Structures Design Engineer

Swarm Aero; Oxnard (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Swarm Aero in Oxnard, CA is seeking structures and composite design engineers to contribute across the full structures lifecycle, from concept through first flight. You will design composite primary and secondary structures, define laminates, joints, layups, and collaborate with manufacturing and stress teams to optimize weight, strength, and producibility.

This onsite role requires a BS or MS in Mechanical or Aerospace engineering and 3+ years with composites or metallic airframe structures.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in Mechanical, Aerospace, or 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Skills

Hands-on mindset

Bias toward speed

Onsite work in Oxnard

Education

BS or MS in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering field

Tools

NX

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
• 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 testingStartup or small-team experience where you owned large scope

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

• Meaningful equity in a high-growth defense technology company
• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience
• Medical, dental, vision, and 401k
• PTO and paid sick leave
• Monthly wellness stipend
• Daily catered lunch (office)
• Paid parental leave
• Direct impact on a critical national security mission
• A world-class team of engineers and operators solving genuinely hard problems