Senior Tooling Design Engineer, Airframe Manufacturing

Astro Mechanica; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision insurance

401(k) + stock options

Flexible time off

Job summary

Astro Mechanica is seeking a senior engineer to own the tooling strategy for airframe assembly, delivering fixtures, jigs, and layup tools from design through certification.

You will work closely with manufacturing and design teams on composite and metallic structures, drive DFМ improvements, and mentor junior staff on shop-floor integration.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of aerospace tooling and fixture design with full lifecycle ownership.
• Degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Manufacturing Engineering or equivalent.
• Experience designing large monolithic assembly fixtures and small drill jigs and fixtures.
• Hands-on with composite assemblies, cure tooling, and layup.
• Proficient in NX CAD; manage large assemblies and surfacing.
• Knowledge of GD&T and tolerance stack-up across multi-stage build.
• Experience with laser tracking, CMM, or photogrammetry for tool setup.

Responsibilities

• Own the tooling strategy for airframe tooling and fixturing architecture.
• Design and deliver large assembly fixtures, drill jigs, trim fixtures, and layup tools.
• Establish locating strategy and GD&T analysis for airframe assembly.
• Stand up tooling function with standards, drawing practices, and vendor base.
• Oversee tooling from PO to build certification, within budget and schedule.
• Run tool proof-out and first article builds with technicians.
• Define metrology approach for tool certification and recertification.
• Mentor junior tool designers and technicians and build out design review practices.
• Plan tooling transition from prototype to higher-rate production.
• Seek new tooling technologies to improve speed, accuracy, and repeatability.

Skills

Aerospace tooling

NX CAD

GD&T

Metrology

Vendor management

Education

Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering degree

Tools

CMM

Laser Tracker

Fibersim

Job description

ABOUT US:

Astro Mechanica is a vertically integrated aerospace company building a faster, more connected future. Our mission is to democratize high-speed flight by making supersonic travel flexible, accessible, and sustainable. We believe that rapid, on-demand, point‑to‑point global mobility will become the new standard for moving people and goods across the planet. To achieve this, we are integrating our advanced airframe and engine technologies—which include Duality™, our proprietary dual‑use propulsion system, with a new flight operations model to make supersonic transport as efficient and economical as commercial air travel is today. In the near term, we are developing adaptable, high‑speed systems to close aircraft performance gaps for the United States government.

WHO WE ARE:

We’re a team of passionate engineers dedicated to advancing aerospace. We’re generalists with specialist depth, united by a flat structure and a shared obsession with building things that work well. We move fast, stay pragmatic, and let engineering excellence speak louder than hierarchy.

WHO YOU ARE:

You’re an engineer with a strong mechanical design background and experience developing tooling systems for large and complex assemblies. You are looking for an opportunity to deploy your skills to tackle difficult manufacturing challenges and design assembly fixtures from the ground up. You thrive in a hands‑on, interdisciplinary environment where you are responsible for the entire scope of the tooling project; from initial design through successful implementation. You’re able to collaborate seamlessly with manufacturing and design teams to develop elegant tooling systems that will help lay the foundation for our next‑generation aircraft factory.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

Own the tooling strategy for Astro Mechanica's airframe, defining the fixturing and jigging architecture that carries us from detail part through to a joined airframeDesign and deliver large assembly fixtures for major airframe assembly, along with the drill jigs, trim and bond fixtures, layup tools, and shop aids that feed themEstablish the locating and datum strategy across the build sequence, and own the tolerance stack‑up and GD&T analysis that proves the airframe closesHelp stand up our tooling function from scratch, including design standards, drawing practice, tool numbering, vendor base, and proof‑out processServe as the technical authority on tooling for composite and metallic airframe structure, guiding design teams on manufacturability, tool access, and assembly approachCarry tooling from purchase order through build, install, and certification, whether it is made in‑house or bought outside, holding the budget, schedule, and vendor choiceRun tool proof‑out and first article builds alongside the technicians who will use them, and close out whatever the trial exposesDefine the metrology approach for tool certification and recertification, and interpret laser tracker and CMM resultsMentor early‑career tool designers and technicians, and build out the team's design review practiceOwn the investigation when a tool is implicated in a defect, and drive the corrective action to closureHold our tooling to the ergonomic, safe, quality, and documentation bar that aerospace work demandsPlan the transition of tooling from prototype builds toward higher rate production, designing for reuse and scalabilitySeek out new tooling technologies and methods that improve build speed, accuracy, and repeatability

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

7+ years of experience designing aircraft or aerospace tooling and assembly fixturing, including full lifecycle ownership through design, procurement, fabrication, proof‑out, and production supportDegree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Manufacturing Engineering or equivalentDemonstrated experience designing both large monolithic assembly fixtures for major airframe assembly and small detail tooling such as drill jigs, trim fixtures, bond fixtures, and shop aidsStrong hands‑on experience with composite assemblies, including cure tooling, bond fixtures, and the tooling implications of layup, cure, trim, drill, and bonded joint processesPractical experience with weldments and machined metallic structure, including weld distortion control, fixture design for welded assemblies, and composite‑to‑metal interfacesExpert proficiency in an industry standard 3D CAD system, preferably NX, including large assembly management and surfacingApplied experience with GD&T and detailed tolerance stack‑up analysis across a multi‑stage build sequenceDemonstrated experience defining locating and datum schemes for large, complex primary structureExperience with metrology‑driven assembly using laser tracker, CMM, or photogrammetry for tool setup, certification, and periodic recertificationExperience selecting tool materials and fabrication methods based on CTE, stiffness, durability, cost, and lead timeExperience owning tooling budget, schedule, vendor selection, and delivery for a program's full tooling packageExperience leading DFM initiatives and working closely with design teams to influence product architecture for manufacturability and assemblyAbility to work directly from engineering drawings, CAD models, and evolving build definitionsProven ability to lead and mentor engineers and technicians while staying deeply engaged in the technical detailsDemonstrated experience and strong desire to work closely with the production team on the shop floor

NICE TO HAVE:

Experience standing up a tooling function or tool room from scratch, including equipment, vendor base, standards, and documentationExperience with determinant assembly and full‑size airframe assemblyFEA experience validating tool stiffness, deflection, and load pathsCAM programming and hands‑on machining experienceWelding and weld fixture design experience, including familiarity with welded structure inspectionExperience with laser projection systems to aid composite layup and assemblyExperience with ply pattern generation and composite design tools (Fibersim, Composite Workbench, or similar)Experience with aircraft or spacecraft integrationExperience with NDI and quality inspection methods for composite and bonded structureExperience transitioning tooling from prototype builds into higher rate productionFamiliarity with AS9100, NADCAP, or FAA/DoD requirements applicable to aerospace toolingHas owned the upkeep side of a tooling library: recertification intervals, tracking, and planned maintenanceExperience manufacturing large structures

PERKS & BENEFITS:

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, including Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)401(k) program and transparent stock option planSelf-managed and flexible time‑off policy, including PTO, paid holidays, and sick timeFlexible work environment

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

At Astro Mechanica, we highly value in‑office work to foster collaboration and strengthen our company culture. We consider working in the office five days a week an essential part of the employee's role.Astro Mechanica is an equal opportunity employer. We proudly recruit and hire a diverse workforce and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.