Senior Aerospace Engineer - Lead Fixed-Wing UAS Design from Concept Through Production!
Fort Worth, TX | On-site
Opportunity Summary
Join a growing aerospace organization developing advanced fixed-wing unmanned aircraft for mission-driven government and commercial applications. This team is focused on building aircraft that are not only high performing in the air but also scalable, manufacturable, and ready for operational deployment. We are seeking a senior Aerospace Engineer to serve as a technical authority for air vehicle design across conceptual development, structural architecture, configuration control, and production readiness. This role carries ownership of key aircraft decisions and influences performance, manufacturability, cost, and mission success from early trades through flight validation. If you are motivated by first-principles aircraft design and want to see your work fly and scale into production, this is a high-impact leadership opportunity.
About Us
We are a U.S.-based developer and manufacturer of advanced unmanned aircraft systems built for scalable production and operational reliability. Our platforms are engineered with performance and manufacturability in mind, serving customers who require dependable air vehicles capable of rapid deployment and sustained mission execution. From conceptual design through production ramp, we prioritize disciplined engineering and configuration integrity.
Job Duties
Air Vehicle Configuration Leadership
- Lead fixed-wing aircraft configuration development including aerodynamic layout, mass properties, structural architecture, and performance margins
- Own key design trades affecting range, endurance, payload integration, and manufacturability
- Serve as technical authority during design reviews and configuration boards
Concept Development and Trade Studies
- Conduct sizing analyses, weight estimation, performance modeling, and configuration down-select activities
- Translate mission requirements into executable vehicle architectures
- Balance performance objectives with cost, producibility, and operational constraints
Structural Design and Integration
- Oversee primary and secondary structural design including load paths, material selection, joint concepts, and structural margins
- Coordinate with analysis teams on loads development, strength validation, and stiffness assessments
- Ensure compatibility between structural design, assembly flow, and field maintainability
Design Maturity and Production Transition
- Drive configuration evolution from prototype through LRIP and production standards
- Ensure documentation completeness and configuration control discipline
- Partner with manufacturing, quality, and supply chain to resolve producibility issues and enable rate increases
Flight Test and Validation
- Support planning and execution of flight test activities
- Review performance data to validate aerodynamic and structural assumptions
- Lead corrective actions resulting from ground or flight test findings
- Capture lessons learned and integrate them into updated design standards
Technical Leadership and Cross-Functional Engagement
- Mentor engineers across aerodynamics, structures, manufacturing, avionics integration, and systems disciplines
- Represent the aircraft design function in customer discussions and program reviews
- Support proposal development, technical roadmaps, and next-generation platform concepts
Qualifications
- 7+ years of aerospace engineering experience with direct fixed-wing unmanned aircraft background
- Demonstrated ownership of air vehicle configuration, aerodynamic layout, or structural design
- Experience in conceptual aircraft design or structural design for fixed-wing platforms
- Proven track record transitioning aircraft designs from concept through prototype and into production or LRIP
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering or related technical discipline
- Ability to travel up to 15% to support test events, production coordination, and customer engagement
Preferred Experience
- Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field
- Experience with aluminum or composite airframe structures
- Background in loads development and airworthiness or certification processes
- Familiarity with design-to-cost and manufacturability-driven design
- Experience supporting flight test programs and rapid iteration development cycles
Why Join Us
- Opportunity for growth within a scaling aerospace program
- Direct ownership of aircraft-level design decisions
- Exposure to full lifecycle development from concept through production
- Collaborative engineering culture focused on disciplined execution
- Strong PTO policy
- Medical, dental, and vision benefits
- 401(k) plan with matching
Compensation Details
$150,000 - $200,000
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