composites, additive manufacturing, or similar fabrication processes
Experience developing test fixtures and executing mechanical validation testing
Ability to independently troubleshoot hardware failures and drive design changes
Must be a US Citizen
Eligible for a US security clearance
Preferred: Direct experience designing or developing UAVs, drones, UAS, aircraft, robotics, or autonomous vehicles
Preferred: Experience with small or Group 1–3 unmanned aircraft
Preferred: Experience with airframes, propulsion integration, payload integration, landing systems, or flight-control hardware
Preferred: Experience with composite structures
Preferred: Experience transitioning prototype designs into low-rate or production manufacturing

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in mechanical design and product development for unmanned aerial systems, with a strong focus on 3D CAD, prototyping, and testing. Capable of leading cross-functional teams and managing production readiness while ensuring compliance with engineering standards.

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