BS/MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field
12+ years of experience in hardware design and product shipping, preferably in drones or aircraft
7+ years of experience managing mechanical engineering teams
Hands-on experience with flight vehicles or critical structures like airframes and wings
Strong grasp of aircraft dynamics including weight, structures, and propulsion integration
Experience with lightweight materials such as composites and aerospace-grade metals
Proficiency in CAD software, preferably SolidWorks for 3D design
Responsibilities
Build and lead a mechanical engineering team for drone airframe and structural design
Set technical direction on aircraft performance tradeoffs like weight and aerodynamics
Guide integration of propulsion, batteries, and avionics into airframe designs
Oversee structural and thermal analysis, using flight data for design validation
Drive rapid prototyping culture, supporting hands-on assembly and flight testing
Lead investigations into failures and crashes, implementing design improvements
Ensure quality in design, analysis, and validation at all aircraft levels
Champion manufacturability and serviceability in engineering processes
Mentor and manage the performance of mechanical engineers
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to meet mission requirements
Benefits
Opportunity to lead and shape a growing engineering team
Hands-on involvement in innovative drone technology
Culture of rapid prototyping and real-world testing
Cross-functional collaboration with diverse engineering disciplines
Focus on professional development and career growth opportunities
Full Job Description
About the role
As the senior Mechanical Engineering Manager, Drone, you will lead and grow the team responsible for the mechanical design of our drone platforms, from airframe and structures through full aircraft integration. You will own the mechanical engineering roadmap for our uncrewed aircraft, hire and develop a team of mechanical engineers, and work hands-on with your team through the full product design lifecycle, from concept and prototype through flight test and production.
At Applied Intuition, you will:
Build and lead a team of mechanical engineers responsible for the airframe, fuselage, wings or rotor arms, landing gear, and structural components of our drone platforms
Set technical direction on the tradeoffs between weight, strength, aerodynamics, flight time, and payload capacity that determine whether an aircraft flies well
Guide your team's integration of propulsion, batteries, avionics, and payloads into the airframe, including packaging, mounting, cooling, and cable routing
Oversee structural, thermal, and vibration analysis across the team, and use flight and test data to validate and improve designs
Drive a culture of rapid prototyping: build, assemble, and iterate on real hardware, and support flight testing and field operations alongside your team
Lead failure and crash investigations, drive root cause analysis, and turn lessons into design improvements across the team
Own design, analysis, and validation quality at the component, assembly, and fully integrated aircraft level
Champion design for manufacturability, repairability, and field serviceability across your team's work
Hire, mentor, and grow mechanical engineers, and manage their performance and career development
Partner cross-functionally with autonomy, avionics, electrical, software, and flight test leaders to ensure designs meet mission requirements
We're looking for someone who has:
BS/MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field
12+ years of experience designing hardware and shipping products, ideally for drones, UAS, or aircraft
7+ years of experience leading and managing mechanical engineering teams
Hands-on experience designing flight vehicles or flight-critical structures, such as airframes, wings, fuselages, rotor arms, or landing gear
Strong understanding of what makes an aircraft fly: weight, structures, aerodynamic loads, stability, and propulsion integration
Experience designing lightweight structures, including composites, carbon fiber, and aerospace-grade metals
Experience with design for manufacturing across methods such as CNC machining, composite layup, sheet metal, and additive manufacturing
Proficiency in CAD, SolidWorks preferred, for 3D design and modification
Track record of hiring, developing, and retaining strong engineering talent
Nice to have:
Experience supporting flight test and field operations, including setting up devices under test and writing clear documentation for test, maintenance, safety, and team processes
Experience designing, drawing, and prototyping custom cable harnesses
Demonstrated experience in FEA/CAE (structural, thermal, vibration, and shock)
Hands-on experience shipping high-complexity hardware in both early-stage startup (0 to 1) and mass-production environments
Don't meet every single requirement? If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
About Applied Intuition
Applied Intuition is a software company that provides a simulation platform for autonomous vehicles. The platform allows developers to test and validate their autonomous vehicle software in a virtual environment before deploying it on real vehicles. Applied Intuition was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.
