Staff Mechanical Engineer

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

Want to join our mission? Apply to learn more!

Due to U.S. government contract requirements, this role is limited to U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, or candidates from specific countries authorized under applicable export control regulations.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.