Staff Mechanical Engineer — Autonomous UAVs (Prototype)

SiFly; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

SiFly is hiring a Staff Mechanical Engineer to lead the mechanical design of our next-generation autonomous UAV products. This hands-on role involves prototyping in-house, guiding changes through field flight tests, and driving manufacturing as we scale production in our Santa Clara factory.

You will own mechanical assemblies from concept to installation on flying units, balance performance against weight, and collaborate closely with Electrical, Software, Integration, Test, Manufacturing,

Qualifications

• Solid background in mechanical systems (structural mechanics, heat transfer, fluid dynamics).
• Experience designing composite, injection-molded, and machined parts for production.
• DFMEA, tolerance analysis, life testing, HALT and related design discipline.
• First-principles thinking and propulsion/power/radio technology understanding.
• Hands-on work with flying units and data-driven design decisions.
• Proficient in parametric CAD with Fusion 360 familiarity.

Responsibilities

• Own the design of mechanical assemblies from concept to flight-ready units.
• Design and improve drone subsystems balancing performance and weight.
• Lead field flight testing and iterate from flight data.
• Design for manufacturability across composites, injection molding, and machined parts.
• Produce detailed drawings for fabrication and fixtures.
• Manage mass budgets and tolerance analyses; define interfaces.
• Collaborate with Electrical, Software, Integration, Test, Manufacturing, Operations, and Supply Chain teams.
• Explore AI-assisted design workflows and share learnings.

Skills

Composite parts design

Injection-molded parts

DFMEA

First-principles engineering

AI-assisted design workflows

Parametric CAD

Design for manufacturing

Tools

Fusion 360

SolidWorks

Job description

SiFly is hiring a Staff Mechanical Engineer to lead the mechanical design of our next-generation autonomous UAV products. This hands-on role involves prototyping in-house, guiding changes through field flight tests, and driving manufacturing as we scale production in our Santa Clara factory.

You will own mechanical assemblies from concept to installation on flying units, balance performance against weight, and collaborate closely with Electrical, Software, Integration, Test, Manufacturing,