Structure Design Engineer

Swarm Aero

Oxnard (CA)

On-site

USD 90,000 - 130,000

Full time

8 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Equity in high-growth company

Competitive base salary

Medical, dental, vision benefits

PTO and paid sick leave

Wellness stipend

Daily catered lunch (office)

Parental leave

Impact on national security mission

World-class engineering team

Job summary

Swarm Aero is seeking structures and composite design engineers to advance a new swarming aircraft network. You will own major composite airframe design from concept through first flight, defining laminates, ply drops, and joints while working closely with stress and manufacturing teams on layup, cure, and assembly.

Ideal candidates bring a BS/MS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, 3+ years in composite/metallic structures, and strong CAD skills (NX/CATIA/SolidWorks).

Qualifications

BS or MS in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering field.
3+ years designing composite or metallic structure for high-performance vehicles.
Working knowledge of composite materials, layup methods, and failure modes.
Proficiency in CAD (NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks) and GD&T fundamentals.
Hands-on mindset with shop-floor experience and fast iteration.
Ability to work onsite in Oxnard, CA.

Responsibilities

Own the design of major composite airframe structure from concept through first flight.
Define laminates, ply drops, and core layouts balancing weight and producibility.
Design bonded and bolted joints for primary structure.
Collaborate with stress analysts to close margins and iterate quickly.
Partner with composites manufacturing on layup, cure, and assembly methods.
Release engineering drawings and models for shop fabrication.
Support structural test campaigns and feed findings back into design.

Skills

CAD proficiency

Hands-on mindset

Bias toward speed

Onsite Oxnard

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering

Tools

NX CAD

CATIA

SolidWorks

Job description

Swarm Aero is redefining air power, building the largest swarming UAV and the most versatile swarming aircraft network in the world. The company is moving quickly to launch the first aircraft designed specifically for swarming, as well as the Command & Control software to mobilize swarms of thousands of heterogeneous autonomous assets and empower human operators to achieve superhuman results.

The team has created and exited multiple startups, negotiated defense deals worth billions of dollars, and designed and built 30+ novel aircraft, with aerospace experience from Scaled Composites, Airbus, Archer Aviation, Blue Origin, and Boom Supersonic.

About this role

This is a general application for structures and composite design engineers. We hire across the full structures lifecycle, including:

Composite primary structure design (wing, fuselage, empennage)
Composite secondary structure and fairings
Metallic structure design (fittings, frames, machined parts)
Structural joints, bonded assemblies, and attachments
Laminate design and ply definition
Tooling and producibility collaboration with manufacturing
Structural repair and sustainment design

We may not have an active opening that matches your exact background today. When we do, we will reach out. Strong candidates are reviewed by our engineering leadership on a rolling basis.

What you might work on

Own the design of major composite airframe structure from concept through first flight
Define laminates, ply drops, and core layouts that balance weight, strength, and producibility
Design bonded and bolted joints for primary structure
Work side by side with stress analysts to close margins and iterate quickly
Partner with composites manufacturing on layup, cure, and assembly methods
Release engineering drawings and models that shops can actually build from
Support structural test campaigns and incorporate findings back into the design

What we look for

BS or MS in Mechanical, Aerospace, or a related engineering field
3+ years designing composite or metallic structure for aircraft, spacecraft, or other high-performance vehicles
Working knowledge of composite materials, layup methods, and failure modes
Proficiency in CAD (NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks) and solid GD&T fundamentals
Hands-on mindset. You have walked the shop floor and changed your design because of what you saw there
Bias toward speed. You release, build, test, and iterate
Ability to work onsite in Oxnard, CA

Nice to have

Experience designing composite primary structure on a certified or flight-tested aircraft
Familiarity with prepreg, infusion, or out-of-autoclave processes
Experience with FEA tools (Nastran, Abaqus, HyperMesh) or close collaboration with stress teams
Experience taking structure through static, fatigue, or qualification testing
Startup or small-team experience where you owned large scope

ITAR requirement

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Swarm Aero is an equal opportunity employer. We value diverse backgrounds and experiences and make employment decisions without regard to race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or disability.

What We Offer