Structures Design Lead - Autonomous Aircraft (Composites)

Swarm Aero Inc.; Oxnard (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity stake

Competitive base salary

Medical, dental, vision

401(k)

PTO and sick leave

Monthly wellness stipend

Daily catered lunch

Paid parental leave

Direct impact on national security

Job summary

Swarm Aero Inc. is seeking a structures design engineer to own parts on our Group 5 autonomous aircraft from concept through first article. You will work in CAD and FEA daily, coordinating with manufacturing to ensure the released design is buildable and verifiable.

The role emphasizes hands-on part design, real hardware sizing, and direct ownership of parts from concept to flight, with travel to our Oxnard headquarters for onsite collaboration.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in composite structure design for aircraft/spacecraft or similar
• Proficiency with CAD software, especially Siemens NX and Fibersim
• Experience with composite lamination design, bonding and joining techniques
• Familiarity with aviation standards and DoD certification requirements
• Willingness to travel to Oxnard headquarters for onsite collaboration

Responsibilities

• Own structural design and sizing for primary and secondary airframe structure (wing, fuselage, empennage, major joints)
• Develop loads and criteria sets; create sized structures with documented margins
• Run static, buckling, fatigue, and dynamic analysis in FEA; use hand calcs when appropriate
• Design in composites and metals; decide material placement by weight, cost, and rate
• Coordinate with manufacturing on layup, tooling, part count, and assembly sequence
• Define and run structural tests from coupons to full-scale tests; reconcile results with models
• Support integration of propulsion, landing/recovery, payload bays, and actuators into the structure
• Own parts end-to-end from concept through drawings, vendor coordination, first article, and flight

Skills

5+ years composite structure design

Siemens NX

Fibersim

DoD certification knowledge

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Teamcenter

Job description

Swarm Aero Inc. is seeking a structures design engineer to own parts on our Group 5 autonomous aircraft from concept through first article. You will work in CAD and FEA daily, coordinating with manufacturing to ensure the released design is buildable and verifiable.

The role emphasizes hands-on part design, real hardware sizing, and direct ownership of parts from concept to flight, with travel to our Oxnard headquarters for onsite collaboration.