Staff Mechanical Engineer

Job description

Skyways designs, builds, and operates fully autonomous long-range cargo aircraft. Founded in 2017, the company has spent the last eight years developing and deploying autonomous logistics systems for real-world operations. Our V2 aircraft carries 30 lbs up to 500 miles, while our next-generation V3 carries 100 lbs over 1,000+ miles with 20+ hours of endurance. Both use a hybrid-electric architecture that takes off like a helicopter and cruises like a plane, enabling long-range autonomous delivery without traditional runway infrastructure. Today, Skyways aircraft operate across three continents in controlled national airspace under FAA oversight and in support of U.S. military operations. We are transitioning from prototype development to full-rate production and scaling toward large autonomous cargo fleets. Backed by Y Combinator and a $37M AFWERX STRATFI award from the U.S. Air Force, Skyways is creating a new form of transportation to advance our civilization from Austin, Texas. **The Opportunity** This role owns major aircraft systems from early architecture through flight operations. You will lead the design and development of critical mechanical systems across autonomous aircraft platforms, driving decisions that directly impact aircraft performance, reliability, manufacturability, and operational capability. This role requires deep technical judgment, strong first-principles engineering, and the ability to move quickly through design, integration, testing, and iteration. You will work across structures, mechanisms, integration, and vehicle-level design challenges while helping guide technical direction across the broader mechanical organization. You will collaborate closely with electrical, autonomy, manufacturing, and flight teams to develop flight-ready hardware and solve system-level problems in a fast-moving development environment. The ideal candidate has experience leading complex hardware development programs in aerospace, robotics, automotive, or other high-performance mechanical systems. ### What You'll Do: - Lead the design and development of aircraft structures, mechanisms, and integrated mechanical systems - Own major hardware systems from concept through flight testing and production release - Make system-level tradeoffs across weight, manufacturability, reliability, performance, and operational constraints - Drive CAD development, drawing release, and engineering documentation - Support aircraft integration, prototype builds, and flight test activities - Work closely with manufacturing teams to improve assembly processes and production readiness - Troubleshoot hardware issues identified during integration, testing, and flight operations - Collaborate across mechanical, electrical, software, manufacturing, and flight teams to deliver integrated aircraft systems - Mentor engineers and help raise engineering standards across the organization ### What You'll Bring: - Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field - 8+ years of experience developing complex mechanical systems - Strong CAD experience, preferably in SolidWorks or similar tools - Experience owning hardware through the full product lifecycle from concept through deployment - Strong understanding of structures, materials, manufacturing processes, and mechanical integration - Hands-on experience with prototyping, testing, and hardware debugging - Ability to make sound engineering decisions under aggressive timelines and operational constraints - Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills - Experience leading technical projects or mentoring engineers ### Bonus Points: - Experience with aerospace, UAV, robotics, or autonomous systems - Experience designing lightweight structures or composite assemblies - Familiarity with rapid hardware iteration and low-volume aircraft production - Experience supporting flight test or operational deployments - Experience with FEA, GD&T, or tolerance analysis