Senior Mechanical Engineer

Darwin has partnered with a defense technology company building unmanned aircraft systems for defense and security customers. This rapidly growing company is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to own structural design and analysis on their aircraft platforms under strict confidentiality.

About the role

This is a genuine ownership seat where you’ll lead mechanical design and structural analysis across the full product lifecycle—from concept through design, analysis, manufacturing oversight, and test validation. You’ll drive your own engineering decisions rather than relying on separate teams for loads and analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical design and structural analysis for aircraft platforms across concept, prototyping, testing, production, and field support.
• Perform first-order structural analysis and hand calculations to directly inform design decisions.
• Create and maintain CAD models, engineering drawings, and manufacturing documentation with strong GD&T discipline.
• Lead structural testing, analyze results, and drive corrective action on complex issues.
• Partner closely with electrical, manufacturing, and flight-test teams to ensure mechanical design integration across the full vehicle.
• Mentor junior and mid-level engineers and help shape engineering standards as the team scales.

Requirements

• Significant hands-on experience in mechanical design and analysis on complex hardware, ideally aircraft structures.
• Strong fundamentals in structures, hand calculations, and first-order analysis—comfortable owning both design and analysis without relying on separate teams.
• Proficiency in SolidWorks, GD&T, and design-for-manufacturing principles.
• Comfortable in a lean, high-ownership environment where speed and decision-making are expected.
• Genuine interest in mentoring engineers and raising technical standards.
• Experience with unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or VTOL platforms is a strong plus.
• US Citizenship required.

Why Join?

• Genuine technical ownership over aircraft structure with real influence on design direction.
• Strong funding and commercial momentum, providing resources to build properly rather than firefight.
• Lean, high-velocity culture where decisions are made quickly and engineers are trusted to own hard problems end-to-end.
• Direct exposure to new platform development, working closely with leadership as the function scales.
• Confidential opportunity—full details shared under NDA once engaged.

Pay

$180,000–$235,000, with full benefits and relocation package.

Skills

• Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Airframe Design, Structural Design, Structural Analysis
• Aircraft Structures, UAS, UAV, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Drone Design, VTOL
• Group 2/3/4 UAS, SolidWorks, GD&T, CAD, 3D Modeling, DFM (Design for Manufacturability)
• Hand Calculations, First-Order Analysis, Free Body Diagrams, Statics, Mechanics of Materials
• FEA (Finite Element Analysis), Structural Loads, Aero Loads, Mass Properties, Weight Optimization
• Composite Manufacturing, Additive Manufacturing, Injection Molding, Traditional Machining
• Tooling, Fixturing, Rapid Prototyping, Test Planning, DVP&R, Static/Dynamic Testing
• Root Cause Analysis, Electromechanical Integration, PCBA Integration, Wiring Harnesses
• Servos, Sensors, Configuration Management, Engineering Documentation, Design Reviews
• Technical Leadership, Mentoring, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Defense, Aerospace
• Hardware Engineering, Product Lifecycle (Concept to Production), Flight Test Support
• ITAR, U.S. Person, Security Clearance