Senior Actuation Design Engineer

Joby Aviation; Santa Cruz (CA); On-site; USD 122,000 - 206,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

401(k) with company match

RSUs/ESPP

Job summary

Joby Aviation Inc. is seeking a talented design engineer to join the airframe and actuators team.

The role focuses on the design and certification of flight-critical electro-mechanical actuators, managing requirements, CAD design, drawings, hardware selection, and certification documentation. Responsibilities include data analysis, prototype and production actuator manufacturing support, test execution, and collaboration with certification teams to ensure compliance.

Qualifications

• B.S. degree in relevant field with 5+ years of industry experience.
• M.S. degree in relevant field with 3+ years of industry experience.
• Ability to visualize complex 3D systems.
• Attention to detail with ability to design to strict aerospace standards.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and eagerness to learn.
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills.
• Proficiency with CAD.
• Willingness to be hands-on.
• Ability to be onsite regularly at headquarters in Santa Cruz, CA.

Responsibilities

• Detailed layout of actuator mechanical and electrical design elements.
• Collaborate with engineering and certification teams to apply best practices.
• Be willing to assist in assembly and testing of actuators.
• Support technicians and flight test personnel during integration and testing.
• Create and maintain technical drawings and bill of materials.
• Support certification through documentation and communication.
• Assist manufacturing with root cause analysis of non-conformances.
• Analyze manufacturing yield data.
• Assist in failure analysis.
• Manage issues impacting fleet operations and maintenance.

Skills

3D visualization

Detail orientation

Mechanical aptitude

Teamwork & communication

CAD proficiency

Hands-on

Onsite in Santa Cruz

Education

Bachelor's degree in relevant field

Master's degree in relevant field

Advanced degree in Mechanical/Aerospace

Tools

CAD software

Job description

Imagine a piloted air taxi that takes off vertically, then quietly carries you and your fellow passengers over the congested city streets below, enabling you to spend more time with the people and places that matter most. At Joby, we've been working to make that dream a reality since 2009 and we're now in the final stages of certifying our aircraft with the FAA. With plans to launch our aircraft in the US and Dubai, we're now scaling manufacturing and preparing for the launch of our commercial service.

Overview

Joby Aviation is seeking a talented and experienced design engineer to join our airframe and actuators team. This individual will be responsible for the design and certification of flight critical electro-mechanical actuators. This role will involve management of existing requirements and drafting new requirements, conceptual and detailed CAD design, drawing creation, hardware selection and procurement, and drafting of documentation for certification. This role will also require support in the manufacturing of prototype and production flyaway actuators, component and system testing, data analysis, and implementing design changes driven by learnings from test and operation. Experience in the certification of aerospace actuators is highly desirable. Hands-on experience and a “get it done" attitude are key for this position. This position is rewarding for engineers that value seeing their ideas rapidly grow from concept to creation due to Joby Aviation’s fast development pace.

Responsibilities

• Detailed layout of actuator mechanical and electrical design elements
• Collaboration with engineering and certification teams to incorporate best practices
• Ability and willingness to ‘get your hands dirty’ in the assembly and testing of actuators
• Support of technicians and flight test personnel during integration and flight testing
• Creation and maintenance of technical drawings and bill of materials
• Support of certification process through documentation and communication
• Support of manufacturing in root cause analysis of non conformances
• Data analysis of manufacturing yield data
• Support of manufacturing in failure analysis
• Manage issues that affect fleet operations and maintenance

Required

• B.S. degree in relevant field and 5 + years of industry work experience
• M.S degree in relevant field and 3+ years of industry work experience
• Ability to visualize complex 3D systems
• Keen eye for detail and willingness to design to strict aerospace standards
• Great mechanical aptitude and curiosity to learn
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills
• Proficiency with CAD
• Willingness to be hands‑on
• Ability to be onsite regularly at our headquarters in Santa Cruz CA

Desired

• Advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or another relevant discipline
• 5+ years of work experience within aerospace industry, 8+ years of overall experience
• Certification of aerospace actuators

Additional Information

Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $121,500 - $206,100/yr. The compensation package will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Joby also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan with a company match, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.

Joby is an Equal Opportunity Employer.