Mechanical Engineer - Tactical UAS Drone Systems

T3i, Inc.; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 80,000 - 150,000; Part time

Job summary

T3i, Inc. is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to own the mechanical architecture of our Blackfoot drone platform, from concept through production. You will design, fabricate, test, and iterate airframes, propulsion integration, payload bays, and structural hardware.

Work hands-on in the shop and in flight testing, applying GD&T and fast iteration in a defense-focused, fast-moving environment. A strong background in lightweight materials and MIL-STD-810 testing is preferred.

Qualifications

• 3 years of hands-on mechanical engineering experience.
• Experience designing and fabricating real hardware systems.
• Strong CAD proficiency (SolidWorks preferred; CATIA, Fusion 360, or NX accepted).
• Demonstrated FEA experience (SolidWorks Simulation, ANSYS, or Abaqus).
• Working knowledge of GD&T per ASME Y14.5.
• Lightweight materials such as CFRP or aluminum alloys.

Responsibilities

• Support mechanical design across airframe, motor mounts, payload bays, & landing systems.
• Design and fabricate multi-component assemblies for high-performance drone platforms.
• Perform structural and FEA analysis to validate designs under flight loads and crash.
• Select materials including CFRP, aluminum, and engineering plastics for weight-critical applications.
• Integrate propulsion system components and manage thermal/envelope considerations.
• Develop and maintain technical drawings with GD&T callouts per ASME Y14.5.
• Build, test, and iterate hardware rapidly from prototype to production.
• Coordinate mechanical/electrical interface design and PCB mounting provisions.
• Drive DFMA, BOM, and build documentation for production readiness.

Skills

Mechanical design

SolidWorks

FEA analysis

GD&T (ASME Y14.5)

Prototyping / fabrication

Lightweight materials

Tools

SolidWorks

ANSYS

CATIA / Fusion 360 / NX

Job description

T3i, Inc. is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to own the mechanical architecture of our Blackfoot drone platform, from concept through production. You will design, fabricate, test, and iterate airframes, propulsion integration, payload bays, and structural hardware.

Work hands-on in the shop and in flight testing, applying GD&T and fast iteration in a defense-focused, fast-moving environment. A strong background in lightweight materials and MIL-STD-810 testing is preferred.